Tapo/Kasa (TP-Link) - Tapo D225

I went with the Tapo d225 and really like it.

I looked at it in a review there was some reason I eliminated it as a choice. I’ll have to go back and look. I guess I should say budget would ideally be under 150. My only thing with reolink is the cost of the nvr for recording is a little pricey. I have security cameras so I struggle to see that’s worth it for reolink. I think with the tapo the sd card was in the doorbell if I remember right which I’m not a fan of.

I have it all installed. What I like is- the picture quality, its identification qualities, loads fast, local storage, always on. The small dislikes- I wish the wiring went to the back plate like the Ring, doorbell is kinda large, the mic sounds kinda scratchy maybe that’s because it picks up very well, the app is good just wish it would load right to the camera when opening, wish the sdcard wasn’t stored in the doorbell. Overall a solid doorbell with just a few minor inconveniences.

Yeah I will have to play around with the mic volume. The picture and detection is really impressive. I did notice if I setup the widget on my iPhone it opens right to the camera. I’m really impressed with its overall abilities.

After 12 days of use with this doorbell I have to say I’m really impressed. The detection is out standing and the options for flexibility are great! Thanks again for the recommendation!

I just got the Tapo d225 and really like it. It’s made by Tp link. The only little dislikes are it’s a bigger doorbell and the sdcard is stored in the doorbell. But all video can be downloaded as well.

I went with the tp link tapo d225. I am really happy with it. Few little minor dislikes it’s big, wire mounting is not on the back plate. Overall very impressive.

i hate anything with a subscription. so i got a TP Link Tapo one. so far so good. they always try upsell the cloud storage thing but if u stick an SD card in it you dont need to

The SD cards on the Tapo app show a live feed and have playback recorded on the app. So no ripping it off and taking it with you isn’t doing what you think it is

Yeah and in this case the product has an option for cloud storage and works perfectly with just an SD card. There’s nothing built into it that’s going to one day make the SD card stop working and force people to buy cloud storage.

I don’t know if they are available in the UK, but I have 2 Tapo doorbells from TP-Link that do actually call your phone. It’s a handy feature since you don’t have to go through the hassle of opening the app to answer, you just answer it like a regular phone call with added video. They are battery operated (rechargeable) and wifi. There are 2 models, the D210 (which is what I have) and the D225. The D225 can be hardwired also if you have power where you install it. They come with a separate plug-in chime and work with Alexa and Google. Plus they have free onboard person, vehicle, and pet detection. We’ve had ours for about 6 months and I’ve been very happy with how they perform.

TP Link Tapo D225 my man. Stellar even on wifi and I had a garbage Simplysafe doorbell cam for my last one.... That was absolute garbage. Also if you want to stay with ReoLink, they have a PoE version.. Just go to amazon and search for ReoLink POE Camera (there is no model #) It's $109 currently.

I have to do the same. On the D225 you CAN just wire it up without bypassing, however you still can't use always on recording or ONVIF features/etc until it's bypassed.

Tapo 2k one is waaaayyyy better

If you want budget friendly, check out the [Tapo D225](https://www.amazon.com/Tapo-Doorbell-Ultra-Wide-Detection-D225/dp/B0D8MKQ5RC), I've been using this one since August 2024 and it's great. [Review of the Doorbell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bclt9aOA1Sc)

Gotcha, the Home Hub is still fairly new and might improve over time. For me the Tapo is more than adequate, mind you I have the video setting set to 960p rather than 2k https://player.vimeo.com/video/1072270651?h=6fd48b7d93

I know you said you want local recording, but just a fyi, the Tapo care plan with 30 day recording is one of the cheapest out there at $3.49/month

Yes, I'm pretty happy with the Tapo. The Reolink for some reason, took over a minute to notify my phone that a person was detected. But on r/reolinkcam most people seem to be happy with theirs though.

Okay I see now what you mean. My Tapo D225, still records even when watching live after clicking on a notification. So this one should do what you want.

Tapo D225, that's what I use

Hi! This is Rachel, one of the smart-home writers at Wirecutter. I love your table! Great info. In my testing, I really like the Tapo D225. Like you said, it has the SD card on the actual doorbell. Also, it's kind of bulky, but the detection options and customization are both great. I just wanted to point out one thing: You mentioned wanting a visual thumbnail, but TP-Link only sends those if you subscribe to the cloud service. Without it, there's no thumbnail. Otherwise, it's a really good performer. Hope this helps!

I've been through a couple doorbell cameras, and most recently I'm using a Tapo D225. I'm satisfied with it. Very wide angle so I can see packages on the ground. RTSP (wired version) so it plays nice with Frigate.

I have a TP-Link Tapo D225. No subscription needed and has local microSD storage. You can download the clip over wifi. I like it very much. It is powered by doorbell transformer through the wires there already and does continue recording. The stored clips include 10 seconds before the trigger. It is often less than $100 on Amazon.