Cameras and Alarms
UniFi Protect vs. Ring
Ring records to its cloud on a monthly plan. UniFi Protect is bought once and records in your building.
How they compare
What each one costs, and what it does.
Learn more on Ubiquiti’s siteUniFi Protect
How to choose
It comes down to paying Ring every month, or owning the system and its footage outright.
Choose UniFi Protect if
- You’d rather not pay every monthBuy the cameras once, with no cloud subscription, and still watch them from anywhere.
- You want to own your footageEvery recording stays on a recorder you own, with no copy in somebody else’s cloud.
- Each view needs the right cameraProtect has turret, dome, 360-degree and PTZ cameras, each built for a different job.
- Recording can’t stop in an outageFootage records in the building, so the cameras keep recording when the internet drops, and through a power outage on battery backup.
Choose Ring if
- You want alarm monitoringRing offers professional monitoring for its alarm.
- You want someone watching the camerasRing’s Virtual Security Guard has professionals watch enrolled cameras, and they can call for emergency help.
- You want the lowest price up frontRing cameras cost less to buy, which matters most when you only need a camera or two.
Common questions
No. Recording and viewing carry no subscription, because the footage is stored on equipment you own. Our support plan, which comes with every business system, is billed on its own.
Yes. The G6 Entry is a camera and intercom for the front door, and a second camera watches packages left at it.
Yes. The UniFi Protect app shows live views and recordings from anywhere, with no subscription, and a Viewport screen can show live views at a desk.
We install UniFi Protect. We do not install or support store-bought cameras.
For most businesses, yes. Protect records every camera around the clock to equipment you own, with smart alerts and AI search included, where Ring charges monthly for recording and search.
Yes. We replace the Ring cameras with Protect cameras and a recorder, since Ring cameras run on Ring’s own app and cloud.
Yes. The cameras record to the recorder in your building whether or not the internet is up. Only viewing from away needs the internet.
Sources
- Ring Verify, Ring
- Business Security Systems, Ring
- Understanding Ring Protect subscriptions, Ring
- Ring Protect Plans, Ring
- Exporting Clips and Cloud Archiving with UniFi Protect, Ubiquiti Help Center
- UniFi Protect Evidence Authenticity and Visible Watermarks, Ubiquiti Help Center
- UniFi Enterprise NVR Core: Tech Specs, Ubiquiti
- Professional Alarm Monitoring Powered by Noonlight (Coming Soon), Ubiquiti
See what your building could do
Start with a short call. Then we come out, look at the space and design a system that fits your building.