August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro

The August Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro are two video doorbell cameras that give you greater control and convenience when it comes to monitoring your home.

Now, we’re going to be upfront and say that the Cam Pro obviously offers a greater number of useful features. However, the base model remains a viable option if you’re looking to save some money while retaining all the aspects that make an August doorbell great.

Let’s dive into the differences by comparing the August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro in order to help you figure out which option is the right pick for your home.

About August

The August product line is made up of a selection of doorbells and smart locks that work together to help keep your home safe. In addition to being excellent products in and of themselves, devices like the August Doorbell Cam and Cam Pro can even play double duty by replacing the August Connect WiFi Bridge and connecting your lock to your wireless network. This sort of interconnectivity makes integrating your August products with one another a seamless experience, and no matter your choice, you’ll enjoy a smart doorbell or lock that adds convenience and security to your home.

Another unique benefit of this product family is August Access, which is a service designed to make receiving deliveries while away from home a lot easier and a lot safer. Make stolen packages a thing of the past by allowing your delivery driver temporary and secure access to your front door. Though, it’d be nice to add an indoor smart camera for better security.


August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro — Things in Common

August Doorbell Cam Pro

While there are some key differences that set the August Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro apart from one another, there are also a number of similarities given that these two products fall under the same product umbrella and brand.

In many situations, going for the “base” model may lead to missing out on many cool features, but even the regular August Doorbell Cam checks a lot of the same boxes that make for an excellent doorbell camera.

Both cameras has an identical resolution which means you won’t have to sacrifice video quality regardless of your choice, and the 120 degree field of view makes it easy to keep an eye on the entirety of the front of your home.

Two-way audio allows you to listen and respond to any visitors or potential intruders, and motion detection keeps you clued in to any suspicious activity. On-demand replay leaves footage ready and waiting for you to review at your convenience, and the integration with August Locks keeps your home protected.

Finally, both the August Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro have a subscription model for those looking for more lengthy storage. While the past 24 hours of recordings are available on demand for free, a charge of $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year gives access to up to 30 days of video storage.


August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro — Differences

August Doorbell Cam Pro

  • Difference #1: Night Vision – The August Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro both have support for recording in the dark, but they lack IR illumination by default. This means that you’ll need a floodlight in order to allow your doorbell camera a clear view of the front of your home. With the August Doorbell Cam, you’ll need to purchase your own light source while the Pro version ships with a built-in floodlight for low-light situations.

    One nice aspect of the way this night vision works is that you’ll have vivid color, day or night, as long as things are illuminated. But if you find your lighting compromised your feed will be basically useless. Alternative options like the SkyBell HD doorbell allow homeowners to switch between color and black and white night mode so your video feed doesn’t end up in the dark – both literally and figuratively.

  • Difference #2: Motion Sensitivity – This is perhaps the biggest difference when comparing the August Doorbell vs. Pro. As mentioned above, both the August Doorbell Cam and the Doorbell Cam Pro have support for motion detection. What sets the Cam Pro apart, however, is the support for adjustable motion sensitivity.

    Being able to make your doorbell camera more alert or lax on the fly helps avoid false alarms when there’s a lot of expected activity around the front door, such as when you’re working in the front yard or your kids are playing outside. Conversely, increasing the sensitivity will allow for easier detection of suspicious activity when you want to be keenly aware of what’s happening around your doorstep.

  • Difference #3: Easy DIY Installation – The August Doorbell Cam has a little bit of a complicated installation process that takes some DIY Know-how in order to get things up and running. The August Doorbell Cam Pro has been updated to be far more user-friendly, and after connecting your Doorbell to your wireless network a handy smartphone app will guide you through the entire installation process.

    If you’re going to be installing the device yourself, you may be best suited with an August Doorbell Cam Pro due to the ease-of-access when compared to its predecessor.

  • Difference #4: Chime Control – One neat feature that is present with the August Doorbell Cam Pro and not with the base model is more customizable chime control. The Doorbell Cam Pro is compatible with mechanical doorbells, and when a visitor presses the doorbell you’ll hear the chime on your phone as well as through your indoor chime. Through the August Home app, you can customize the charms that you want to hear as well as control the volume at will — a useful feature to ensure that you’re alert of any visitors while avoiding making excessive noise.


August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro — Comparison Chart

August Doorbell Cam August Doorbell Cam Pro
Video Resolution 640x480p 640x480p
Field of View 120° 120°
Two-way Audio Yes Yes
Night Vision Requires a light Yes
Build-in Flood Light No Yes
Motion Detection Yes Yes
Motion Sensitivity No Yes
On-demand Replay Yes Yes
Works with August Smart Locks Yes Yes
Easy DIY Installation No Yes
Chime Control No Yes
Subscription Yes Yes

August Doorbell Cam and Cam Pro’s Accessories

August Smart Keypad for August Smart Lock

When it comes to accessories, there’s little to no difference between the August Doorbell Cam 1st Gen vs. 2nd Gen. Both doorbells are fully-featured in and of themselves, but there are some accessories you can add on that will expand the functionality of the August ecosystem.

As far as the Doorbell Cams themselves, go, a power supply kit is available in case you don’t have a wire for a doorbell. This allows pretty much anyone to have access to a convenient and secure home — regardless of the existing doorbell technology present around your door.

As discussed above, the August Doorbell Cam and Cam Pro represent just one part of a greater August ecosystem. The August Smart Keypad gives you and your family easy and secure keyless access to your home, and the August Connect allows for controlling August smart locks at will, even when you’re on vacation or at work.

Ultimately, the August product family gives you everything you need to make accessing the home easier for those you love while protecting what’s important from any intruders.


August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro — Our Thoughts

August Doorbell Cam Pro

There are some cases in which a Pro model is clearly the top pick when compared to the original August Doorbell Cam, and while the August Doorbell Cam Pro is an upgrade in nearly every way over its less expensive little brother, both video doorbells cover all important aspects of keeping your front door comprehensively monitored.

With that said, we do recommend the August Doorbell Cam Pro mainly due to the fact that it is much easier to install. Being able to get your camera up and running immediately rather than after a complicated process makes the August ecosystem easier to access for everyone.

Other benefits like the built-in flood light, adjustable motion sensitivity, and greater chime control also do make it a little bit more well-rounded overall.

You’ll get a lot of use out of either product, but for convenience and added functionality the August Doorbell Cam Pro is probably your best bet.


Last update on 2024-03-28 at 13:59 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

1 thought on “August Doorbell Cam vs. Pro”

  1. I have a first generation August Doorbell Cam and my main complaint is the camera’s failure to adjust to a bright/sunny background that makes the person’s image appear like a silhouette and unrecognisable. This is a big issue for me because my front door is facing south and being in the northern hemisphere is exposed to sun all day. I am prepared to replace it with a the second generation Cam Pro if it has solved this issue.

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