DoorBird Intercom: Review, Pricing and Comparison

DoorBird Video Intercom is a high-end doorbell intercom system that easily connects with access devices like electronic doors and gate controls.

In this review, you’ll get an in-depth look at DoorBird Video Intercom, including key features, pricing and a side-by-side comparison with important components to consider when looking for a video intercom system. 

For more reviews and comparisons of apartment intercom systems, visit the best video intercom systems guide.

Key Features

• Simple installation: built-in connectors for traditional door chime, Ethernet, electric door strike, and door opener button
• Remote unlock function through DoorBird mobile app
• Sends photo records of visitors to the cloud where they can be accessed through the DoorBird app
• 4D motion sensor and infrared Night-Vision
• Each video doorbell can connect with up to 8 iOS or Android phones or tablets

DoorBird Pricing

Depending on the products you choose, a single DoorBird Door Station will cost between $384 for a simple home IP doorbell and $2,502 for an IP video door station for multi tenant buildings. 

The indoor station costs $505. 

There are no charges for the automatic cloud storage of entry photo logs for the 50 most recent motion sensor events. An annual subscription of $53+ has 7-day HD storage, if required.

DoorBird Review

Advantages

• Works on eight devices simultaneously 
• Ultra sharp, 180-210 degree ultra wide angle HD image, straightened and without black fish eye edges
• Aesthetically designed, durable, and high-quality video doorbell
• Open API and extensive integration options including NVR, VMS, NAS, RFID, and a range of smart locks and smart home systems
• DoorBird products come in variety of sizes and form factors. New DoorBird models are aesthetically very appealing and come in up to 50 different shades.
• DoorBird provides products at flat hardware cost, with no subscription needed to use the base product. This provides customers with the ability to purchase it upfront without any recurring cost.
• Impressive weather-proofing

Disadvantages

• Door relays included in the intercom, such as DoorBird, pose a security risk*
• Limited access control functionalities
• No built-in SIP or PBX connectivity, can only send push notifications to non-IP phones
• Camera lens should be at a minimum height of 57 inches, compared to the ADA compliance height of maximum 48 inches

IPVM reported that DoorBird suffers from the following issues:

• Noisy Audio: even though the product comes with noise cancellation, it does not seem to be effective
• Poor image quality: high compression, poor WDR performance and focus mainly on nearby objects.

*Door relays that are programmed into the intercom can be removed from their mount to connect the relays, which would trigger an unauthorized door unlock. Typically, more intercom devices avoid this by having a separate device on the secure side of the building that triggers door unlock.

DoorBird Intercom vs. Swiftlane Video Intercom 

DoorBird intercom is a German-built doorbell system. DoorBird is unique in that it replaces a traditional doorbell with an IP-based system. While DoorBird functions very well as an advanced video doorbell system, it’s not suitable as a comprehensive visitor management solution for multi-tenant or multi-unit buildings.

DoorBird, similar to Ring video doorbell, sends an alert or chime when someone is at the door via the mobile app. The video doorbell system is entirely run and configured through the mobile App, to which only 8 mobile devices can be connected per door station. This is limited to an administrative standpoint, and to a user standpoint as well.

Visitors approaching a DoorBird video doorbell also do not have the capability to control interactions at the door, as there is no end user interface for them. To any multi-tenant building, this is confusing and counterintuitive. This lack of two-way interaction also does not support a major visitor management function: temporary access. Which creates a gap in delivery management and other intermittent visitations.

To navigate which system will be right for your video intercom needs, we have reviewed DoorBird intercom system and compared it to Swiftlane Video Intercom for a comprehensive look at all the industry offerings.