Have you been thinking about getting a Blink camera to beef up your security, but are you unsure about the monthly subscription plan costs? Don’t worry. We’ve got you covered!
We did some digging to see what you’ll get with each monthly plan and even looked into what you can expect if you skip the subscription fees. Let’s see if we can help you make the best decision for your security setup!
Here's what we cover:
Do Blink Cameras Require a Subscription?
No, no need to worry about paying a monthly fee to use your Blink camera. But if you want the added bonus of storing all those fantastic recordings in the cloud, you can sign up for their subscription starting at just $3 a month. Trust me, it’s worth it and comes with other sweet perks!
Blink Subscription Plan Cost
There are a variety of subscription plans available depending on your needs and how much of a yearly or monthly fee you can afford:
- Blink Basic Plan – $3 per month per device or $30 per year.
- Blink Plus Plan – $10 per month for unlimited devices or $100 per year.
| Basic Plan | Plus Plan | No Plan | |
| Price | $3 per month or $30 per year | $10 per month or $100 per year | Free |
| Number Of Cameras | 1 | Unlimited | 1 |
| Notifications? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Stream live feed? | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Record motion detection? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Store video history (60 days) | Yes | Yes | No |
| Local backup functionality? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Watch videos instantly? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Share video? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Image capture functionality? | Yes | Yes | No |
| Amazon.com Blink product discounts | No | Yes | No |
| Extended Warranty | No | Yes | No |
Advantages Of Subscribing To A Monthly Plan
Having an active subscription will bring several benefits for you:
- Video clips are automatically stored on the cloud and saved for 60 days.
- Playing back clips is very simple within the app. Choose the video from the thumbnail gallery of clips, and it will instantly play.
- Photo capture once per hour.
- Live view recording. All live views are recorded to the cloud simultaneously.
Are There Any Subscription Discounts?
Yes, discounts are available for people who pay for an entire year. Instead of paying for 12 months, you only pay for 10 months and get a full year. For example, the Blink Basic Plan, typically $36 per year if you pay monthly, is only $30 if you pay yearly. The Blink Plus Plan would normally be $120 per year if you pay monthly, is only $100 if you pay yearly.
Using a Blink Camera Without Subscription
You don’t need a subscription to rock out with your Blink camera, but you’ll miss out on all the perks that come with it, like cloud storage and other fancy features. You’re using the camera solo without any of the extra cloud magic. But, hey, sometimes simplicity is the way to go!
However, a nice workaround will allow you to store your video locally on a USB drive and view them on your phone or tablet. To do this, you will need a Sync Module 2, which is relatively inexpensive and requires only a one-time fee to get it.
Blink Camera Recording Without Subscription
The price is the main advantage of using the Blink camera without a monthly subscription. Instead of paying the fee each month, you can almost do the same thing with a Sync Module 2 for just a one-time $35 price plus the price of a USB drive if you don’t already have one.
However, the disadvantage is that the video playback is a bit slower than when you are playing video back from the cloud. The main reason for this is that the app needs to pull over the video over wifi from your Sync Module before it starts playing.
Another thing to keep in mind is maintenance on your USB drive. At some point, it will become full and need to be looked at and old clips deleted. With the subscription plan, the cloud does this automatically without you having to do anything.
Which Should You Get?
Choosing the right plan for your security cameras comes down to your personal needs. If you’re looking for a way to keep an eye on your crib while you’re away, the sync module with no subscription plan might be your jam. But, if you’re like me and need to be able to check in on your pad from wherever, whenever, then the monthly subscription plan is the way to go. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
