Ring Protect Plans: What You Pay For
Ring offers two paid subscription tiers for camera owners: Ring Protect Basic and Ring Protect Plus. Basic covers a single device and costs $3 per month or $30 per year. Plus covers all Ring devices at your address and costs $10 per month or $100 per year. Both plans include video recording storage in the cloud, motion alerts, and the ability to review footage for 60 days after it was recorded.
Without a subscription, your Ring camera will still record and send you alerts when motion is detected, but the video will not save to the cloud. You can watch a live feed from the app at any time, but you cannot go back and review what happened before you opened the app. A subscription is what lets you store and retrieve past recordings.
Ring also sells Ring Protect Pro in some markets, which bundles camera subscriptions with professional monitoring for alarm systems. This plan costs $20 per month or $200 per year and is only available if you have a Ring Alarm system installed. It is not a camera-only plan.
Key Takeaways
- Ring Protect Basic costs $3 per month and covers one camera; Ring Protect Plus costs $10 per month and covers all cameras at your address.
- Both plans store video for 60 days in the cloud, which is the main feature you pay for — without a plan, live view works but recordings do not save.
- You can cancel or pause a subscription at any time through the Ring app; there is no contract or early termination fee.
- Ring Protect Pro ($20 per month) bundles camera storage with professional alarm monitoring and requires a Ring Alarm system.
- Some Ring devices come with a trial period of free subscription; check your device paperwork to see if yours includes one.
What Video Storage Actually Means
When you pay for a Ring subscription, you are paying for cloud storage — a company server that keeps copies of your video files. When your camera detects motion or records continuously, the footage uploads to Ring's servers. You can then watch that video from anywhere using the Ring app, even if your camera is offline or your home internet is down.
The 60-day storage window means Ring keeps the most recent 60 days of video. After 60 days, older footage is deleted automatically. If you want to keep a specific video longer, you can download it to your phone or computer before the 60 days expire. Downloaded videos stay on your device indefinitely.
Without a subscription, your camera still records to local storage on the device itself (if it has that feature) or to your home network, but Ring does not store it on their servers. You can only watch live video or recently recorded clips if you were already in the app when they were recorded.
Differences Between Basic and Plus
| Feature | Ring Protect Basic | Ring Protect Plus |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $3 | $10 |
| Annual cost | $30 | $100 |
| Devices covered | One camera or doorbell | All Ring devices at your address |
| Cloud video storage | 60 days | 60 days |
| Motion alerts | Yes | Yes |
| Professional monitoring | No | No |
The main practical difference is device count. If you have one Ring camera, Basic is cheaper. If you have two or more Ring devices (cameras, doorbells, or both), Plus becomes the better value because one Plus subscription covers all of them, whereas you would need multiple Basic subscriptions.
Both plans store video for the same length of time and include the same core features. Ring does not offer a higher-tier plan that stores video longer than 60 days or adds other camera features. If you want longer storage, you must download videos manually before they expire.
How to Start, Pause, or Cancel
You manage your subscription through the Ring app on your phone. Open the app, go to the menu, select "Subscriptions," and choose the plan you want. You can switch between Basic and Plus, or cancel entirely. Changes take effect immediately.
If you pause your subscription, your existing video storage stops uploading new footage, but video already stored remains available for the rest of the 60-day window. When you resume, new recordings begin uploading again. There is no fee to pause or resume, and you can do it as many times as you want.
If you cancel, you lose access to cloud storage immediately. Any video already stored will disappear after 60 days. You cannot retrieve it after that, so download anything you want to keep before you cancel.
Trial Periods and Bundled Subscriptions
Some Ring cameras and doorbells come with a free trial of Ring Protect Basic, usually for 30 or 60 days. Check the box or the paperwork that came with your device to see if yours includes one. The trial begins when you first set up the device, not when you buy it, so if you buy a camera and do not set it up for several months, the trial clock does not start until you activate it.
If you buy a Ring device through certain retailers or as part of a bundle with other products, the retailer may include a subscription trial as a promotion. Amazon Prime members sometimes receive extended trials or discounts on subscriptions, though this varies by region and changes periodically.
Once a trial ends, you will receive a notification in the app. If you do not purchase a plan, cloud storage stops working. The camera itself continues to function and send live alerts, but recordings will not save.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a Ring camera without paying for a subscription?
Yes. Your camera will still record and send motion alerts to your phone. You can watch a live feed anytime through the app. The only thing you cannot do is review past recordings — those are only stored in the cloud if you have a paid subscription.
What happens to my videos if I cancel my subscription?
Videos already stored in the cloud remain available for 60 days after you cancel. After 60 days, they are deleted. If you want to keep any videos, download them to your phone or computer before you cancel or before the 60 days expire.
Do I need a separate subscription for each camera?
Only if you choose Ring Protect Basic, which covers one device. Ring Protect Plus covers all your Ring devices at one address for $10 per month, so if you have multiple cameras, Plus is usually cheaper than buying multiple Basic subscriptions.
Can I get a refund if I change my mind?
Ring does not offer refunds for subscriptions you have already paid for. You can cancel at any time and stop future charges, but you will not receive money back for the current billing period. Check your subscription status in the app to see when your next charge is due.
Does Ring Protect include professional monitoring for break-ins?
No. Ring Protect Basic and Plus are camera storage plans only. Professional monitoring is only available through Ring Protect Pro, which requires a Ring Alarm system. Pro monitors your alarm sensors and can dispatch emergency services if triggered.