A gadget that has subscriptions is always a more convenient device to use. When it comes to Nest devices, the Nest welcome doorbell costs $230, and the Nest Cam IQ outdoor costs $399, to name a few examples.
Because of this, it’s understandable that someone may be unwilling to pay the extra $60 per year “Nest Aware” membership fee on top of utilizing these devices with a monthly subscription. Moreover, Ring’s “Protect” membership package begins at only $30 per year.
One last and crucial concern arises: would consumers be permitted to drop out of the Nest Aware subscription when all is said and done? However, there are a variety of tasks that may be completed without the need for Nest Aware’s membership. What you will be able to do is watch the live capture by Nest Hello and Nest cameras, which is one of the most important things.
However, no recordings will be made, and even still photos will be destroyed after 3 hours of inactivity on the camera’s screen. If there is any kind of disconnection that lasts more than a few hours, your Nest device may become inoperable unless you subscribe to the Nest Aware service.
What Nest Aware Offers
If you compare Nest Aware plans to Ring plans, Nest Aware seems to be quite expensive at first glance since its membership begins at $6 per month and may go to as much as $12 per month depending on the plan chosen. Compared to the $3/month price of Ring Protect Basic, this is a significant saving.
They aren’t, as it turns out, equivalent in every way: One device is all that is covered by Ring Protect Basic, but Nest Aware provides coverage for all of your Nest cameras and doorbells. The following are the primary advantages of becoming a member of Nest Aware:
- Depending on the subscription package you pick, the video recordings will endure between 30 and 60 days.
- The use of artificial intelligence (AI) to intelligently recognize persons or noises that you may need to check out and communicate them to you are examples of intelligent alerts.
- Activity zones, which let you choose which areas of your home or property should get motion alerts, may be created using a simple drag-and-drop interface. You could find it beneficial if your Nest device is generating an excessive number of alerts as a result of its location overlooking a crowded place.
- Films may be easily shared with friends and family as long as they are in your video history (i.e., for 30 or 60 days). You can also save these clips to your PC by downloading them fast and easily.
Further details on the Nest plan may be found here. A yearly expenditure of $60 is the result of paying $6 every month. It costs roughly $12 per month to subscribe to Nest Aware, which works out to around $120 a year. More than twice as much as the Nest Aware strategy. Among the most significant distinctions between the two strategies are:
- Nest Aware Plus provides you with video recordings that are stored for up to 60 days, not just for a period of thirty days).
- Additionally, the Plus plan is available; you will have access to recording services 24 hours a day, seven days a week – and For the next ten days, these recordings will be archived. That’s right; motion-based recordings are kept for 60 days, and everything else is archived for an additional 10 years.
The ring has received a significant boost with the implementation of this feature, which, although having promised 24/7 recording back in 2018, has yet to deliver on its promise to customers.
| America | UK | Canada | Germany/Europe | Australia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nest Aware | $6/month ($60/year) | £5/month (£50/year) | $8/month ($80/year) CAD | €5/month (€50/year) | $9/month ($90/month) AUS |
| Nest Aware Plus | $12/month ($120/year) | £10/month (£100/year) | $16/month ($160/year) CAD | €10/month (€100/year) | $18/month ($180/month) AUS |
Nest Devices That Might Benefit From Nest Aware
Several devices from Nest will benefit from the Nest Aware platform, including the Nest Hello smart camera/doorbell and some of the company’s smart speakers,’ which are speakers that also have a camera built into them.
Among the devices that may reap the benefits of a Nest Aware subscription is the following:
- Nest welcoming camera is Nest Hello (their smart doorbell)
- Nest Cam Indoor is a video surveillance system that is designed to capture images inside (their smart camera)
- With the Nest Cam Indoor IQ, you can see what’s going on inside your house (it has extra recognition features and a speaker)
- Nest Cam Outdoor is a camera that is mounted outside (their smart camera for outdoor use)
- Nest Cam Outdoor IQ is a smart camera that monitors the outside of your house (their outdoor camera with extra features)
- Nest Hub Max is a smart home device that connects to the internet through a wireless connection (their smart speaker, which also has an integrated Nest Cam)
As an added bonus, a single Nest Aware subscription covers all of your Nest devices, allowing you to cover a large number of Nest doorbells and cameras for as little as $6.00 per month. As a comparison, Ring’s Protect Plus package, which costs $10/month, only covers all of their devices.
Skipping Nest Aware for Your Nest Hello Doorbell and Indoor/Outdoor Cameras
If you’ve got a Nest Hello but don’t have a membership, here’s what Redditors are saying about it: Despite the fact that this article was created in June 2018, the quantity of features you get is still relevant. (or do not receive!) if you do not have Nest Aware is still the same as it was when it was written.
So, for example, you would not get the following benefits without a membership:
- “Intelligent alerts,” What you’re getting are phone alerts that Nest believes are important enough for you to get, are defined as follows: Instead, you’ll get all motion notifications, regardless of whether they’re for automobiles or passing animals.
- Any previously stored video recordings of events that have been collected and preserved are accepted as evidence.
- Three hours have passed since the last time a still picture was saved (more on this later).
However, what do you get if you mix the smart doorbells and cameras from Nest, which are billed as security equipment? You’ll still receive the following benefits even if you don’t subscribe to Nest Aware:
- Being able to view the live video stream anytime you want is a huge convenience.
- Whenever the Nest Hello doorbell is pressed, you’ll get an email notification.
- Alerts based on motion, but for any and all events (not just important alerts).
- ‘Sightlines’ (Basically, the order in which various events and recordings from various devices appear) are filled up with image snapshots. When your Nest doorbell/camera identifies a face or other relevant motion, it takes a still photo. However, these still photographs are destroyed after 3 hours, so you won’t be able to see who has been to your door (without the subscription).
While this is sufficient for some, it is insufficient for others. Given the high cost of the Nest Outdoor IQ camera (and all of the additional capabilities that the ‘IQ’ adds), I believe it would be inconvenient to lose some of the services available via the aware membership. However, if you purchased a less expensive Nest Cam Indoor during a sale and just wanted to check in on your home once in a while, the subscription would be less beneficial in that case.
How No Nest Aware Compares to No Ring Protect
As I’ve said throughout this essay, I’ve been comparing and contrasting the Nest Aware program with the Ring Protect program. As a last comparison, I wanted to point you to what you receive (or don’t get) if you don’t subscribe to any of the services mentioned before.
They are, therefore, essentially the same in terms of functionality. Still, As a result, Ring’s “motion zones” feature may result in a flood of messages if an animal or a vehicle passes by, making it difficult to focus on what really matters.
However, if you live in a remote place, this isn’t such a terrible thing since any motion occurrence may be significant, and so you’d want to be aware of it. Your home will, however, get a great deal of traffic if it is near the highway.
In the absence of a Ring subscription plan, you may still alter your motion zones and switch on “people only” mode in order to get fewer alerts. On the other hand, Nest does not allow you to do this unless you subscribe to the service.
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-our editorial board has reviewed this article and has been approved for publication according to our editorial policy.
Last update on 2025-05-12
