Ring Protect Basic is the lowest-cost subscription that saves your video recordings

Ring Protect Basic costs $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year and is the least expensive Ring subscription that stores your video history in the cloud. Without any subscription, Ring doorbells and cameras record video only when motion or sound is detected, but the footage disappears after a few hours — you cannot watch it later. Basic plan adds cloud storage so you can review recordings for 60 days after they happen.

The trade-off is that Basic covers only one device. If you have multiple doorbells or cameras, you pay $3.99 per additional device per month. Ring also offers Protect Plus at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year, which covers unlimited devices and adds 24/7 professional monitoring for break-ins, but most people who want the cheapest option with history do not need those extras.

Key Takeaways

  • Ring Protect Basic costs $3.99 per month and stores 60 days of video history for one device.
  • Without a subscription, Ring devices record video but delete it within hours, so you cannot review past events.
  • Each additional device on the Basic plan costs $3.99 per month separately — there is no bundle discount until you upgrade to Protect Plus.
  • You can cancel or pause a Ring subscription at any time without penalty.
  • The yearly payment option ($39.99 per year) saves about $8 compared to paying monthly.

What video history you get with Basic versus no subscription

A Ring device without any subscription will record when it detects motion or sound, but that video lives only on Ring's servers temporarily. You can watch it for a few hours, but then it is deleted. You cannot go back a week later and review footage from last Tuesday. This matters if you want to check whether a package arrived, review a suspicious person, or see what happened while you were away.

Ring Protect Basic changes this by storing every recording for 60 days. That means you can open the Ring app on day 45 and still watch video from day 1. The 60-day window rolls forward — once a recording is 61 days old, it is deleted to make room for new ones. For most households, 60 days is enough to catch package theft, check on deliveries, or review security concerns that come to your attention days or weeks later.

How to set up Basic and what happens after you subscribe

Start in the Ring app on your phone. Tap the menu (three horizontal lines), then go to Subscriptions. Select the device you want to protect, choose Ring Protect Basic, and enter your payment method. The subscription begins immediately, and you will see a confirmation in the app. If you pay monthly, the charge recurs on the same date each month. If you pay yearly, you are charged once and the subscription renews 12 months later.

Once Basic is active, every video your Ring device records — whether from motion, sound, or a live view you start manually — is stored in the cloud. You do not have to do anything else. The app will show you a timeline of recordings, and you can tap any one to watch it. If you want to save a specific video permanently (beyond the 60-day window), you can download it to your phone from within the app.

When Basic is not enough and you might need Protect Plus

Ring Protect Basic works well if you have one or two devices and want affordable cloud storage. But if you have three or more Ring devices, the math changes. Basic costs $3.99 per device per month, so three devices would be $11.97 per month. Protect Plus costs $9.99 per month and covers unlimited devices, so it becomes cheaper once you add a third device.

Protect Plus also includes 24/7 professional monitoring — if your Ring alarm system detects a break-in, Ring's monitoring center is notified and can contact emergency services on your behalf. This feature costs extra and requires an alarm system, not just a doorbell or camera. If you do not have an alarm system or do not want monitoring, Basic remains the cheapest way to store video history.

Pausing or canceling your subscription

You can pause a Ring subscription for up to three months without losing your video history. During a pause, your device still records, but new videos are not stored in the cloud — they disappear after a few hours as if you had no subscription. Once you resume, cloud storage starts again. Pausing is useful if you are traveling or temporarily do not need the service.

Canceling is permanent. Once you cancel, your video history is deleted within 30 days, and you lose access to all stored recordings. If you cancel and then resubscribe later, you start fresh with no old videos. There is no penalty for canceling, and you can resubscribe at any time.

Comparing Basic to other ways to store Ring video

Ring does not offer a free cloud storage tier, so your only options are to subscribe or to use local storage. Some Ring devices support microSD cards (small memory cards that fit inside the device), which store video locally without a subscription. However, microSD storage has limits: the card fills up after a few weeks, and you have to physically access the device to retrieve footage. Cloud storage through Basic is more convenient because you can watch videos from anywhere using the app.

If you own a Ring Alarm system, you can also use the Ring Protect Plan (the older name for what is now Protect Plus), which includes video storage as part of the alarm monitoring package. But this is more expensive than Basic if you only want video history and do not want alarm monitoring.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use a Ring device without any subscription?

Yes. The device will record video when it detects motion or sound, and you can watch it in the app for a few hours. But the video is not stored long-term, so you cannot review it days or weeks later. A subscription is required for cloud storage and history.

Does Ring Protect Basic include video from live view?

Yes. Any video recorded by the device — whether from motion detection, sound detection, or when you manually start a live view in the app — is stored in the cloud if you have Basic. All recordings count toward the 60-day history.

What happens to my videos if I cancel my subscription?

Your stored videos are deleted within 30 days of cancellation. If you want to keep any videos, download them to your phone before you cancel. Once they are deleted, you cannot recover them.

Can I share my Ring subscription with family members?

Yes. You can invite other people to your Ring account through the app, and they will have access to all video history and live view on subscribed devices. They do not need their own separate subscription.

Is there a contract or commitment period for Ring Protect Basic?

No. You can cancel at any time without penalty. There is no minimum commitment, and you are not charged early termination fees.