Comparison

Google Home vs Ring

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Home status overview
  • Device grouping into dashboards
  • Live camera view and history
  • Voice control with Gemini for Home
  • Streamlined settings navigation
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

Google Home4 screens
Ring4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Google Home ships an update weekly, Ring every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Google Home versus Ring: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGoogle HomeRing
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (1.4M ratings)4.7 (1.8M ratings) — better
Positive reviews15.4% of reviews31.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.4M1.8M — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#10#4 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size606 MB466 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperGoogleRing.com

Customer experience

Google Home

All ratings1,369,034 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.4%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews4,216 reviews
Positive15.4%
Neutral8.6%
Negative76.0%

Ring

All ratings1,844,638 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews7,094 reviews
Positive31.1%
Neutral11.2%
Negative57.6%

User reviews

Google Home

From 1.4M App Store ratings

What 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 ratings

What 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

None

Google Home

No in-app purchases

None

Ring

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Google Home free?
Google Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ring free?
Ring is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Google Home or Ring?
Ring is rated higher. Google Home averages 4.6 out of 5 from 1.4M ratings, while Ring averages 4.7 from 1.8M ratings.
Do Google Home or Ring have ads?
Google Home shows ads; Ring does not.
Which is updated more often, Google Home or Ring?
Google Home ships an update weekly, and Ring every 9 days. Most recently, Google Home was updated on September 26, 2026 and Ring on September 26, 2026.
Which is more popular, Google Home or Ring?
Google Home currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and Ring at #4. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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