Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-in vs. Nest Cam Outdoor: Which should you buy?

Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In

The one, true Ring Stick Up Cam has returned, a powerful indoor/outdoor camera that's flexible to power and place. It also integrates with the entire Ring line of home security products for a premium experience.

Nest Cam Outdoor

Nest makes one of the most popular smart home security systems around, and the Nest Cam Outdoor can watch your front yard, backyard, or any other outdoor area. It's a premium camera, but it comes at a premium price, today and into the future with Nest Aware.

When trying to pick between the Ring Stick Up Cam vs. the Nest Cam Outdoor, Ring has a significant advantage thanks to its more affordable subscription and hardware costs and a more feature-rich camera. Still, a couple of key decisions could sway buyers back towards the Nest: which AI assistant does your house use, and do you need 24/7 recording? Overall, these are both a part of some great home security systems, but one is a better value,

Ring Stick Up Cam vs. Nest Cam Outdoor: Flexibility versus raw recording power

Both the Nest Cam Outdoor and Ring Stick Up Cam are 1080p internet-enabled security cameras with a 1080p picture, Infrared night vision, two-way audio, and the option for customized sensor zones. Both also work with AI assistants to quickly pull up live feeds on a variety of devices — Google-owned Nest works with Google Assistant while Amazon-owned Ring plays best with Alexa, which might decide for you right there. There is a Ring skill for Google Assistant, but it can't stream your video feed to Chromecasts or Google Assistant displays like the Google Home Hub.

Your choice in cameras might also be made for you if you're trying to mount your camera in an area with no outlets or with spotty Wi-Fi — like a stone entryway. The Nest Cam Outdoor only supports one source of power — plug-in — while the Ring Stick Up Cam is available in plug-in or battery variants for the same price. You can also upgrade to the Ring Stick Up Cam Elite and get Power over Ethernet (PoE), which offers you the flexibility to run as long or as short of a cable as you need, as well as only running one cable for both power and data instead of two. Very few smart home security cameras have PoE, and most of those are indoor-only, making the Ring Stick Up Cam a rarity. But as noted, this comes at a more premium price point than the regular Stick Up Plug-In.

While both are resistant to the rain, the Nest Cam is IP65 dustproof and splashproof, and the Ring Stick Up Cam is listed as "weather-resistant" — which Amazon/Ring clarifies as water-resistant and able to withstand temperatures from -5-122 degrees Fahrenheit (-20-50 degrees Celsius). Nest Cam Outdoor also has an advantage by supporting 24/7 recording, but you have to subscribe to Nest Aware to see more than the last three hours.

Speaking of, yes, you do need a subscription when it comes to the Ring Stick Up Cam. Without it, the Ring won't record video at all, only show you the live feed, and the Nest will only show you the last three hours. You also miss out on the more advanced detection modes. Nest has recently revamped its Aware pricing plans, so they are now more competitive than ever.

Ultimately, if you're considering purchasing either the Ring Stick Up cam or the Nest Cam Outdoor, you should consider each camera's respective subscription plans. Ring's most expensive plan tops out at $100/year and covers every Ring device on your account at a single address. Even its single-cam Basic plan stores the last 60 days of recordings. Nest Aware will run you up to $60/year, and Nest Aware Plus can go up to $120/year. The beauty of Nest's plans is that they cover all of your camera devices; the more expensive Plus version simply gives you more video history (60 compared to 30 days). Nest Aware also comes with 24/7 recording, which takes up more space than just motion-triggered clips. However, Ring still provides a more extended period of recordings for less money and gives you the option to pay as little as $30 if you only want to store video for one device.

Considering that the Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In is nearly $100 cheaper than the Nest Cam Outdoor, and that Ring's subscription plans are more affordable, we think that it is the better buy here. If you are heavily invested in Google/Nest or want that 24/7 coverage, then the Nest Cam Outdoor is still a good choice.