SimpliSafe - Best Home Security Video Monitoring

Editors Rating:

9.2 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

• Equipment Costs Packages starting at $280
• Monitoring Options Professional and DIY
• Monthly Monitoring Costs $19.99 per month
• Contract Lengths Month-to-month
• Installation Options DIY or professional
• Smart Platform Integration Alexa and Google Home

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SimpliSafe Overview

SimpliSafe offers the versatility that ADT does not. Users can choose to install the system themselves or have a technician do it. And even if you choose the DIY route, SimpliSafe is easy to work with and scalable. It’s actually our favorite DIY security system right now.

SimpliSafe also gives you the option to self-monitor or get a professional monitoring plan. We like SimpliSafe’s Fast Protect professional monitoring in particular. It’s one of the few services that offer live monitoring for security cameras, in addition to video verification. There are also no long-term contracts. You can upscale or downscale your monitoring service according to your budget and needs. We’ve had a SimpliSafe system for three years now, and whenever we need to test it, we just reactivate our monitoring plan and pay for one month at a time. We’re all about the flexibility.

Equipment

SimpliSafe offers the necessary pieces of equipment for home security, but don’t expect much beyond that. It offers motion sensors, door sensors and glass break sensors for security; safety sensors like smoke and gas leak sensors; and a few indoor and outdoor cameras. All in all, you can have 100 devices connected to the base station.

However, SimpliSafe does not offer a lot of smart home equipment. Unlike ADT, there are no smart thermostats or smart lights in the SimpliSafe catalog. There once was a smart lock from the brand, but it’s been out of stock for at least a year.

That being said, if you’re looking for no more than just basic home security, SimpliSafe can provide it. Our 14-sensor system was more than enough for our 1,800-square-foot house. SimpliSafe also offers adequate options for video monitoring.

There’s a wired and a wireless indoor camera, a battery-powered outdoor camera, and a hardwired video doorbell, which was by far the most difficult piece of equipment we had to install. SimpliSafe offers enough equipment to secure your home indoors and outdoors.

>> See It Here: SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro Review

Monitoring

We always recommend going with a SimpliSafe monitoring plan because it unlocks cellular backup. This technology enables the internet-reliant base station to send alerts even when your home Wi-Fi isn’t working. That, in addition to the base station’s 24-hour battery backup and battery-powered sensors, makes SimpliSafe one of the best cellular security systems. Just recently, it continued to work during a nasty snowstorm that cut the internet and power to our home.

SimpliSafe’s most advanced monitoring option, called Fast Protect, also includes interesting features. First, it offers video verification for all SimpliSafe cameras. In an emergency, monitoring agents can access video footage in real-time to confirm alerts and help speed up police response. Secondly, it offers Live Guard Protection to homes with the Smart Alarm wireless indoor camera and SimpliSafe outdoor cameras. It’s a step up from video verification because agents can use the camera’s two-way talk feature to deter burglars. And since outdoor cameras now enjoy this feature, SimpliSafe could potentially deter intruders before they even enter your home.

When we tested out their new Fast Protect monitoring, we were impressed with how quickly an agent activated the live feed. From the time we triggered the alarm to the camera snapping on, it was only about 20 seconds — that’s important in an emergency situation. We were able to speak with the agent, who came in loud and clear, and we were able to confirm the alarm was false. If we hadn’t been able to provide our safe word, the authorities would have been called.

FYI: Although we recommend professional monitoring, SimpliSafe is also one of the best self-monitored security systemsm. It features loud sirens, has an app that sends alerts to the user remotely, and offers cameras that can livestream (but not record) without a cloud plan.

Cost

SimpliSafe is somewhere in the middle in terms of cost. It’s cheaper than traditional systems like ADT and Vivint, but it’s a little pricier than some DIY options like Cove.

Fortunately,SimpliSafe deals abound all year round. It’s common to see SimpliSafe equipment packages go for 20 to 60 percent off. On a regular day, though, expect to pay at least $250 for a basic package (one hub, one keypad, one door/window sensor, one motion sensor). Our 14-piece kit with cameras and a video doorbell cost us just over $500, which we paid upfront. Much like ADT, though, you can finance your equipment but only for up to 24 months. There’s also a $150 minimum order required.

Other than the equipment fee, there were no mandatory fees to use SimpliSafe. DIY installation cost us nil. Professional monitoring was also optional, but we highly recommend it. Here’s’SimpliSafe’s pricing:

• Standard plan:Offers just professional monitoring with cellular backup for $19.99 per month
• Fast Protect plan:Includes Standard plan features, plus video storage for 10 cameras, Live Guard Protection for the Smart Alarm indoor camera, and video verification for $29.99 per month

SimpliSafe User Experience

SimpliSafe is built on simplicity, so before buying one, make sure it’s the type of system you want. You’re not going to get a touchscreen control panel and a bunch of home automation features from it. Instead, you’ll rely on a semi-digital keypad and an app to control your security system.

But as far as the user experience goes, we loved our SimpliSafe system, especially its responsiveness. It arms and disarms quickly – almost instantaneously when using the keypad. It has a loud 105 dB siren. It also has backup power and cellular connectivity for when the power and internet goes out. SimpliSafe is simple and reliable.