Everything you need to know about Blink’s Basic and Plus subscription plans
Blink has a substantial offering when it comes to smart security. The Amazon-owned company does everything from it’s small and compact Blink Mini cameras, to video doorbells and floodlight cameras. It even offered a pan and tilt camera before Ring.
If you’re considering getting a Blink security camera or doorbell, understanding Blink’s subscription plans can help you get better functionality. Just like Philips Hue, Nest, Arlo and Ring, Blink also offers subscription plans that aren’t necessary for the primary function of your devices, but they will give you access to more features. Here’s everything you need to know.
What is Blink’s subscription plan?
Blink offers subscription plans that unlock additional features for your Blink cameras and doorbells. These plans provide a number of features, from cloud storage for your video recordings, allowing you to review past events and access clips remotely, to person detection and video recording.
Although cheaper, Blink’s subscription plans aren’t too dissimilar to Philips Hue Secure, Ring Protect, Nest Aware and Arlo Secure, all of which we have separate features on if you want to understand the differences in price across the various smart home security options and their monthly costs.
For Blink specifically, which we are of course covering here, there are two subscription options: Basic and Plus.
Do Blink cameras and doorbells need a subscription?
No, Blink cameras and doorbells do not require a subscription to function, just as Philips Hue, Arlo, Nest and Ring don’t. Without a Blink subscription plan, you can still stream a live view of your devices (up to five minutes), you will receive basic motion alerts without a subscription and you can use the Two-Way audio feature. You will also be able to use Alexa without a subscription.
You won’t be able to store or review recorded clips however, and features like person detection (on compatible devices), along with video sharing and motion detection video recording isn’t possible without a subscription in place.
What do you get with a Blink subscription?
It depends on which Blink subscription you sign up to as to what you will get. As mentioned, there are two Blink subscription plans available: Blink Basic Plan and Blink Plus Plan. As you might expect, all features you get with the Blink Basic Plan, you also get with the Blink Plus Plan, along with a few additional extras.
Blink Basic Plan
The Blink Basic Plan covers one device so if you have more than one Blink camera and you want all the additional features offered on all of your devices, you will need to opt for the Blink Plus Plan. If you only have one Blink device however, here’s what you get with the subscription:
- Live view streaming (90 minutes continuous)
- Motion detection video recording
- Live view recording
- 60-day unlimited video history
- Auto local storage backup
- Rapid video access
- Video sharing
- Photo capture
- Person detection
Keep in mind that for some of those features, you will need a compatible Blink device. For example, the Photo Capture feature, which captures images periodically for more coverage, is only available on the Blink Outdoor 4, Wired Floodlight, Indoor and Outdoor (3rd Gen) cameras, Video Doorbell and the Blink Mini 2. The person detection feature meanwhile, is offered on the Blink Outdoor 4, Blink Wired Floodlight Camera and Blink Mini 2.
Blink Plus Plan
The Blink Plus Plan covers unlimited Blink devices, so if you have more than one Blink device in your home and you want extra features on them, this is the plan you’ll want to pick. On top of the Blink Basic Plan features mentioned above, you also get the following:
- Custom notification snooze
- 10% off Blink devices
- Extended warranty coverage
The extended warranty coverage is probably the biggest benefit of the Blink Plus Plan, except for gaining the extra features from the Basic Plan on all your Blink devices. The custom notifications is handy too though, especially if you’re at home and want to keep your Blink cameras on but you don’t want to be notified every time the dog moves.
How Much Does a Blink Subscription Plan Cost?
Blink offers two tiers of subscription plans: Basic and Plus. Both tiers come with monthly and yearly billing options. Basic plans are designed for single cameras, while Plus plans cover all eligible devices on your Blink account.
Basic Plan: This plan allows cloud storage and video history for one camera. Pricing for the Basic Plan is $3/£2.50 per month or $30/£24 per year.
Plus Plan: This plan covers all your Blink devices on a single account and offers extended features like the ability to temporarily pause motion-activated alerts for up to 24 hours, as well as extended warranties. The Blink Plus Plan costs $10 / £8 a month or $100 / £80 per year.
Blink subscription plans FAQs
There isn’t a storage limit with the Blink Subscription Plans. You can store an unlimited number of events for up to 60 days on any Blink camera covered by a Blink subscription.
The Blink Plus Plan comes with the benefit of extended warranty. Your Blink device needs to be within the original warranty period when you subscribe to the Blink Plus Plan and it will be covered until you discontinue your Blink Plus Plan.
To sign up for a Blink subscription plan, download and sign into the Blink Hone Monitor app. You’ll then want to head to Account and Privacy settings and tap on the “Link to Amazon Account”. From here, select the device or account you would like to attach your Blink Subscription Plan to. That’s it.
