Our verdict: The Tapo TD21 ranks 7th of the 10 video doorbells we compare, with 7.8 out of 10. It takes our Best Budget badge.
Tapo TD21
7.8/10Best Budget
The Tapo TD21 is a battery-powered 2K video doorbell that comes with an indoor chime and records to a microSD card. It suits renters and anyone with no doorbell wiring who wants to avoid a monthly fee.
Records to a microSD card, with no subscription needed for the basics
Battery-powered, so it fits renters with no existing wiring
Keep in mind
Narrower view than the D235, so parcels at the foot of the door are easy to miss
Battery life depends heavily on how busy your doorstep is
Battery only, with no option for continuous recording
The microSD card is not included
Why the Tapo TD21 scores 7.8
Each bar shows where it places among the 10 video doorbells in this guide, so a full bar is 1st of 10. How happy owners are counts for most of the score.
How happy owners are7th of 10
How many rated it7th of 10
How new it is6th of 10
Why it sits behind the EZVIZ EP3x Pro
The EZVIZ EP3x Pro (7.9) beats the Tapo TD21 (7.8) because it leaves owners a little happier.
About the Tapo TD21
The TD21 is a wireless doorbell with a built-in 6400mAh rechargeable lithium-ion battery, which is not removable. You charge it through a USB-C port on the bottom panel. Tapo says it gives up to six months on a single charge, and says real life depends on settings, usage and Wi-Fi conditions.
Video is 2K with a 160° diagonal view (135° horizontal, 109° vertical). Night vision uses an infrared LED with a stated range of 7.6 m and switches to full colour with the built-in spotlights. It has two-way audio with noise cancellation, AI person and vehicle detection, and activity zones. It works with Alexa and Google Assistant, and connects on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only.
Footage goes to a microSD card of up to 512GB, which you buy separately. You fit it behind a cover held by a bottom screw, then set it up in the Tapo app. Tapo Care is the optional paid cloud plan, and snapshots in notifications need it. The chime is included but is not compatible with other brands' chimes. A separate Tapo A201 solar panel is sold as an extra.
In the box: the doorbell, the chime, a mounting bracket, a horizontal mounting wedge, a template, 3M adhesive, a foam pad, screws and anchors, a detaching pin, a USB cable and a quick start guide. You can stick it to a wall or screw it on, and Tapo says to mount it no higher than 2 m.
What owners report about the Tapo TD21
Owner feedback specific to the TD21 is thin, and what we found comes mostly from TP-Link's community forum, where people tend to post problems. Treat it as a list of things that can go wrong, not a verdict.
The most repeated complaint is the battery reading. Several owners say the app shows the doorbell as out of charge or offline even after recharging and resetting, while the chime, alerts and SD recording carry on working. One recovered footage through the app's playback section. Replies in the thread offered a beta app and then a pointer to TP-Link support, with no confirmed fix. Another owner says the app froze on a low-battery screen after the doorbell seemed dead for months.
Another owner set one up for a relative and found the live view worked but pressing the button produced no chime and no notification. The forum reply pointed them to the doorbell and notification settings in the app. Owners with a doorbell that fits the Tapo app well have little reason to post, so the silence on video quality and day-to-day use tells you little either way.
Who the Tapo TD21 suits
The TD21 fits renters and anyone with no existing doorbell wiring who wants a chime in the box and local recording on a card. It is also the cheapest option in the guide for that set of features. Budget for a microSD card, since none is supplied.
Look elsewhere if you want to see parcels left at the foot of the door: the eufy Video Doorbell E340 has a second lens aimed at the doorstep, and the Tapo D235 has a wider view. If you want no card to buy, the EZVIZ EP3x Pro has built-in storage. Homes with a bell transformer could use the Reolink Video Doorbell WiFi, which is wired and so has no battery to recharge.
Questions about the Tapo TD21
How do I reset the Tapo TD21 doorbell?
Press and hold the SYNC/RESET button for 5 seconds. You can also open the doorbell's Settings page in the Tapo app and tap Remove Device.
How long does the Tapo TD21 battery last?
Tapo says up to six months on a single charge, but that depends on settings, usage, Wi-Fi conditions and how busy your doorstep is. A busy front door will need charging more often. You charge it over USB-C and the battery cannot be removed.
What are the specifications of the Tapo TD21 camera?
It has 2K video, a 160° diagonal view, full-colour night vision with a 7.6 m infrared range, a 6400mAh battery, an IP65 rating and 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. It takes microSD cards up to 512GB and comes with an indoor chime.
Does the Tapo TD21 need a subscription?
No. It records to a microSD card (sold separately) with no plan. Tapo Care is an optional paid cloud service, and snapshots in notifications need it.
Can the Tapo TD21 use a solar panel?
Yes. Tapo sells an A201 solar panel separately for it. It is not in the box.
Other video doorbell picks
The other badge winners in our video doorbells ranking.
Every score here comes from our ranking model; no editor sets the order. We haven't read the review sites for this guide yet, so for now it is led by owners. It ranks products by how happy owners are, holding back any product few owners have rated until more agree. How many rated it and how new it is only settle close calls, and value for money earns its own badge rather than a higher place. We compared 20 models for this guide before settling on these ten.
Brands can't pay to be included or to move up. We last checked these picks in November 2026.
