Zmodo Smart Wi-Fi Video Doorbell Review (A Budget Peephole Camera)

Are you looking for an affordable way to keep your home and family safe? Then you’re certainly in the right place. We’re going to give you the rundown on the Zmodo Greet Video Doorbell to help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Keep reading our review and buying guide to help you make the best choice for your needs

Zmodo Greet HD Wireless Video Doorbell Home Security Camera 1080p Full HD, Two-way Audio, Motion...

[Answer the door]: Simultaneous two way audio allows you to talk with your visitors directly via...
[On Demand Access]: Have access to live video at any time from your smartphone or the web. A new, HD...
[Instant Alert]: Receive an instant motion alert with a 10s video clip instead of merely images when...
[Customized Motion Detection Zone]: You can set motion detection zones and focus on important areas...
[Works with Alexa]: Zmodo 1080p Greet HD Doorbell works with Alexa. Control Zmodo camera with your...

Zmodo Smart Video Doorbell Review

The Zmodo Greet Smart Doorbell is one of the cheaper options on the market today. But, does it still have the features you want, just at a more reasonable price?

Keep reading to find out all the features and details you need to know about the Zmodo video doorbell. It’s cheaper than some of the others, but is it worth considering? Find out here.

Key Features Of The Zmodo Greet Video Doorbell

You can see and talk to visitors from your Smartphone (iOS or Android)
Access the video feed at any time via smartphone or computer
Motion detector with alert, and 10 second video clip
Video clips are saved for 12 hours in the cloud for free. After that, you can sign up for their recording plans
60-day money-back guarantee and three year warranty
Installation requires a mechanical chime and a transformer with a low-voltage of 10VAC-36VAC.
720 p, wide angle viewing field
Night vision
2-way audio
Battery powered

Cloud Plan: Optional

We LOVE that Zmodo will store videos in the cloud for 12 hours for free. Most other companies require you to purchase a plan, or you need to use a memory card.

Most people find that 12 hours of storage is enough for their needs. Or, you can upgrade to one of their plans. There’s a 30-day free trial of this.

Night Vision And Motion Detection

Zmodo may be cheaper than many of their competitors, but it still has some of the features that you’re looking for, including night vision and motion detection.

The night vision allows you to see who’s at the door at night, and according to customer reviews, it works reasonably well.

The motion detection system will send you an alert to your smartphone every time motion is detected. It will also record a video clip which is stored in the cloud for 12 hours for free. You can store them for longer by upgrading to one of their plans.

Live Video Feed

Another option is the live video feed. You can see what’s going on outside your door at the push of a button on your phone app. Yes, it really is that easy!

A Company That Stands Behind Their Products

Here at Spy Cameras Reviewed, we love companies that stand behind their products. Zmodo offers a 60 day, money-back guarantee, and a three year warranty on their products. It’s a risk-free way to try a top-quality video doorbell.

What About The Video Quality With This Smart Doorbell?

When you compare peephole door cameras, you’ll see that’s there a wide variance among the models in terms of picture quality. How does the Zmodo Smart Greet stack up?

At 720p, it’s lower than many of the other options at 1080p. However, it’s good enough that you are able to see clearly what’s going on outside your front door. This is true even in lower light conditions.

Buy The Zmodo Wifi Video Doorbell

The best place to buy the Zmodo Greet Peephole Door Camera is on Amazon. You can check it out for yourself by clicking the button below.

Shop Now

Pros

Very reasonably priced, and cheaper than much of the competition
Night vision and motion detection system
Very easy to get set up
Money-back guarantee and excellent customer service and support
Two-way audio, accessible via Smartphone
The company makes top-quality security cameras

Cons

Requires a mechanical doorbell chime to work with
Only 12 hours of cloud storage for free, after that is an additional fee via subscription
Some reports that motion sensor alerts are difficult to get up and running, and also that the motion sensor is too sensitive (passing cars)
Can take a long time for the doorbell to connect via Smartphone (the visitor is sometimes gone by then)
Not easy to set up with a dual band router

User Reviews

“It’s super easy to install and get up and running. It works exactly as advertised and the best thing is that it’s way more affordable than Ring doorbells. Nice piece of technology at a very good price and I’ve recommended this product to lots of people.”

“There are a few negative reviews of the Zmodo doorbell, but I think it’s mostly errors in getting it set up. If you follow the included instructions, it’s very easy, and the company has some good customer support to help you out as well.”

“Overall, it’s easy to set up and works decently, except for the notification to my phone or iPad when someone is at the door. It’s been a bit of a hassle and I never really could figure it out.”

See More Customer Ratings and Reviews Here

Zmodo Greet Doorbell Video Review

Compare Peephole Door Cameras

For even more choices, be sure to check out our best peephole door cameras article. In it we compare all of the top models on the market, to make it easy for you to find the perfect one for your needs.

How To Install The Zmodo Video Doorbell

Zmodo Peephole Door Camera Review: Conclusion

If you’re looking for a reasonably priced video doorbell system that does the job, then the Zmodo Greet should be at the top of your list. It has some great reviews and is one of the top devices on the market today.

Not A Ton Of Features But We Love The Price

Although it doesn’t have all the features of some of the video doorbells that are 3 to 4 times more expensive, it has enough of them that most people will be pretty happy with it. For the price? It works well enough!

Good Customer Support

There are a few reports that this video doorbell isn’t as easy to set up via a home Wi-Fi network as the company says it is. However, they do have good customer service and support and should be able to help you out if required.

Money-Back Guarantee

Apart from that, there’s a 60 day money-back guarantee so if you really can’t figure it out, just return it for a full refund. Sounds like a win in our books! It’s the clincher for making the Zmodo Greet a solid buy if you’re looking for a cheap video doorbell.

Order Yours Today

Sound like just what you need to keep your home and family safe? It probably is! It’s a top-quality device at a very reasonable price. You can check it on Amazon.

Shop Now

What Are The Benefits Of Door Viewer Cameras?

There are a number of reasons why you might want to consider buying one of these products. They include the following.

You Can Decide For Whom You Open The Door

In this day and age, opening the door blindly when the doorbell rings seems kind of like a crazy thing. We honestly have no idea who is at the door. At worst, it could be someone dangerous. Or, it could also just be someone really annoying:

That neighbour who never has eggs or sugar for baking
A salesperson
Someone from a Church
That kid next door who always wants to borrow your phone charger

A Clear Picture

Regular peepholes in doors don’t really allow a clear picture, especially at night, or in foggy weather. That’s where something like the Zmodo, the Ring, or the Eques Vieu comes in. They allow you to see clearly who’s there, even in low light conditions, on an LCD display or your smartphone.

Great For Shorter People Or Kids

If you’re short, you may not be tall enough to put your eye up to the fishhole on your door. Avoid this problem by getting a digital door viewer. Young or old, tall or short, anyone can see who’s out there with the touch of a button.

Recording Device

In case of crime, a video doorbell can serve as an excellent record if the burglar came through your door. Or, if you’re not home, it can also record the goings on around your entrance way.

Remote Access

We love being able to see who’s ringing out doorbell when we’re not home. It can offer some serious peace of mind, especially when the kids are home alone. Same with parents, too. As they age, set them up with something like the Zmodo, and you’ll be able to have a bit of an idea what’s going on in their home.

Talk To Delivery People

If you get a device with 2-way audio, you’ll be able to talk to delivery people when you’re not at home. This is super convenient because you can direct them to leave the package on your back deck, for example, instead of taking it to the depot where you’ll have to get it later.

What Are The Most Important Features In A Peephole Camera?

There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when buying your front door viewer camera. Is there one single perfect one for everyone? Not really. It’s more a matter of choosing the right one for your needs from all the ones on the market today.

Here are the main categories to consider when buying one.

Screen Size

It can be difficult to view a small screen that is less than 2.5 inches. One that is 3-4 inches is very easy to see clearly, even for people with poor eyesight. You’ll also want to consider the resolution.

Generally, the bigger size screen the better.

Picture Quality And Field of View

Generally, you’ll want to stick with screens that have an LCD display, and cameras that capture a sharp, clear images and videos. How they perform in low-light conditions is also another important factor to consider.

The higher end items with come with 1080p, which are crystal-clear. A 720p camera will work well for most purposes. At the lower end, some come with 360p, which most people find pretty fuzzy, especially in lower-light conditions.

Most smart video doorbells come with a night vision feature that works with LED lights. However, don’t think it’ll work perfectly in the pitch blackness. This is often not the case, and if it’s that what you require, you’ll probably want to consider a higher-end security camera.

If you have a normal size door area, then almost any of these devices will work well for you in terms of the range of vision. However, it you have a large area outside your door, then you’ll want to consider a device that shows a larger area.

Compatibility With Your Door

This is certainly something you should check out before buying one. You’d be surprised, but many people don’t! Doors come in varying thicknesses, and peepholes come in different sizes. Make sure the system you buy is compatible to save yourself a big headache.

It seems like a small thing, but trust us, this should be the first thing you look at when buying your device if you don’t want to waste a ton of time and hassle.

How Long The Batteries Last

If you have a ton of people coming to your door, batteries can be quickly drained. Although you can get rechargeable ones, it can be a bit of a hassle to replace them. It’s prudent to see if the device you’re considering offers any power-saving features.

Or, you can find some video doorbell that run off AC as their power source. This can be a nice option for people who don’t like the hassle of charging or replacing batteries.

Recording Capability

Does the doorbell offer cloud storage? Is it free? Or, is there a memory card inside the unit that can be accessed easily? These are certainly questions to ask as services offered vary considerably.

And, when does recording start? Is it when movement is detected? Does it take a picture, or video? The ability to do these things, or not should certainly be a deciding factor for you.

Is WiFi Required?

If you don’t have WiFi at your house, you’ll need a simpler unit that doesn’t require this. In this case, the recording will go directly to a MicroSD card, or DVR hard drive of some kind. You won’t have remote access, but you’ll be able to view the footage at a later date.

On the other hand, if you’re mostly getting it to have access when not home, then you’ll want to find one that has a wifi connection. There are also many of them that have a live stream, which you may appreciate having, depending on your needs.

Connectivity is certainly something that you’ll want to consider before buying one of these security products.

Ease Of Installation

Almost all of these devices can be installed by someone with basic tools and will be quick and easy. Some almost don’t even require that and take only minutes. If you’re not that handy, check on the installation process before buying one. You’ll probably want the easiest one you can get, or you may find that it’s a real headache.

Easy installation means way less hassle! It should work well, almost right out of the box and setup should take less than an hour or two.

Some are wired, and some are wireless. Either option is fine, but the wired ones require a bit more handyman/woman skills, while the wireless ones require some tech skills to install them.

2-Way Communication/Microphone Via Mobile Device

Do you want to talk to the people outside your door? Then you’ll need this feature. It can be extremely useful for when your children who are left at home alone, or you’re keeping an eye on things for your senior parents.

Or, you may want to get alerts when the unit senses some activity. It’ll most often be a photo, or burst of photos over a period of time. You may also get a short video, 30 seconds for example and some of them will even go back in time by a few seconds when they start the recording.

If you want this feature, you’ll need a device that is wi-fi enabled and doesn’t just record to a memory card for example. All the devices that have this feature are compatible with both iOS and Android phones, and you’ll often be able to check via computer by entering the company’s special URL.

How Well The Motion Sensors Work

Most of these products start recording if motion is detected. However, quality of the sensors vary. The best ones fall right in the middle.

The way it works is that they sense when someone is at your door, and then either start recording, and/or allow you to see what’s happening in real-time via Smartphone.

They won’t record a passing car, but they will certainly pick up a person at your door. Once detected, it’ll show you clearly who’s there.

As with any technology, some devices work much better than others in terms. This is important when you consider the number of false alerts you may get.

Technology For These Monitoring Systems

Is the technology of both the product and software consistently being upgraded? That’s usually a good thing. If you can get more features via a software update, that’s great!

The answer to poor software isn’t necessarily an update, but it’s researching which device to buy in the first place.

Alarm Feature

Some of these motion activated peephole cameras will have an alarm feature. For example, you can set them to make a loud noise in case something happens when you’re not there. Perhaps your home or business is an extremely remote location and there is never any reason for someone to be at the door.

What Accessories Are Included

There is a wide variation among devices as for what accessories are included, so please take a careful look at this before making your final decision.

Wired, Or Not

Some products tap into your existing doorbell, while other require a whole new wiring set up. Check to make sure whatever device you get meets your expectations in this regards.

Others require being constantly hooked up to a power source, while others have rechargeable or replaceable batteries that don’t need wires.

Support

Some companies offer 24/7 chat or call support while other are much more limited. We generally prefer the companies with 24/7 support because who likes to stop what they’re doing for a day or two while waiting for a reply to an email?

Reviews

Okay, it’s not a feature, but for almost anything that you’re going to buy, it’s smart to see what other people are saying about it. Check the comments that people have made carefully on a place like Amazon.

We prefer to take a look at the 3-star reviews because they usually give an accurate picture of the actual pros and cons of a specific item.

Price

For anything that we buy, price is obviously a major consideration. There is quite a range for these products, but in general, the lower priced options are good values. Although they may not all the bells and whistles, they generally get the job done.

Picture and audio quality, along with motion sensors don’t vary too much in terms of quality. It’s usually customer service and ease of use for the smartphone apps that suffers with the lower-priced items. The higher-end devices will constantly be adding new features to their app as well. And, you may also not have the ability to view what’s happening in real time.

So, don’t be scared to opt for one of the more affordable door peepholes like the Zmodo doorbell. If you don’t care about the app being easier to use and you don’t need updates, you can save a lot of money.

Color

Some video doorbells come with color plates, or are available in various colors so that it’ll match the exterior of your home a bit better.

Zmodo Wi-Fi Video Doorbell: Your Thoughts

What do you think about this popular security device? Leave a comment below and let us know your thoughts. Also be sure to give this article a share on Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter. It’ll help other people, like yourself who are concerned with keeping their home and family safe.

Author
Recent Posts

Damon Kennedy

Damon Kennedy is the expert on all things home security systems. He's been working in the field for 20 years, recommending and installing them for his clients, for both homes and businesses. He's excited to share his knowledge with you so that you can make the best choice!