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Reolink and Ring are both leaders in home security tech. However, they have different approaches.
Ring devices are more proprietary and closed off. Meanwhile, Reolink encourages third-party integration.
- Most Reolink cameras work via RTSP and ONVIF. These are more open-source standards that are compatible with third-party systems and recorders.
- Meanwhile, Ring has a closed-off system. Their devices only work with the Ring app, and you can’t connect to a video recorder or third-party companion app.
- However, Ring products products are very straightforward and easy to set up.
- Reolink products cater to a mix of businesses and consumers. Meanwhile, Ring has its focus on the consumer market with a much smaller range of products.
- Ring’s cloud subscription is crucial to storing and reviewing footage.
- Meanwhile, Reolink offers local storage. They also encourage setting up FTP servers for third-party remote storage
Reolink vs Ring Security Cameras (2024) at a Glance
Mid-Range Wi-Fi Bullet Head to Head
High-End Wire Free Bullet Head to Head
Mid-Range Indoor Head to Head
High-End Wi-Fi Turret Head to Head
Reolink vs Ring Security Cameras (2024) Overview
Reolink is owned by a security camera and surveillance equipment manufacturer from China. It's named Shenzhen Baichuan Security Technology Co., Ltd.
They specialize in Wi-Fi, 4G/LTE cameras, Ethernet (PoE) cameras, and many others.
Ring was founded in 2013 and it is now owned by Amazon. They also provide Wi-Fi and Wired cameras indoors and outdoors. However, their standout products are their floodlight cameras and video doorbells.
Mid-Range Wi-Fi Bullet Head to Head
While both cameras come in a bullet style casing, the Ring has an add-on PT mount that provides a 360-degree horizontal pan and 90-degree vertical pan. Ring also has a black case option.
They both can be operated indoors and outdoor and both require constant power via AC (Ring) or DC (Reolink)
Ring is a little more expensive than the Reolink to purchase and some of the features are tied up in a monthly cloud subscription.
Reolink offers a 2-year warranty, whereas Ring only comes with a 1-year warranty.
Overview
Power & Data Feeds
Both cameras are network IP cameras that connect over Wi-Fi. They support 2.4GHz as standard however the Reolink has the added advantage of supporting the 5GHz band.
This is important if you’re looking for higher throughput of data as 5Ghz can transmit more data than 2.4GHz, however that is at the cost of distance so your router needs to be closer to the camera.
The RLC-511W also supports an ethernet connection, for added reliability, if your Wi-Fi keeps dropping!
The Ring has the added advantage of having a backup battery power supply. This is great if you experience power outages, as you won’t lose your camera feeds during that time.
Camera & Lens
The Reolink wins hands down in this category. Compared to the Ring’s fixed lens, the Reolink has a motorized lens to facilitate optical zoom.
It also has a higher 5MP resolution compared to the 2MP on the Stickup Cam. This means you get much greater detail in the video footage.
The Reolink’s CMOS image sensor, coupled with the optical zoom lens, provides a field of view between 31° ~ 90° horizontal and 24° ~ 67° vertical.
The Ring comes with a wider angle fixed lens with a 110° horizontal field of view.
Night Vision
Both cameras offer infrared night vision with the Reolink packing more infrared LEDs - 24 compared to the Rings 4.
While neither camera has an integrated spotlight, the Ring supports full-color night vision based on ambient lighting.
With its 24 infrared LEDs, Reolink night vision works up to 100ft.
Audio
The Ring wins on the audio front as it supports two-way conversation through its integrated microphone and speaker. Reolink, on the other hand, can only record audio.
While neither camera has an alarm interface to connect to an external siren, the Ring offers the ability to set off a siren through its integrated speaker, via the app.
Storage & Interoperability
The Ring Stickup Cam is quite limited in that it only supports cloud storage, which is tied to a cloud subscription.
Whereas the Reolink camera offers multiple storage options, including saving to a local microSD card, a connected network video recorder, and supports uploading footage to an FTP server.
Reolink’s camera can be hooked up to external systems via the RTSP and P2P protocols.
Cloud
There are a completely different set of integrations available for both cameras. As Ring is owned by Amazon, it works well with Alexa, and video footage can be streamed on an Echo Show. Reolink on the other hand integrates with Google Assistant.
While Reolink has a cloud offering, the RLC-511W doesn’t work with it. Ring Protect is the cloud subscription service for the Stick Up Cam. While it’s an optional service, if you don’t subscribe then you’ll lose out on some of the camera's features. This includes Cloud Storage, Smart / AI Notifications, and Rich App previews.
Intelligence
Both cameras offer motion detection functionality, resulting in push notifications to your app. Reolink can also send email notifications to a designated email address.
You can configure motion zones and sensitivity in both cameras, which gives you fine-grained control over notifications.
Ring offers Person Detection, however, it’s tied to the cloud subscription. The RLC-511W doesn’t offer any smart motion detection features which is a major drawback.
PTZ
While the Reolink does not have any motorized pan or tilt capabilities, it has integrated optical zoom which provides you 4x magnification. This is great for zooming in on subjects without any loss of detail.
The Stickup Cam Plug-In has an option to purchase a PT mount. This provides the capabilities to pan 360° horizontally and tilts 90° vertically. This means you can use the Ring app to get a full view of the space you are monitoring.
Device
The RLC-511W comes in a metal aluminum case which is pretty sturdy. It has a better weatherproof rating of IP66 compared to the Ring.
The Ring can operate at lower temperatures than the Reolink (-5F vs 14F Min), which is very important if it gets cold where the camera is installed. Conversely, the Reolink can operate at higher temperatures (131F vs 122F Max)
App
Reolink has much greater device coverage for viewing camera feeds as it supports mobile, desktop, and browser.
Rings Android and iOS mobile apps offer all features you’d expect including video playback, two-way audio, panning, tilting, etc.
High-End Wire Free Bullet Head to Head
Reolink Argus 3 Pro and Ring Spotlight Cam Battery are standalone spotlight cameras that come with a rechargeable battery pack and wireless data.
Both of them are suitable for indoor and outdoor environments. They also come in black or white color options.
There is a big price difference between the two cameras. Argus 3 is much more budget-friendly compared to the Spotlight Cam. In addition to that, Ring has a monthly cloud storage subscription. It is optional but some camera features are limited without it.
Reolink camera has a two-year warranty while Ring offers one year warranty that can be extended through a cloud storage agreement.
Overview
Power & Data Feeds
Reolink and Ring are IP-operated Wi-Fi cameras with 2.4GHz long-distance transmission. Reolink can operate with 5GHz Wi-Fi for higher data throughput within short ranges. The Wi-Fi speed should be 2Mbps minimum.
Both cameras have a rechargeable battery pack with an optional solar panel source.
Camera & Lens
Reolink has a higher resolution camera (4MP vs 2MP) with a CMOS image sensor. It also has digital zoom with 16x magnifications.
Both of them have a fixed focus lens. With an optical motorized zoom lens, image quality can degrade when digitally zoomed in.
Ring has a wider field of view of 140° horizontal and 78° vertical.
Night Vision
Both cameras have infrared night vision that also supports full color because there is an integrated spotlight with the cameras.
Reolink has 6 LEDs of infrared light that reach up to 33ft in complete darkness and a spotlight with 230 Lumens illumination. Ring has 4 infrared LEDs and 2 spotlight LEDs.
Audio
Both cameras perform similarly as neither camera supports external audio devices or alarms but they have a built-in alarm system and siren. Ring siren has a loudness of 110dB when it goes off.
They also have integrated microphones and speakers to initiate a two-way audio conversation through the camera using the app.
Storage & Interoperability
Reolink has better storage as it has a maximum capacity of 128GB storage, and optional cloud storage.
Ring offers optional cloud storage services with a monthly subscription plan.
Cloud
Ring is owned by Amazon hence it operates solely with Amazon products including Alexa, Echo Show, and Fire TV. Reolink on the other hand can be smartly integrated with Google Assistant, Chromecast, and Google Nest Hub.
Both cameras offer optional cloud storage. Reolink has a free plan and a standard plan starting at $3.49/month while Ring has a basic $3/month plan and a plus/premium plan of $10/month.
Ring has some limited features that can only be accessed with a cloud subscription. Reolink does not limit its features based on a cloud subscription.
Intelligence
The Reolink camera has higher intelligence compared to Ring. Both cameras send out push notifications of motion detection alerts but Reolink goes one step further and also sends out email alerts.
Ring has configurable motion sensitivity (user-defined movement sensitivity to provoke detection) and configurable motion zones (specific areas can be targeted for motion surveillance).
Both cameras can detect a person but Reolink can detect vehicles as well.
PTZ
Neither camera supports motorized PTZ features while they can be digitally zoomed via the app.
Device
The Reolink camera is a little more compact and small in size. It also has an IP65 rating which makes it suitable for general outdoor usage while Ring is only weather-resistant.
Ring has a lower temperature tolerance with a minimum of -5°F (compared to 14°F Reolink) while Reolink has a higher temperature tolerance with a maximum of 131°F (compared to 120°F Ring).
App
Both cameras can be accessed through Mobile Apps while Reolink also has Desktop App and Web App.
The mobile apps are supported on both iOS and Android software. Reolink Desktop App can be used on Windows or Mac and the Web Apps can be opened using IE10, IE11, Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox browser. These apps control all the camera functionalities.
Mid-Range Indoor Head to Head
Reolink E1 Pro and Ring Indoor Cam are standalone Wi-Fi cameras that are connected to a wired power source. They both are suitable for indoor environments.
Reolink is a PT camera while Ring is a bullet camera with an additional mount attachment for PT movements. Reolink comes in white color while Ring has both black and white color options.
Reolink is a little cheaper and offers a 2-year warranty while Ring offers a 1-year warranty, where the limit is extendable with a cloud subscription.
Overview
Power & Data Feeds
Both cameras are Wi-Fi-operated wired IP cameras with 2.4GHz large distance data transmissions. Reolink camera also supports a faster 5GHz Wi-Fi.
The Reolink has a DC power supply with 5-Volts and 1-Ampere while Ring has an AC supply with a 6.5ft cable.
Camera & Lens
Both cameras are fixed lens cameras meaning that the focus of the lens is fixed and detail can be lost while digitally zooming in.
Ring has a wider field of view covering 115° horizontal and 60° vertical areas.
Night Vision
Both cameras have infrared night vision but neither of them has integrated spotlights to help with the camera vision.
Reolink has 8 LED infrared lights that can detect up to 40ft in total darkness in black and white.
Ring has full-color support while using infrared light if there is dim lighting.
Audio
Reolink has an integrated alarm system and siren that can be set off by a motion detection feature.
Neither cameras are compatible with external audio or an alarm system.
The cameras can be used with the app for a two-way conversation using the internal microphones and speakers.
Storage & Interoperability
Reolink clearly wins this category as it offers Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) interoperability.
Reolink supports Network Video Recorder (NVR) storage, has a MicroSD card slot, and supports optional cloud storage.
Cloud
Reolink smartly integrates with Google Assistant, Chromecast, and Google Net Hub. Ring on the other hand only uses Amazon products including Alexa and Echo Show.
Both cameras have optional cloud storage while only Ring restricts its features including smart notifications and rich app notifications, without a cloud subscription.
Intelligence
Both cameras have a motion detection feature that sends out push notifications to the apps. Reolink also gives out motion alerts on email.
With motion detection, Ring can also detect humans.
They have user-defined zones for motion detection and a motion sensitivity that can be adjusted.
PTZ
Reolink has PT controls with a 355° pan and a 50° tilt angle.
Device
The Ring camera is smaller in size (without the stand) compared to Reolink.
Ring can operate at lower temperatures of -5°F (vs 14°F Reolink) minimum and Reolink can operate at higher temperatures of 131°F (vs 113°F Ring) maximum. The operational humidity can be 85% maximum.
App
Both cameras have mobile apps supported on both Android and iOS software to control the camera features.
Reolink has a desktop app compatible with Windows and Mac software.
High-End Wi-Fi Turret Head to Head
The Reolink RLC-542WA and Ring Spotlight Cam Wired are Wi-Fi-operated standalone cameras that have a wired power supply. They are appropriate for both indoors and outdoors.
Reolink is more inexpensive compared to Ring and it also comes with a 2-year warranty while Ring comes with a 1-year warranty.
Ring has cameras in both black and white color options while Reolink comes in a classic white color.
Overview
Power & Data Feeds
Spotlight Cam uses an AC power supply while Reolink uses a DC power supply of 12-Volts and 1-Ampere.
They both are IP cameras with Wi-Fi connection transmissions of 2.4GHz covering a large range distance. Reolink has an access to fast 5GHz too for shorter-range Wi-Fi transmission.
Reolink has RJ45 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) Antennas for wireless communication with a speed 10Mbps and 100Mbps data transmission rate. There are two transmitters and two receivers (2T2R) in the antenna. Ring has an 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connection with a radio frequency ranging from 902 ~ 928MHz.
Camera & Lens
Reolink wins this category with a 5MP camera (vs 2MP Ring) with 2560 x 1920 resolution and a CMOS image sensor.
Reolink also has a motorized lens with a focal length range of 2.7-13.5mm. This gives a clear image when magnifying the video feed for details.
Night Vision
They both are infrared night vision cameras that support black and white footage in darkness. Reolink can give a full-color stream if there is dim lighting.
Reolink can detect objects at up to 100ft distance in complete darkness with its 24 infrared LEDs.
Ring has an integrated spotlight that helps camera vision to see better in the dark.
Audio
Ring performs much better in the audio section. Both cameras have integrated microphones in the camera through which you can hear voices/noises.
Ring has integrated speakers as well that can be used for a back and forth audio conversation. It also has an internal built-in siren and an alarm system with a loudness of 110dB.
Neither camera can be connected to an external audio or alarm system.
Storage & Interoperability
Reolink has better interoperability and storage options. The Real-Time Streaming Protocol and Peer-to-Peer Protocol ensure that the camera can be connected to other devices that may not be from the same manufacturer.
Reolink has Network Video Recorder (NVR) support, File Transfer Protocol (FTP) support, and an internal slot for a MicroSD card. It also has a maximum onboard 256Gb storage.
Ring only has cloud storage accessible with a monthly subscription.
Cloud
Reolink camera integrates smartly with Google Assistant, Chromecast, or Google Nest Hub while Ring camera smartly integrates with Amazon products including Alexa, Echo Show, or Fire TV.
Ring offers optional cloud storage with a monthly subscription. Some features including smart notifications are dependent on this cloud subscription.
Intelligence
Reolink has higher intelligence than Ring. Both cameras can detect motion and send out push notification alerts to the apps but Reolink also sends out email alerts.
Both cameras can configure their zones for motion detection and both have the ability to detect a person but Reolink can also detect vehicles.
PTZ
Reolink has an Optical Zoom feature that can magnify up to 5x with great detail.
Ring has no PTZ controls.
Device
Reolink has a waterproof IK10 vandal-proof rated casing.
Ring can withstand lower temperatures of -22°F (compared to 14°F Reolink) minimum and Reolink can withstand higher temperatures with 131°F (compared to 120°F Ring) maximum.
App
RLC-542WA and Spotlight Cam Wired both have mobile apps with both Android and iOS versions to control the camera features.
RLC-542WA also has a Desktop App supported on both Windows and Mac and a Browser App that can be opened on Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer.
The Reolink vs Ring Security Cameras (2024) - Verdict
Hopefully these detailed head-to-head comparisons help you determine the best product that better fits your requirements and preferences to keep your homes and businesses secure.
