Ring Floodlight vs Spotlight 

Nothing frightens burglars away from a house faster than outdoor security cameras. Attach a light to those cameras and few home invaders are going to risk it. Generally, thieves prefer to lurk in the shadows. Cameras with lights mean risking both detection and identification. The bottom line is that an outdoor camera with a built-in light can keep your home safe. No surprise, then, that Ring – one of the best security camera providers on the market – offers not one but two of these devices: the Ring Spotlight Cam and the Ring Floodlight Cam.

While these two cameras perform similar functions, they’re not the same. If you’re looking for outdoor lighting options, you need to understand what each of these cameras is designed to do, and then decide based on your own security needs. Guess what? We can help you do both. Below, you’ll get a complete explanation of both of these Ring security cameras, plus some handy advice on deciding which one is right for you based on our experience with both of them.

The Ring Floodlight Cam

Ring Outdoor Cameras Overview

At this point, you’re asking yourself, why exactly does Ring need to offer two outdoor cameras with lights? Isn’t that a bit of overkill? After all, light is light, right? Not necessarily. Turns out that light – and these two cameras – can serve different functions.

• If you’re trying to find your way from the car to your front door, what you really need is soft, focused lighting. This is exactly the kind of lighting the Spotlight Cam provides. Can this cam startle a burglar? Maybe. Any sign that you’re home and keeping an eye on your property is going to help. Ultimately, though, the Spotlight Cam’s function is to help you find your way around your home’s exterior.
• The Floodlight Cam, on the other hand, is designed to startle. As the name implies, it floods an area with bright light. Normally, that’s not the sort of thing you want to experience yourself. It’s perfect, though, if you’re looking to raise a burglar’s blood pressure.

The question, then, is whether you want blinding lights that will stop burglars in their tracks and possibly scare them away, or a spotlight that can help you see your way into the house or welcome guests to your home.

Beyond this basic question, there are a host of other factors to consider. Are you looking for a hardwired model, or is wireless your thing? How are you planning to power your device? Battery? Outlet? Ring now offers solar panels. And how many of these devices does your property need?

That’s a lot of questions, but keep reading. You’ll find we have a lot of answers.

Ring Floodlight vs Ring Spotlight: Similarities

Let’s dig into the similarities between these two cameras. After all, they’re both manufactured by Ring, they’re both outdoor cameras, and they include integrated lighting options. They’re bound to have a few things in common, right?
First up, you have the same cloud storage options with both of these cameras. Strictly speaking, you don’t need a plan to operate either one. You can always purchase Ring equipment – a la carte or as part of a package – and use it for free.

If you want to record footage – and that can be useful not just for going back over your activity history but also in case you need to provide evidence to the police – you’re going to need a Ring cloud subscription. That costs $4.99 a month per camera or $9.99 per month for an unlimited number of devices. Pay for a year up-front, and that price is even lower – $99.99 buys you a full year, and ultimately, that saves you up to $20. There’s also a $19.99 per month plan that unlocks more features like backup internet that sends video recordings to the cloud even if your Wi-Fi goes down using cellular data.

Monitoring and cloud storage isn’t the only similarity between these two cameras, though. Both cameras make use of the same Ring app. That app provided us with real-time alerts and access to both live feeds and recorded video (we purchased the cloud subscription plan). Plus, we had the ability to turn cameras on and off with the push of a button. Both the Floodlight and Spotlight Cams come with built-in two-way audio, and we also used the app to make use of this feature.

Finally, both of these cameras are available in different models. Ring is committed to offering cameras that operate in a variety of different ways. As a starting point, you get to choose between “Plus” and “Pro” models. Plus means you get customizable motion zones powered by PIR motion sensors. Pro models include a more advanced type of motion detection, called 3D motion detection, which is powered by radar. We decided to get the Plus models.

After that, we chose from different power options. Now, the Spotlight Cam and Floodlight Cam don’t offer the same power options. The Spotlight Cam has plugged-in, battery-powered, and solar-powered models. The Floodlight Cam comes in plugged-in and hardwired models. But the point is, both cameras are versatile.

Ring Spotlight Cam at Twilight

Ring Spotlight vs Ring Floodlight: Differences

These two cameras have some very specific technical differences that affect their various features. We’ll get into those. Let’s start simple, though. The Floodlight Cam is designed to stop criminals. The Spotlight Cam, in contrast, is designed to help homeowners see at night.

Very few burglars have the presence of mind to keep going when they’re hit by 2,000 lumens. There’s just no place to hide, and trust us, burglars are pretty unhappy when there’s no place to hide. Add to that a 105 dB siren, which is about as loud as a jet landing at Harry Reid International Airport, and you create a great one-two punch. Of course, this isn’t the sort of camera you want to come on when you arrive home in the evening. Unless, of course, you like being struck blind after a hard day of work.

The Spotlight Cam, on the other hand, offers a welcoming light, whether you need help getting the groceries in after sundown or you want to welcome guests to your home for a soiree. The Spotlight could be used to ward off intruders – in a pinch. After all, if you’re not expecting a light to come on, you’re going to be startled. This camera’s real purpose though is to help homeowners navigate at night.

Features

Both of these cameras come packed with features, whether you go with a battery-powered or wired model. As we suggested above, some of those features overlap. These cameras serve very different purposes, though, and they need very different features in order to fulfill those purposes.

To keep it simple, we’ve broken down each model and added some extra information on the differences between the Plus and Pro models to make it easier to choose the right one for your needs.

Spotlight Cam Plus

• Color Night Vision
• Customizable Motion Detection
• Two-Way Talk
• Motion Activated Notifications
• Built In Siren

Spotlight Cam Pro

• 3D Motion Detection
• Enhanced Audio
• Dual-Band WiFi
• Two-Way Talk
• Built-In Siren

Floodlight Cam Plus

• Color Night Vision
• 2000 Lumen Floodlight
• 105 dB Siren
• Motion Activated Notifications
• Two-Way Talk

Floodlight Cam Pro

• Color Night Vision
• 3D Motion Detection
• Dual-Band WiFi
• Enhanced Audio
• 105 dB Siren

Finally, don’t forget that these two cameras also come with different power options. We might point out, though, that the Spotlight Cam has a bit more flexibility. All floodlight cameras require some sort of wiring to power their strong lights. That means you either have to hardwire the camera directly into a junction box or you have to find an outdoor outlet to plug it into. In some cases, this means hiring an electrician to help out. The Spotlight Cam can be hardwired as well, but it’s also available in a battery-powered version. In fact, you can even connect these cameras to one of Ring’s solar power panels for maximum convenience.

Pricing

As you’d expect, the pricing on these devices differs based on which model you select and which power source you want to use. Here’s a quick breakdown of what that looks like:

You should know that Ring has developed a reputation for running frequent sales. Over the holidays, for instance, almost all of Ring’s lighted cameras were available at deep discounts. The Spotlight Cam Plus, was a full $60 off the regular price, just $109.99. The Floodlight Cam Plus was $80 cheaper than usual, at $119.99. Prices are back to normal at the moment, but if you bookmark our guide to Ring’s sales and discounts, we’ll let you know as soon as there’s a change.

What We Think

It’s tough to go wrong with Ring, no matter what kind of camera you’re looking for. They offer some of the best security cameras on the market today, and at quite affordable prices. The company’s Spotlight and Floodlight cameras are especially powerful, though. If you’re looking for outdoor coverage, you get both a reliable, hearty camera and the bonus of lighting in emergency situations.

You do want to think through your specific needs, though. The Floodlight Cam works great for straightforward security. You can be sure its bright lights and high-dB siren will frighten off even the bravest would-be burglars. Not everyone needs that kind of protection, though. Or maybe you need a different sort of camera to complement the Floodlight, a camera that can help illuminate a path for you when you come home late at night. In that case, the Spotlight Cam is definitely the better choice. As always with home security, it always comes down to finding the best equipment to suit your situation.