Aldi has entered the smart home market with a new battery-operated video doorbell priced at just £16.99, offering a budget-friendly alternative to established brands like Ring, Blink, and Google Nest.
Affordable smart home security
Available exclusively in stores, the device is positioned as an accessible starting point for anyone looking to add basic smart home security without a large investment. Despite its low cost, it includes practical features such as two-way audio, night vision, and resistance to water and dust, though the exact IP rating hasn’t been confirmed.
No subscription required
One of the biggest selling points of Aldi’s video doorbell is that it’s completely subscription-free. The device supports microSD cards up to 32GB, allowing users to save and manage video recordings locally rather than through a cloud service.
By contrast, subscription plans for popular options like Ring’s battery doorbell start at £4.99 per month and can reach £15.99, with cloud-stored footage typically expiring after 180 days. Aldi’s model avoids that limitation entirely by letting users store as much footage as their SD cards allow.
Simpler tech for first-time users
In terms of performance, Aldi’s offering doesn’t match the high-end specs of its competitors — its 480p resolution falls short of Ring’s 1440 x 1440 HD quality. However, that’s to be expected for a doorbell at this price. For newcomers to smart home technology who want a simple, low-maintenance device, it could still be an appealing option.
While Aldi’s new doorbell may not boast AI features or advanced motion detection, it delivers the essentials for basic home monitoring — and at under £20, it’s one of the most affordable entries into the smart security space.
thetechtrident.com 