Which brand should you buy?
Quick verdict
- 4K: the Indoor Cam 4K, Outdoor Cam 4K Pro, Floodlight Cam 4K Pro and Spotlight Cam 4K Pro record 3840 x 2160.
- Hardwired or PoE power: floodlights such as the Floodlight Cam 2K wire to the mains, and the Outdoor Cam Plus, Outdoor Cam 4K Pro and Spotlight Cam 4K Pro take PoE.
- Pan and tilt built into the camera, as on the Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam; Blink lists a Pan-Tilt Mount for the original Mini only.
- Dual-band Wi-Fi, which the 4K models and the Outdoor Cam Plus list; every Blink camera here uses 2.4GHz.
- Local storage without a plan: a Sync Module 2 stores clips locally.
- Outdoor cameras that run on 2x AA lithium batteries, rated by Blink at up to 2 years on its stated usage (based on 1080p for the Outdoor 2K+).
- A floodlight camera on AA and D-cell batteries, the Outdoor Floodlight Camera; Ring’s battery Spotlight Cam 2K and Spotlight Cam Plus use Quick Release packs.
- The Arc, a mount that joins two Mini 2K+ or two Mini 2 cameras for a 180° view.
At a glance
Recording and subscriptions
Every Ring camera records to the cloud, and recording needs a Ring Protect plan.
Blink gives you a choice. Cloud storage of clips needs a Blink subscription plan, or a Sync Module 2 stores clips locally; the Sync Module Core has no local storage. The Outdoor 2K+, Outdoor 4 and Outdoor Floodlight Camera need a Sync Module, and the Arc’s panoramic clips need a Blink Plus or Plus ai plan.
Smart home and apps
Both brands centre on Alexa. Ring UK lists Alexa only, and Blink’s cameras use the Blink app and work with Alexa, which can also control the light on the Outdoor Floodlight Camera. For Apple Home, Ring doesn’t list HomeKit, and Blink’s Mini 2K+ and Outdoor 2K+ don’t support it.
The range: indoor, outdoor, battery, floodlight
Ring’s range runs from the 1080p Indoor Cam (2nd Gen) to 4K indoor, outdoor, floodlight and spotlight cameras, with removable battery packs, hardwired mains and PoE among its power options.
Blink’s range centres on battery and plug-in cameras, including the Mini, Mini 2 and Mini 2K+ indoors, the AA-powered Outdoor 2K+ and Outdoor 4, the battery Outdoor Floodlight Camera and the Arc mount for two Mini 2K+ or two Mini 2 cameras. The Mini 2 and Mini 2K+ can go outdoors with the Weather-Resistant Power Adapter.
Model-by-model comparisons
Each of these compares one Ring model with one Blink model, with a spec table, pros and cons, and which to buy.
Indoor cameraBlink Mini 2 vs Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen)Compare →
Indoor 2KBlink Mini 2K+ vs Ring Indoor Cam 2KCompare →
Indoor 4K vs 2KRing Indoor Cam 4K vs Blink Mini 2K+Compare →
Pan-tilt vs 180° mountRing Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam vs Blink ArcCompare →
Battery outdoorBlink Outdoor 2K+ vs Ring Outdoor Cam 2KCompare →
Spotlight vs batteryRing Spotlight Cam 2K vs Blink Outdoor 2K+Compare →
FloodlightRing Floodlight Cam 2K vs Blink Outdoor Floodlight CameraCompare →
4K wired vs batteryRing Outdoor Cam 4K Pro vs Blink Outdoor 2K+Compare →
Frequently asked questions
Does Ring or Blink work without a subscription?
Ring recording needs a Ring Protect plan. Blink’s cloud clips need a Blink plan, but a Sync Module 2 stores clips locally instead; the Sync Module Core has no local storage.
Which has 4K cameras?
Ring: the Indoor Cam 4K, Outdoor Cam 4K Pro, Floodlight Cam 4K Pro and Spotlight Cam 4K Pro record 3840 x 2160. Blink’s cameras go up to 2K, such as the Mini 2K+ at 2560 x 1440.
What powers their outdoor cameras?
Blink’s Outdoor 2K+ and Outdoor 4 run on 2x AA lithium batteries, rated by Blink at up to 2 years on its stated usage (1080p for the Outdoor 2K+). Ring’s outdoor cameras use removable Quick Release battery packs, plug-in adapters, mains wiring or PoE, depending on the model.