Arlo Smart Plans with 6 Cameras and Adding Video Doorbell. What would be the best plan to have?

[bdsmith63]

Hello,

I have read several discussions, but really need some good advice on what would be my best options.

I have 4 Arlo Pro cameras, 1 Arlo Pro 2 camera, and only one of the Arlo Pro cameras activated with a single plan.  I also have 1 more Arlo Pro 2 camera that is not activated.  I purchased the Arlo Video Doorbell that I am going to add.

I want to be able to have all 7 cameras active and would like to use the activity zones on at least 3 of the cameras.  I have a USB drive connected to the base.  I am not concerned about cloud recording all that much, my question is what would be the best plan to have all cameras active?

I could sign up for the free Arlo Smart Plan that comes with the doorbell, then add on two smart plans?

[jguerdat]

Don't forget that the doorbell's free plan is just a free 3 month trial - after that you'll need to subscribe to a plan for full functionality. You need to decide for yourself if your needs require a sub or not. Local recordings will occur regardless of subs but the VMB4000, which you list, requires the drive to be safely ejected so videos can be viewed on a computer. It takes a VMB4540 or higher to be able to use the app to directly view without ejection.

Depending on how many cameras ultimately are on a plan, be sure to compare single camera plans to the Premier or Elite plans for total cost.

[bdsmith63]

Thanks for the reply.  I ended up subscribing to the Arlo Smart Premier plan with 5 cameras, when the doorbell trial plan ends in 3 months I’ll just add it to a single camera plan at 50% off and the 7th camera I can add as well.  So when Arlo states my base supports up to 15 cameras — you would have to pay for single camera plans on every camera you add above 5 assuming you’re subscribed to the Premier or Elite plans, correct?  I think Arlo should at least support 10 cameras in their plans based on the cost of their hardware.  I have a large home and would like more cameras but don’t necessarily need the features from the subscription plan for inside cameras.

[jguerdat]

You're confusing hardware limitations with subscriptions. 15 cameras per base is just a suggestion so you get decent performance from all cameras. There's still the limitation of up to 5 cameras streaming at once so adding more cameras may be futile in the first place, depending on activity in and around your house.

The 5 camera plans now in place are likely a business model decision more than anything else. While the older plans did support more cameras, perhaps marketing took a look at other vendors' plans and income to come up with what's now available. We'll never know and it's unlikely things will change. If you don't need subscriptions for inside cameras, use the older models (Pro 2 and below) to make things easier.

[bdsmith63]

I understand what you’re saying — good points.  I guess with the total 7 cameras now, I want to be able to have them all activated.  I don’t need any of the smart features on the one indoor camera, but I just want it to be activated, since I have 5 outdoor cameras and the 1 doorbell camera, the only way I can activate the indoor camera is to add it to a single camera plan.  If I were to use 5 cameras for FREE with no subscription plan, but wanted to use my doorbell and inside camera I would have to buy a single plan for each.  I do want to use the activity zones on a few of the outdoor cameras, so the premier plan is the best route and then single camera plans on the 2 additional.  I hope this makes sense?  Your input is helpful.

[jguerdat · Accepted solution]

Don't forget that if you want to expand the use of cameras that can get a free plan, create a new account using a second email address. You'll need another base station for that account and then sync cameras to it, followed  by using Settings, Grant Access from the new account to the original one so all cameras show up in one login. Not quite the same as having all on one account but close. Of course, the video doorbell and any cameras newer than the Pro 2 will likely require a subscription, depending on your wants/needs.