You Can Use Roku’s Video Doorbell Without a Subscription, But There’s a Catch

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When it comes to affordable technology, Roku is a brand that has killed off its budget arsenal. Roku’s streaming devices and smart TVs are very popular, and not long ago the brand also began offering home security and smart home products. Options include indoor and outdoor cameras, lights, outlets and video doorbells. Regarding the latter, there are two options: the $90 Roku Wired Video Doorbell and the $120 Roku Wireless Video Doorbell and Chime.

Both of these Roku surveillance devices support HD visuals, color night vision, and have an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance. You’ll also be able to use either Roku doorbell without paying for an optional Roku Smart Home subscription, which costs $4 per camera for up to two cameras ($40 per year), or $10 per month for up to 99 cameras ($99 per year). The problem is that without an active Roku Smart Home subscription, you’ll be locked out of several useful features, the most egregious of which could make all the difference in an emergency.

The feature we’re referring to is the time it takes for your Roku Bell to start a new event-triggered recording once it stops recording a previous event. Without a subscription, you’re stuck in a fairly long five-minute delay, whereas paying customers experience no delay between events. In the world of home security, any kind of recording delay is an inconvenience, and we have a feeling Roku is well aware of this. Unfortunately, a five-minute buffer isn’t where the inconvenience ends for non-subscribers.

The Roku Smart Home subscription also acts as a paywall for several other features. Without an active plan, you will have no way to save your event recordings, as none of Bell’s Roku cameras offer local storage. Plus, you only get 14 days of clip storage even with a paid plan, which is a huge drawback. Roku Smart also adds a suite of AI detection features to your Roku Bell, allowing the camera to differentiate between people, pets, vehicles and packages.

Finally, the paid subscription adds event filtering to the Roku Smart Home app. If you’re wondering, “Can I do anything without a paid plan?” the answer is yes, but not much. You can still use the Roku Smart Home app to view live feeds from your Roku doorbell, and you’ll still receive motion and sound notifications, as well as instant smoke and CO alarm detection alerts.

None of this is good news on its own, but Roku isn’t the only video doorbell maker preventing users from accessing more advanced features and settings. Brands like Ring are just as infamous for turning video doorbells into glorified peepholes that ping your phone if you don’t pay for a Ring Protect plan. That’s the nature of the beast with internet-connected home security, but at least installing a bell or dedicated outdoor camera is a task most DIYers can handle.