The Setup
Amazon runs two competing security camera brands - Ring and Blink. Both integrate with Alexa, offer battery and wired options, and deliver motion alerts and two-way audio. The question isn't which is "better" - it's which trade-offs you're willing to make.
What You're Actually Choosing Between
Ring positions as the full-featured option: 1536p to 2K resolution, 140°+ field of view, color night vision, and 3D motion detection that distinguishes between packages and people. Six doorbell models. Floodlight cameras. Optional professional monitoring at $20/month. Devices start at $50 and run to $280.
Blink strips it down: 1080p resolution, 110° FOV, infrared night vision, basic motion detection. One doorbell model. Cameras from $30 to $100. Two-year battery life on AA lithiums. Local storage via Sync Module - no subscription required for basic recording. No professional monitoring available.
The Subscription Math
Ring Basic: $5/month per device. Ring Plus: $10/month covers all devices at one location.
Blink Basic: $4/month for unlimited devices. Over three years with four cameras: Blink costs $144 in subscriptions, Ring costs $360 for Plus.
The gap narrows if you need Ring's advanced features - person/package/vehicle detection, extended warranties, professional monitoring. It widens if you use Blink's local storage and skip subscriptions entirely.
What This Means In Practice
Ring makes sense if you're building a comprehensive security system with professional monitoring, need advanced AI detection, or want 2K video quality. The ecosystem is deeper - alarms, sensors, integrated response.
Blink works if you want basic monitoring on a budget, value battery life over features, or prefer local storage to avoid ongoing costs. The simplicity is the point.
Worth Noting
Neither brand targets enterprise. No multi-site management, compliance certifications, or scalability features. These are consumer products locked into Amazon's ecosystem. IT departments evaluating building security should look elsewhere.
The real decision: Do you need Ring's capabilities enough to pay for them, or is Blink's "good enough" actually sufficient? History suggests most buyers overestimate what they need.