I tested a cheaper Blink Mini 2 security camera against a pricier Ring camera, and here's why it's worth paying more

There are lots of scenarios when a home security camera can be important, whether you're off on vacation and want to keep an eye on the house, or you want to check in on your cat while you're at work to be sure they aren't spending their alone time planning world domination.

Both Ring and Blink are popular Amazon-owned smart home security brands that both feature in our selection of the best home security cameras and best smart home devices due to their useful features and good performance.

Each camera offers easy remote viewing of your space, but has aspects that may appeal to different shoppers depending on their needs. As I've spent a lot of time testing writing my Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam review and my Blink Mini 2 review, I've put together a comparison to help you decide which best fits your requirements.

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Specs

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Prices & availability

• Blink Mini 2 list price: $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69
• Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has a list price of $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129
• Available in the US, UK, and Australia

There is a considerable price difference between these Ring and Blink cameras. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam has a list price of $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129, double the price of the Blink Mini 2 which is listed at $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69. However, after spending a lot of time using them both, they've each proven to be good value for money.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam and the Blink Mini 2 are available at Amazon in the US, UK, and Australia, along with other easy-to-sync Ring and Blink products, which makes it easy to tailor-build a home security setup.

I've seen regular discounts applied to both products at Amazon, and we like to keep track of the best home security camera deals, so we highly recommend checking in to make sure you're getting the best price.

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Design & features

In terms of the size of each camera, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam is only 0.37 inches / 9mm wider than the Blink Mini 2, but much taller at 5.78 inches / 147mm due to the camera's design and the pan-and-tilt stand, while the cube-shaped Blink cams height is just 1.5 inches / 40mm.

The material and build quality of both cameras are as one would expect from the price, so I had nothing to complain about in either case. Both require plug-in power, and if you want to take advantage of the Blink Mini 2's IP65 rating and set it up outside, there's a Blink Weather Resistant Power Adapter available for $9.99 / £8.99.

Both feature two-way audio, but the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam takes it a step further with added noise cancellation. Ring's got us covered when it comes to assuring privacy, too, as it has a manual privacy cover that instantly disconnects the audio and visual feeds whereas there's no way to guarantee the same with the Blink Mini 2 if others have access to it in the Blink Home Monitor app.

Winner: Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Video quality

The price difference between these two home security cameras became evident when I assessed the live view and recorded footage from each device. The video quality of the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam was fantastic, there was no pixelation or lag, even when filming a busy space. The Blink Mini 2's image quality was not so impressive, however, although, at this lower price point, I can't be too hard on it. The picture was grainy on both the standard and best-quality settings, and it struggled with pixelation when recording movement, although this was at least improved on the higher setting.

It was the same story when it came to the audio. The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam's audio was clear and well-aligned with the recordings, but the results from the Blink Mini 2 were full of static noise and lacked clarity when people were talking, again though, it wasn't terrible for the price.

Naturally, as the Blink is a static camera it doesn't offer motion tracking – surprisingly, however, despite the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam's ability to pan 360 degrees, it doesn't have motion tracking capabilities, which I was very disappointed about, especially considering I've owned budget indoor cameras with this capability in the past.

Winner: Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Storage

One aspect of the Blink Mini 2 I appreciated is that, with an additional purchase of a Blink Sync Module 2 at $49.99 / £34.99, it offers onboard storage, something that's becoming a rarity now that Cloud storage is so popular.

The Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam doesn't have the capacity to store recordings locally, so I was restricted to viewing the live feed only and would need to pay for a subscription if I wanted to look back at motion detections.

Winner: Blink Mini 2

Blink subscription plans

Blink Basic Plan:
In addition to the features available without a plan, you also get live view and motion event recording, unlimited cloud storage for up to 60 days, automatic local storage backup every 24 hours, instant video access, video sharing, person detection, and photo capture. Applicable to one device only.
Price: $3 / £2.50 / AU$4.95 per month, $30 / £24.99 / AU$49.95 per year

Blink Plus Plan:
Along with the benefits of the Basic Plan, you’re able to snooze notifications, get 10% off Blink device purchases at Amazon, and use the Blink Moments feature, which seamlessly stitches together multiple events into one video. Applicable to all Blink devices.
Price: $10 / £8 / AU$15 per month, $100 / £80 / AU$150 per year

Ring subscription plans

Ring Protect Basic:
Up to 180 days of video storage, download up to 50 videos at once, snapshot capture, package alerts, person alerts, and rich notifications.
Price: $4.99 / £4.99 / AU$4.99 per month, or, $49.99 / AU$49.95 per year per, Ring device.

Ring Protect Plus:
Has the same benefits as Protect Basic, plus (no pun intended) advanced video features, enhanced notifications, Home and Away modes, and extended warranties.
Price: $10 / £8 / AU$15 per month, or $100 / AU$150 per year. Covers all Ring devices at one location in the UK and Australia, or all Ring Home cameras and doorbells at one location in the US.

Ring Protect Pro (currently US only):
Offers everything in Protect Plus, as well as 24/7 alarm monitoring, alarm cellular backup, 24/7 backup internet with optional extra data, digital security by Eero Secure, and Ring Edge with local video storage. Please note an additional purchase of the Ring Alarm Pro is required to make use of some of these benefits.
Price: $10 per month or $100 per year, for all Ring devices at one location, US only.

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Value

It's clear the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam and the Blink Mini 2 are both good value for money. Both offer easy access to live views and recordings and although the $39.99 / £34.99 / AU$69 Blink camera's video and audio quality paled in comparison to the $79.99 / £69.99 / AU$129 Ring Pan-Tilt's, this is understandable given the price difference.

So there's no overall winner here, as each camera performed as expected, making both a classic case of you-get-what-you-pay-for.

Winner: Tie

Blink Mini 2 vs Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam: Verdict

As one would expect given the higher price point, the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam topped the Blink Mini 2 in most areas, although the Blink had the upper hand when it came to local storage capabilities, and they're matched in terms of value for money.

If your budget can't quite stretch to the Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam, then you'll still be getting a good deal with the Blink Mini 2, because while the audio and visual quality may not be up to the Pan-Tilt's standard, it's still perfectly adequate for checking in on the goings-on at home.

Overall winner: Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam