How to Cancel Ring Protect Plan in 2026 (What Still Works Without It)

Updated February 2026 • 8 min read

Ring cameras are cheap. The subscription isn't. Ring Protect Basic is $3.99/month per camera, Plus is $10/month, and Pro is $20/month. Over 3-5 years, the subscription costs more than the hardware. Here's what happens when you cancel — and whether it's worth it.

How to Cancel Ring Protect

1. Open ring.com → sign in
2. Go to Account → Subscriptions
3. Find your Ring Protect plan → click Cancel Plan
4. Ring will show what you'll lose — confirm cancellation
5. Download any saved videos before canceling (they're deleted when subscription ends)

The Subscription Math

• 1 camera (Basic): $3.99/month = $48/year = $240 over 5 years
• Ring Protect Plus: $10/month = $120/year = $600 over 5 years
• Ring Protect Pro: $20/month = $240/year = $1,200 over 5 years
• Ring Doorbell (hardware): $100-250 one-time

The subscription costs 2-5x the hardware price over the camera's lifetime. This is Amazon's business model — cheap hardware, expensive recurring revenue.

Alternatives With No Monthly Fee

• Reolink — Local storage (microSD or NVR). Zero subscription. $50-150/camera. Best value.
• Eufy — Local storage, no subscription (mostly). $80-200/camera. Good app. Some privacy concerns from 2022 cloud scandal.
• Amcrest — Local storage + optional cloud. $30-100/camera. Budget pick with good image quality.
• Wyze Cam + microSD — $36/camera, records to microSD card for free. Paid plan optional ($2/month for cloud).
• UniFi Protect — Prosumer setup. $200 NVR + $100-300/camera. No subscription ever. Best if you want 4+ cameras.

Ring Alarm Without Professional Monitoring

The Ring Alarm system still works in self-monitoring mode without a subscription. You get push notifications when sensors trigger, and you can arm/disarm from the app. You just don't get professional dispatch, cellular backup, or the $25K theft protection warranty. For most people, self-monitoring + loud siren is sufficient deterrence.