Are the Additional Costs of the New Google Nest Aware Plans Worth It?
Google-owned home security company Nest has updated its Nest Aware service with a completely new pricing model and some new features .
The new Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus subscriptions are available to all users if they have migrated their Nest account to Google account . However, any member of previous Nest Aware plans can continue to use these plans if they choose – which might be a blessing as the new Nest Aware packages are slightly different.
New pricing for Nest Aware
Nest Aware will now start at just $ 6 per month, while the new Nest Aware Plus will start at $ 12 per month. This is a pretty big change from the old pricing model, which offered three different pricing levels depending on how many days of recorded footage you want:
- $ 5 per month per camera for the last 5 days of footage.
- $ 10 per month per camera for the last 10 days
- $ 30 / month per camera for the last 30 days
However, new plans are canceling this pricing model and applying a flat monthly fee to all devices in your setup, meaning you no longer have to pay for each camera. However, such an optimized price requires a compromise.
New features but limited recording
New Aware’s plans are making some pretty big changes to the service’s feature list. First, here’s what doesn’t change: Nest Aware remains an optional, no-contract service that adds additional features like facial recognition, activity zones, and the ability to watch selected cloud videos. The service supports the same Nest devices as before – all Nest CCTV cameras, Nest Hello, and Nest IQ – but that’s roughly the degree of similarity.
The new plans for Nest Aware and Nest Aware Plus add two new features:
- Sound detection and smoke alerts.
- Automatic calls to law enforcement agencies on behalf of subscribers.
These are definite updates, but the new plans are making some big changes to how your cameras record footage and which part you can actually access.
Older Nest Aware plans included 24/7 continuous recording for all users, but this feature is now locked behind the $ 12 Nest Aware Plus tier, while the $ 6 Nest Aware base plan will only record footage when something is detected by your cameras.
These “event” clips are available for up to 30 days. Nest Aware Plus users receive “event-driven” clips that are available for up to 60 days, as well as 24/7 continuous recording and access to footage for up to 10 days. This is still a pretty big cut for some users who may have taken 30 days of history (for whatever reason).
Which Nest plans should you use?
If you have a single Nest camera and don’t have special security requirements, but want to see if someone has snatched a package from your porch, Nest’s new $ 6 plan isn’t all that bad. That’s just $ 1 over the old plan, which we recommend you stick with if you really need to watch the feed 24/7 – admittedly just five days.
Plus, if you have multiple cameras, Nest’s $ 12 Aware Plus will be the most financially beneficial. You will lose 20 days of footage, which you can access 24/7, which is a bummer, but most people probably don’t need to archive that many frames. If something happens that requires you to inspect your CCTV camera, chances are good that you will find out about it within a week or so.