Ring Floodlight vs Nest Floodlight: The Answer Depends on ONE Thing
Naila Syifa
Updated December 2024
Ring Floodlight Cam Plus and Nest Cam with Floodlight are some of the most popular smart floodlight cameras on the market today. There are many aspects that differentiate them, but with just one key factor, you can easily decide which one is right for you. Let's find your perfect match!
Key Takeaways
Choosing between Ring and Nest Floodlight depends on whether or not you're willing to pay for a subscription. If you're not willing, Nest is better as it offers AI detection, home/away routines, 3-hour event video history, and local storage backup for free. If you're planning to subscribe, Ring may be the better choice with its longer cloud storage, color night vision, pre-roll preview, and built-in siren.
Ring Floodlight Cam Plus
Essential Outdoor Security Camera
✓ 1080p with Color Night Vision
✓ Built-In Siren
✓ Advanced Pre-Roll
✓ Works with Alexa
Nest Cam with Floodlight
Smart Outdoor Security Camera
✓ 1080p with Night Vision
✓ Person, Animal, Vehicle Detection
✓ 3-Hour Event Video History
✓ 1-Hour Local Backup Storage
Design
Ring Floodlight
Nest Floodlight consists of the popular Nest Cam combined with two motion-activated floodlights, while the Ring version is a single integrated unit with a camera and two floodlights. This distinction is not that important though.
What's more of a big deal is the difference in the maximum amount of light each device can produce, with Nest offering 2400 lumens compared to Ring's 2000 lumens. That gives Nest a noticeable edge in illuminating larger outdoor spaces.
As outdoor security devices, both units feature weather-resistant construction designed to withstand rain, snow, and extreme temperatures. Ring can withstand temperatures ranging from -20°C to 50°C, while Nest Floodlight is rated for -20°C to 40°C.
Ring has better temperature tolerance at the upper end of the range, but it probably won't matter much unless you live in an extremely hot climate.
Another difference between the two is the color options available. Nest Floodlight comes only in white/snow color, while the Ring Floodlight has white and black options if you want to match your home's exterior.
Video Quality
Nest Floodlight
Ring and Nest Floodlight offer the same video resolution of 1080p, suggesting similar image clarity and detail in their recorded footage. However, other video aspects are different between the two, impacting their overall video performance.
For example, Nest Floodlight supports HDR while Ring Floodlight doesn't. HDR helps balance bright and dark areas in the video, resulting in more detailed footage even in challenging lighting conditions. So, while Ring may struggle in situations with high contrast like bright sunlight during the day, Nest handles these scenarios more effectively.
However, as night comes, Ring takes the lead with its color night vision capabilities. Nest Floodlight only offers black-and-white night vision footage, while Ring provides full-color video even in low-light conditions.
Both cameras are also different in their field of view. Ring offers a wider 140-degree horizontal viewing angle compared to Nest's 130-degree diagonal field of view.
Smart Features
Ring Floodlight
Basic smart features are similar between the two devices, with both offering live view, two-way audio, remote control from the app, and motion alerts.
Nest Floodlight also includes advanced AI features like person, animal, and vehicle detection, so you get alerted only when something important is happening, not just any random movement. A subscription to Nest Aware even adds familiar facial recognition capabilities, letting you know exactly when friends or family members arrive at your door.
Ring Floodlight can also detect people, but not animals, vehicles, or familiar faces like Nest can. On top of that, person detection requires a Ring Protect subscription, while Nest includes basic person detection for free.
Another feature that Ring requires a subscription for while Nest gives away for free is home and away routines. With this feature, we can automatically turn the camera on/off based on whether we're home or away.
Nest Floodlight
Nest Floodlight also comes with 3 hours of event video history and 1 hour of local backup storage during Wi-Fi or power outages, both at no additional costs.
Video history on Ring is only provided with a subscription plan, but the storage duration is longer at 180 days, significantly more than Nest's 60-day event video history with its paid Nest Aware Plus plan.
That means, if you want a longer video history and don't mind paying recurring fees, Ring is the better choice, but Nest offers more features for free and better AI capabilities overall.
However, Nest Floodlight lacks a built-in siren, which Ring includes to help deter potential intruders. Ring also offers Advanced Pre-Roll Video Preview, which captures a few seconds of footage before motion events so you won't miss any crucial moments leading up to the trigger.
Installation
Nest Floodlight
Ring Floodlight is hardwired, so battery replacement is not a concern, though initial installation may be challenging unless you're comfortable working with electrical wiring or hire a professional.
The Nest Floodlight requires a hardwired connection for the floodlight component, but the camera is battery-powered, so you'll need to recharge it periodically.
However, Nest Floodlight supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi, while Ring only works with 2.4 GHz networks. This makes the Nest more flexible and future-proof in terms of network connectivity.
Ring Floodlight vs Nest Floodlight
Final Thoughts
Ring Floodlight
Both Ring and Nest Floodlight cameras have their distinct advantages, making the choice largely dependent on your specific case. If you're planning to use them without a subscription and want smarter detection features out of the box, Nest is the clear winner. Nest also offers HDR, 3-hour event video history, local backup storage, and 5 GHz support.
However, if you're willing to pay for a subscription, Ring Floodlight may be more appealing. It offers color night vision, a built-in siren, a pre-roll video preview, and a longer video history, plus it's fully hardwired so you won't need to worry about recharging batteries.
If you like to read more about Floodlight Cameras, check out our other relevant guides here:
Ring Floodlight Plus vs Pro
Ring Floodlight vs Blink Floodlight
Ring Floodlight vs eufy Floodlight E30
Ring Floodlight vs Wyze Floodlight v2
Wyze Cam Floodlight v2 vs v1
Author
Naila Syifa
Content Manager at Synced. She crafts insightful content on the latest trends in technology, consumer electronics, and smart home gadgets.
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