Blink subscription plans explained
Blink offers two subscription tiers for camera owners: the Basic plan and the Plus plan. The Basic plan costs $3 per month per camera and includes cloud video storage, motion detection alerts, and access to recorded clips through the Blink app. The Plus plan costs $10 per month per camera and adds person detection (distinguishing people from other motion), package detection, and enhanced cloud storage.
Both plans store video clips in the cloud for up to 60 days. Without a subscription, your Blink camera will still record and send motion alerts to your phone, but clips are not saved to the cloud — they exist only on your local network if you have a Sync Module. The subscription is optional; you can use a Blink camera without paying anything, though you lose cloud backup and some detection features.
Blink also offers a yearly payment option for both tiers, which costs less per month than paying monthly. A yearly Basic subscription is roughly $30 per year per camera, and a yearly Plus subscription is roughly $100 per year per camera. Exact pricing may vary by region and changes periodically, so check the Blink app or website for current rates.
Key Takeaways
- Blink subscriptions are per-camera, so if you own three cameras, you pay for three subscriptions unless you bundle them.
- The Basic plan ($3/month per camera) stores clips in the cloud and sends motion alerts; the Plus plan ($10/month per camera) adds person and package detection.
- Without a subscription, your camera still records locally and sends alerts, but cloud storage and advanced detection are not available.
- Paying yearly instead of monthly saves money, with Basic around $30/year and Plus around $100/year per camera.
- You can cancel a subscription at any time through the Blink app without penalty or early termination fees.
How cloud storage works with Blink subscriptions
When you subscribe to Blink, video clips are automatically saved to Amazon's cloud servers and remain there for 60 days. You can watch, download, or share these clips through the Blink app during that window. After 60 days, clips are deleted automatically unless you download them to your phone or computer first.
The amount of storage you get does not depend on the plan you choose — both Basic and Plus include the same 60-day rolling window. The difference is what triggers recording: Basic records on motion only, while Plus records on motion and also flags clips where it detects a person or package, making those easier to find later.
If your internet goes down, your camera will not upload clips to the cloud until the connection returns. If you have a Sync Module (a small hub that connects your cameras to your home network), clips can be stored locally on the module as well, giving you a backup even if cloud upload fails.
Person detection and package detection features
Person detection, included only in the Plus plan, uses artificial intelligence to distinguish between a person walking past your camera and other motion like wind-blown leaves or a passing car. When the camera detects a person, it tags that clip in the app so you can quickly find human activity without scrolling through dozens of false alerts from weather or animals.
Package detection works similarly but flags clips where a package or delivery appears on your doorstep or porch. This feature is useful if you receive frequent deliveries and want to know when something has arrived without reviewing every motion alert. Both features reduce alert fatigue by filtering out motion events that are unlikely to matter to you.
These detection features run on Amazon's servers, not on the camera itself, so they require an active internet connection and a Plus subscription to work. If your internet is down or your subscription lapses, the camera will still record motion, but person and package tags will not appear.
Cancelling or pausing your subscription
You can cancel a Blink subscription at any time through the Blink app without paying an early termination fee or penalty. Open the app, go to your account settings, select the camera you want to remove the subscription from, and choose the option to cancel. The cancellation takes effect immediately, and you are not charged for the next billing cycle.
Blink does not offer a pause or temporary suspension option — you either have an active subscription or you do not. If you want to stop paying for a few months and resume later, you will need to cancel and then resubscribe when you are ready. Your camera will continue to work without a subscription, recording locally and sending motion alerts, but cloud storage will not be available.
If you cancel and later resubscribe to the same plan, your camera will resume uploading clips to the cloud. Any clips that were deleted during the subscription gap are gone permanently.
Bundling multiple cameras and family accounts
If you own multiple Blink cameras, you pay for each subscription separately. There is no multi-camera discount or bundle plan that reduces the per-camera cost. However, you can add other people to your Blink account through the app, and they can view all your cameras and clips without paying their own subscription — they use the subscription you already own.
This shared access works well for households where multiple people need to monitor the same cameras. Each person logs into the shared account through the app and sees the same video history and alerts. If you want to give someone access to only certain cameras, Blink does not offer granular permission controls, so shared account access is all-or-nothing.
If you want to keep cameras separate between household members or give someone access to only one camera, you would need to create a separate Blink account for that person, and they would need their own subscription.
Comparing Blink to other camera subscription models
Most home security camera brands charge per-camera subscriptions similar to Blink's structure. Ring, owned by Amazon like Blink, charges $3 per month per camera for cloud storage and basic features, which matches Blink's Basic plan pricing. Wyze charges $1.99 per month per camera for cloud storage, making it cheaper than Blink but with fewer detection features. Google Nest charges $6 per month per camera for cloud storage and person detection, which is between Blink's two tiers.
Some brands, like Logitech Circle, bundle multiple cameras into a single subscription — you pay one monthly fee and can add up to 10 cameras to that subscription. This model can be cheaper if you own many cameras, but it locks you into one brand. Blink's per-camera model is more flexible if you want to add cameras gradually or use different brands together.
Local storage without cloud backup is an option with some brands like Wyze and Logitech, where you can store video on a microSD card or local hub without paying a subscription. Blink requires a Sync Module for local storage, and even with one, most people still subscribe to cloud backup for redundancy and remote access.
What happens if you do not subscribe
A Blink camera without a subscription will still detect motion and send alerts to your phone in real time. You can view a live stream of the camera through the app at any moment. The camera records video, but clips are stored only on your local network if you have a Sync Module — they do not upload to the cloud.
Without a subscription, you lose the ability to review recorded clips from outside your home network. If you are away and want to see what happened at your house, you can only view the live stream, not the recorded history. Person detection and package detection are also unavailable without the Plus subscription.
For many people, the free version is enough: real-time alerts and live viewing cover most security needs. The subscription becomes more valuable if you want to review what happened while you were away, or if you want the camera to automatically flag human activity so you do not have to watch every clip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Blink camera without paying for a subscription?
Yes. Your camera will still send motion alerts and let you view a live stream through the app. You just will not have cloud storage of recorded clips or person detection. If you have a Sync Module, clips are stored locally on the module instead.
Do I have to pay for a subscription for each camera I own?
Yes, subscriptions are per-camera. If you own three cameras, you pay for three subscriptions unless you only want cloud storage on one or two of them. Other people on your account can view all your cameras without paying their own subscription.
What is the difference between Basic and Plus?
Basic ($3/month) stores motion clips in the cloud for 60 days. Plus ($10/month) adds person detection and package detection, so the camera flags clips where it sees a person or package, making them easier to find. Both plans include the same 60-day storage window.
Can I get a refund if I cancel my subscription?
No. Subscriptions are billed monthly or yearly, and cancellation stops future charges but does not refund what you already paid. If you cancel mid-month, you are not charged again, but you do not receive a prorated refund for the unused portion.
Does Blink offer a yearly discount?
Yes. Paying yearly costs less per month than paying monthly. Basic is roughly $30/year per camera, and Plus is roughly $100/year per camera. Check the Blink app for exact current pricing in your region.