Google Home vs Ring
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Google Home
Manage your smart home devices and stay updated on home activity. Easily control devices with voice commands and view live camera feeds. Organize your home into custom dashboards for quick access.
- Home status overview
- Device grouping into dashboards
- Live camera view and history
- Voice control with Gemini for Home
- Streamlined settings navigation
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The Google Home app helps you get the most out of Gemini for Home. See your home at a glance The Google Home app is designed to show you the status of your home and keep you up to date with what you may have missed. Keep up with what’s important Updated design and streamlined organization help you group your devices into dashboards and easily navigate your settings. Plus you can check in on your home anytime. Scan camera events quickly The camera live view and history interface makes it easier than ever to see what happened. Search or ask your home Control your home in a brand new way. Just say what you want your devices to do with Gemini for Home. * Some products and features may not be available in all regions. Compatible devices required.
Ring
Monitor your home remotely with video doorbells, security cameras, and alarm systems. Receive instant alerts for visitors and motion, view live HD video, and communicate with guests. Smart lights and alarm systems offer further control and safety features.
- Real-time doorbell and motion alerts
- Live HD video streaming
- Two-Way Talk with visitors
- Smart lighting control and scheduling
- Alarm system monitoring
- Optional professional monitoring
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Know what’s happening at home from wherever you are with Ring Video Doorbells, Security Cameras and Alarm systems, and Smart Lights. Ring Doorbells and Cameras can send you instant alerts when someone’s at your door or motion is detected. Keep an eye on what matters with live HD video and greet visitors with Two-Way Talk. With a Ring Protect subscription (or free trial), you can review, save, and share Ring videos. Ring Smart Lights let you control and schedule lighting easily. Some models can even notify you about motion nearby, and trigger other compatible Ring devices to record. Ring Alarm systems let you monitor entrances and indoor spaces, and detect certain safety hazards. Enroll in Ring Alarm Professional Monitoring* (compatible Ring Protect subscription required) to request dispatch of emergency responders when your Ring Alarm is triggered. Whether you’re halfway around the world or just out shopping , with Ring, you’re always home. *Compatible Ring subscription is required to enroll in Professional Monitoring. Service available in all 50 U.S. states (territories not included) and in Canada (excluding Quebec). Ring does not own its monitoring center. Smoke and carbon monoxide monitoring is not available for business or commercially zoned addresses. See Ring Alarm licenses at: ring.com/licenses. Additional fees may be required for permits, false alarms, or Alarm Verified Guard Response, depending on your local jurisdiction. What you can do with the Ring app: - Get real-time doorbell and motion alerts on your smartphone or tablet - See and speak with visitors with HD Video and Two-Way Talk - Get real-time alerts when your Alarm sensors are triggered
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Ring at none against Google Home's shown. Ring also leads on review sentiment (31% vs 15%). Google Home's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Google Home against 4.7 for Ring. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.4M and 1.8M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 15% of Google Home's written reviews are positive against 31% of Ring's.
Google Home ships an update weekly, Ring every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.
| Parameter | Google Home | Ring |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (1.4M ratings) | 4.7 (1.8M ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 15.4% of reviews | 31.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.4M | 1.8M — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 9 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #10 | #4 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.4 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 606 MB | 466 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | Ring.com | |
Customer experience
Google Home
Ring
User reviews
Google Home
From 1.4M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent camera quality
- 👍 Secure home monitoring
- 🚀 Reliable notifications
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent disconnections
- 🐛 Buggy app performance
- 👎 Lacking advanced features
- 👎 Unintuitive user interface
Ring
From 1.8M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent video quality
- 🔒 Helpful security features
- 👍 Easy to set up and use
- 🔋 Good battery life
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🕰️ Slow live view response times
- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 📽️ Poor video quality at night
Bugs and requests
Google Home
Reported bugs
3 issues- Inability to remove 'ghost' devices
- Inconsistent connectivity between app and devices
- Unreliable motion detection
Requested features
3 requests- Ability to customize notification settings
- Integration with more smart home devices
- Improved video history browsing
Ring
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inconsistent motion detection
- Recorded videos randomly disappearing
- Chime not working as expected
- Unreliable app performance after updates
Requested features
4 requests- Customizable motion zones
- Ability to schedule modes
- Apple HomeKit integration
- More flexible notification settings
In-app purchases
Google Home
No in-app purchases
Ring
No in-app purchases









