Published on October 8, 2025 | Prices Last Reviewed for Freshness: November 2025
Written by Alec Pow - Economic & Pricing Investigator | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

Educational content; not financial advice. Prices are estimates; confirm current rates, fees, taxes, and terms with providers or official sources.

Blink’s pricing looks simple at first glance, then small choices start to move the total. If you only need motion alerts and live view, you can pay $0 and record locally with a Sync Module and a USB drive. If you want cloud clips, person or vehicle alerts, extended live view, and the convenience of scrolling video in the app, you will pick a paid tier. As of October 2025, the Blink plans list $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year for the Basic plan and $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for the Plus plan. Those rates apply on renewals and new activations after October 8, 2025 in the United States.

A free path still exists, and many owners use it. With eligible cameras tied to a Sync Module 2, local storage to a USB drive captures motion clips without a subscription, while paid plans add cloud recording, advanced detections, and longer video history. The tradeoff is setup and drive management versus always-there cloud access.

Article Highlights

• Free path with local storage is $0, good for low traffic spots and hands-on owners.
• Basic is $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year for one device with up to 60 days cloud history.
• Plus is $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for unlimited devices and extended warranty eligibility on covered units.
• Annual billing pays off once you have confidence in the setup.
• Three or more cameras usually tip the math to Plus.
• Ring, Wyze, and Google sit near Blink on price, but with different device limits and histories.

How Much Does a Blink Subscription Cost?

The lineup has three lanes. Free with local storage, Basic for one camera, Plus for many cameras on one account. Free relies on a Sync Module 2 or Sync Module XR and a USB drive or microSD card. It records events locally and you view clips in the Blink app, but there is no cloud library and advanced detections are off. Paid tiers move clips to Blink’s cloud and add features like person detection, extended live view on specific models, and daily cloud backups to the USB drive if you have a Sync Module installed.

Monthly billing is the shortest commitment. Annual billing drops the per month rate and has been a simple way to save if you are settled on Blink for the year. The current US rates are $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year for Basic and $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for Plus, with up to 60 days of cloud video history on both. If your needs are limited to one doorbell, Basic often wins, while households or shops with three or more cameras tend to cross over to Plus quickly.

Real-Life Cost Examples

Single-camera apartment, year one. One Blink Mini 2, street-level unit in Denver. The owner chooses local storage only and adds a Sync Module 2 and a $15 USB drive, total hardware $65 to $90 depending on camera sale price, with $0 subscription. They accept the lack of cloud history and person alerts to keep the bill simple. Free works, within limits.

Family home with four cameras, year one. A household in Austin installs two Outdoor 4 units, one Mini 2, and a doorbell. They pick Plus at $119.99 per year for unlimited devices, gaining cloud history and detections across the set. Hardware varies with discounts, but the recurring piece is straightforward. If they had tried four separate Basic plans at $39.99 per year each, the subscription total would be $159.96, so Plus saved $39.97 before any hardware decisions.

You might also like our articles about the cost of a Ring Doorbell, RingCentral, or Arlo subscriptions.

Small retail door and alley cam, first 12 months. A sandwich shop in Milwaukee starts on the free local path, then moves to Basic at $39.99 per year after a near miss they want on cloud for easy sharing. The change adds intelligent alerts on the alley camera and makes offsite review faster. The manager keeps the USB backup for redundancy.

Trial effect. New activations get a Plus trial for up to 30 days, which can mask the true ongoing cost if you forget to choose a plan or local storage workflow before the trial ends. Once the trial expires, new cloud recordings stop unless you subscribe, and older cloud clips purge on your auto delete setting. Build your plan during the trial so renewal day is not a surprise.

Cost Breakdown

Hardware. Cameras range widely by model and seasonal sale, with Minis often under $40 and Outdoor kits higher. A Sync Module 2 costs extra if you want local storage or daily cloud backups to USB, and you bring your own USB drive. Accessories such as mounts or longer cables are small adds that still matter in a tight budget, and Black Friday deals can move the total.

Base fees. The subscription is the recurring line item you feel every month or year. Basic at $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year covers one device. Plus at $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year covers unlimited devices on the account and can add extended warranty coverage for eligible devices through a SquareTrade administered service contract in the US, which many owners value for active households or outdoor units.

Add-ons and extras. Expect tax on subscriptions in some states. USB backup is daily rather than continuous, so heavy users sometimes buy larger drives. If you run only local storage, factor the time cost of exporting clips on a computer for incidents. For cloud users, the 60 day history is generous for a budget brand, yet you may still need to download important clips for longer retention if a dispute drags on beyond that window.

A worked total for a busy home. Four cameras on Plus with annual billing is $119.99, add a Sync Module 2 and a $15 USB drive and the first year recurring plus storage hardware is roughly $135, excluding camera purchase and taxes. Many households end up near this figure after the initial hardware spend.

Factors Influencing the Cost

Number of devices. One device leans Basic, two is a toss-up, three or more usually favors Plus. This is the single biggest driver because your plan either scales per camera or scales to unlimited. Intelligent alerts on supported models (see the Blink subscription plans) make more difference on busy driveways than on a quiet back door.

Storage and retention. Local storage reduces recurring cost, but owners trade convenience for manual management. Cloud keeps up to 60 days of history in the US and allows quick sharing. Some regions use 30 day limits due to local rules. Promotions and growth. Blink offered a lock-in window before the October 8 change, and seasonal sales like Black Friday often discount hardware enough to change your calculus for the year.

Regulatory environment. Subscription cancellation rules are evolving and can affect how quickly you can stop charges. The FTC finalized a click to cancel rule in late 2024, then an appeals court blocked enforcement in July 2025, so experiences can vary by company and state law. Always cancel through the same channel you used to buy if possible and keep a timestamped record.

Alternative Products or Services

Competitors price close to Blink, with different device limits and retention windows. Ring Protect Basic sits at $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year for one device with up to 180 days of video events, which can be attractive if your main goal is a longer history on a single camera. Wyze sells Cam Plus Unlimited at $9.99 per month or $99 per year to cover many cameras, often the cheapest unlimited option in a small shop with lots of low cost cameras. Google rebranded Nest Aware to Google Home Premium in October 2025, with Standard at $10 per month or $100 per year and Advanced at $20 per month or $200 per year for added 24 by 7 recording time, both covering all cameras in one home.

Plan comparison snapshot as of October 2025

Sources for the table are each brand’s plan pages and support hubs, checked October 2025.

Ways to Spend Less

Buy annual if you already like the workflow. Annual Basic saves versus twelve monthly charges, and Annual Plus usually becomes a no brainer once you own three or more cameras. If you are testing Blink for the first time, begin monthly, then switch to annual before your next renewal.

Use the free lane where it makes sense. A low traffic side door can stay on local storage while your driveway cam rides the cloud. Keep a spare USB drive in a drawer so you can swap if the primary gets full at a bad time, then offload clips later on a computer.

Stack natural discounts. Watch Amazon retail holidays for camera and kit deals and consider buying the Sync Module and USB drive in the same cart to avoid separate shipping or price creep. If you already know you will renew Plus, watch for multi year lock-in offers, which Blink has used around price changes.

Mind the trial. The Plus trial can hide the true ongoing bill for a few weeks. Set a calendar reminder to decide whether you want Basic, Plus, or local only before the trial ends, then attach the plan that fits your cameras. The best savings move is the one you actually execute.

Answers to Common Questions

Does Blink still offer a free option without cloud fees?

Yes. With a Sync Module 2 or XR and removable storage, you can record clips locally at $0, view them in the app, and skip cloud fees, while paid plans add cloud history and AI detections.

What changed about pricing in October 2025?

US renewals and new activations moved to $3.99 per month or $39.99 per year for Basic and $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year for Plus, the first increase since 2021.

How long is video kept in the cloud?

Up to 60 days in the US on both paid tiers. Some regions use 30 day limits due to local rules, and Blink supports daily USB backup if you have a Sync Module installed.

Is there a trial and what happens after?

New devices generally trigger a Plus trial for up to 30 days. After the trial ends, new cloud clips stop unless you attach a Basic or Plus plan or switch to local storage.

How does Blink compare with Ring, Wyze, and Google on value?

Blink remains one of the cheapest ways to get 60 day cloud history for home cameras. Ring’s one device plan costs $4.99 per month with a longer default history, Wyze’s Unlimited plan is the lowest unlimited price, and Google’s home wide plans sit at $10 or $20 monthly for broad coverage.

Hidden costs to watch

Taxes on subscriptions in some states, a Sync Module if you want local storage, a $10 to $20 USB drive for backups, and your time to export local clips when needed. Extended warranty eligibility on Plus can be valuable if you would otherwise buy separate coverage.

Expert-style sources used

Blink Support and Plans pages for official pricing and features, Security.org for product testing context, and reputable tech news and support pages for competitor plan details.

Note on cancellations

US subscription cancellation standards are shifting, with an FTC rule finalized in late 2024 but blocked by an appeals court in July 2025. Always cancel through the same channel you used to subscribe and save confirmation records.