Call security: Google’s Nest cameras just got a huge subscription price hike
Google Nest Cams and Nest Doorbells just got a whole lot more expensive if you want access to all of their security features, with their subscription prices increasing by a whopping 33%.
As noted by 9to5GoogleNest Aware and Nest Aware Plus plans both get a price hike that might make you think twice about paying for the benefits they bring, including cloud video history and intelligent alerts.
In the US, the basic Nest Aware subscription now costs $8 per month or $80 per year, which is a significant jump from the previous price of $6 per month / $60 per year (33% to be exact). If you want Nest Aware Plus, which gives you 60 days of video history instead of 30 days, it will now cost you $15 a month or $150 a year (a 25% price increase).
While Google has so far only notified its US customers of the price changes, they are likely a sign of what’s to come in other regions as well. We’ve asked Google to confirm if this will be the case in the UK and what the new prices will be.
The higher prices will take effect immediately for new subscribers in the US, with current Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus customers getting the unwanted price increase on their next bill starting November 6.
These two subscription services effectively replaced the first-generation Nest subscription in May 2020, which started at just $5 a month and gave you five days of 24/7 continuous video storage in the cloud (a feature now only available with Nest AwarePlus).
On the plus side, the current Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus plans cover all of your Google Nest devices (unlike the previous per-device plans). So if you have multiple cameras or doorbells, one (albeit pricey) plan will cover them all.
Analysis: Death by software subscriptions
Subscription price hikes aren’t exactly new to most tech fans – this year we’ve seen everything from Netflix and Disney Plus to Spotify and PlayStation Plus all go up in price.
On the Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus increases, Google only vaguely explained that “subscription prices may change to keep pace with market shifts, including inflation and local tax updates.”
But the reality is that cloud storage – one of the main benefits of subscribing to your security camera – has become more expensive overall, with Google Cloud getting a lot more expensive last year. So it was only a matter of time before cloud storage for security cameras also saw a price increase.
Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus plans were already among the highest of the best home security cameras, with Ring, Arlo, Blink and now Philips Hue all offering cheaper basic plans in addition to their own Plus options. So that could be a factor buyers should consider in the long-running Ring vs Nest debate.
Still, Google’s plans also include unlimited devices, so they could still be worth your while if you have (or plan to buy) a large number of Google-made cameras, doorbells, speakers, and displays, all of which have the smart alerts. to support.