SimpliSafe Security Review 2024 | Security.org (2024)

After testing over 60 different security systems, we’ve come to the conclusion that SimpliSafe is one of the top home security options. But that’s not enough when you’re choosing a security system to protect your family and home. You have to have what is best for your unique security needs. That’s why we write these reviews.

In this SimpliSafe review, you’ll learn exactly what this security system offers in terms of security and protection. We’ll discuss each individual component we tested, our experience with its monitoring options, the SimpliSafe app, and even the installation process. SimpliSafe may be good, but there are still a few downsides to keep in mind before buying. Is SimpliSafe the right security system for you? Let’s find out.

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>> Related: The Best Self-Monitored Security Systems

Editor's Rating

Gabe Turner Chief Editor

How We Review

Overall Rating

9.2

  • Monthly subscription plans
  • Fast and easy DIY installation
  • Reliable professional monitoring
  • Professional monitoring costs $19.99 or $29.99 per month
  • Camera recording on five cameras costs as little as $9.99 per month
  • Packages range from $250 to $700

SimpliSafe Video Review

We also produced a video review of SimpliSafe if you’re more of a visual learner. This video highlights the various SimpliSafe components we tested and how they worked and looked in our home. The video review will also show you a glimpse of SimpliSafe’s famed easy installation process.

Note that a few things have changed since we published the video review, so we still urge you to read this written review. Here are some of the changes:

  • SimpliSafe increased its Standard plan pricing from $14.99 to $19.99 per month and Interactive (now called Fast Protect) from $24.99 to $29.99 per month.
  • New features have been added to the Fast Protect plan, such as Live Guard Protection that gives monitoring center agents video and audio access to cameras in emergencies.
  • A new indoor camera was released called the Smart Alarm. It’s the only camera fully compatible with Live Guard Protection for now.
  • Early testers can now also integrate the outdoor camera with Live Guard Protection, although this feature is still in its trial phase.

What You Get/ Unboxing

SimpliSafe has gone through three generations of products so far, with the latest one being the Gen 3 SimpliSafe system we tested. Each version is an improvement over the last. For example, the Gen 3 system improved the wireless range of the second generation base station, as well as updated the design and aesthetics of the sensors.

Perhaps the best thing about the Gen 3 is its modularity. It has been five years since it was released, but rather than replacing the system entirely, SimpliSafe has opted to upgrade it by launching new components. They started with an indoor camera, then an outdoor camera, and then a video doorbell. Most recently, SimpliSafe launched an upgraded and smarter indoor camera called the Smart Alarm.

Another aspect we like about SimpliSafe is the price. The equipment is high-quality, yet cheaper than premium options like Vivint. The Vivint security system we reviewed set us back over $1,200. With SimpliSafe, you can get started with the four-piece The Foundation package for only $250. Even the 14-piece bundle costs only $510 and the most expensive one with security cameras cost $700. Take a look at our home security pricing guide; you’ll see that those prices are below industry average.

Once your security system is all built out, you can choose between two payment options. You can either pay the full price upfront or apply for financing through Affirm. You can pay over the course of three, six, or twelve months, depending on your spending capacity. With a 12-month payment plan, you can pay as low as $12.50 per month for a basic security system.

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SimpliSafe Equipment Overview

PackageThe BeaconThe LighthouseThe HavenThe KnoxThe HearthThe EssentialsThe Foundation
Price$699.90$464.93$509.86$469.87$394.91$274.95$244.96
Base station1111111
Keypad1111111
Key fob0011100
Entry sensors4346331
Motion sensors2122011
Auxiliary siren0011100
Panic button0010000
Freeze sensor0010000
Smoke detector0011100
Water sensor0010000
SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera2100000

Those packages are comprehensive, but if you want to personalize, you can actually build a package from scratch. That’s what we did. SimpliSafe started us off with a base station and keypad. From there, we added eight entry sensors, two motion sensors, and a glass break sensor. We also got another keypad for the second floor of our house, plus security cameras. We got the SimpliCam indoor camera, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Pro, and the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro.

Building a custom package can be overwhelming though, especially since SimpliSafe doesn’t offer free in-home consultation unlike ADT. Our advice is to only buy equipment you’re sure you’ll need. You can always add more later on since SimpliSafe is a DIY system; you won’t need to have someone over to install additional equipment.

Overall, we’re happy with what we got from SimpliSafe. Those eight motion sensors covered all our first-floor doors and windows. The motion sensors are out there monitoring our first-floor and second-floor hallways. The glass break sensor is keeping a close eye (or rather, ear) on our glass door leading to the patio. And our security cameras are surveilling our living room, back yard, and front porch all at the same time.

That’s how our SimpliSafe system looked at a high level. Now let’s zoom in on every component we got.

Base station

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At the center of every SimpliSafe system is the base station, which serves as the brains of the system.

In a nutshell, it connected all of the components to the SimpliSafe app so we were notified of any activity. In addition, it connected to the professional monitoring center and played a 95-decibel siren if any alarms went off, which meant it was almost equal to a loud, high-pitched blender in terms of volume.

If you live in a multi-storey house, however, note that the siren is hardly audible on different floors. We recommend buying auxiliary sirens like we did, and placing them on different floors and even outside. Fortunately, the auxiliary sirens can reach up to 105 dB, so they are a bit louder than the siren on the base station.

Design-wise, the base station is one of the prettier alarm hubs we’ve laid our eyes on. It’s about eight inches tall with a four-inch rounded base. The tower-like design is a space-saver, especially compared to the Frontpoint Hub (you can see it in our Frontpoint review) that looks more like a router. Plus, it gives a blue underglow at night, which can be a soothing reminder to users that SimpliSafe is protecting their homes. We even use it as a night light, since we placed our base station in the living room.

Keypad

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Our main point of control was the keypad, a wall-mounted device that looked like a large remote control. It may seem a bit clunky, but the keypad actually has a touch-sensitive screen, making controlling it a little easier.

From the keypad, we were able to arm and disarm the system, manage user PIN codes, and control every aspect of the system. It’s incredibly functional, but the interface wasn’t as user-friendly as the tablet-like control panel we saw in our ADT security system review. That one offered a lot more functionality, like controlling lights and smart locks, but had a refreshingly easy-to-use interface. Now, SimpliSafe’s keypad is not hard to use, per se, but between that and ADT’s control panel, we’d choose the latter.

On the bright side, the keypad is rugged. It’s tamper-proof. If someone tries to smash it, it will actually sound SimpliSafe’s siren for you. That’s good protection against crash-and-smash burglars who break in and then smash the security system before it sounds an alarm. With the SimpliSafe keypad, you’re covered no matter what.

Entry sensors

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Entry sensors are staples of home security systems. They tell you when a door or window has been opened, letting you know that a potential break-in may be in progress.

There’s really nothing that’s noteworthy about SimpliSafe’s entry sensors, except that they are small and inconspicuous. Their mostly inconspicuous design won’t detract from your door and window aesthetics.

After a bit of touring our apartment for vulnerable entry points, we determined that the ground level of our home was the best place for our entry sensors, as that was where intruders were more likely to enter. Of course, we tried out the entry sensors too and discovered that they notified us when they moved about two inches apart from one another. Could an intruder slither into a two-inch crack to enter our apartment? We don’t think so, so our verdict: The door sensor works.

Motion Sensors

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Our SimpliSafe motion sensors did exactly what they were intended to. They detected motion.

Starting on a positive note, the motion sensor left our pets well enough alone. It didn’t notify us even when our cats moved, sprinted, and hopped around our living room furniture. That’s great if you’re a pet-owner like us, as pet-triggered false alarms can be pretty frustrating.

On the other hand, though, we found the motion sensor’s 90-degree field of view a bit limited. You have to be very specific in where you place the sensor to get the most value out of it. In our experience, the best placement for the sensor is in the far-side corner of a room so it can quickly catch when someone walks in and to eliminate large blind spots.

FYI: We placed motion sensors in corners to get maximum range.

On the bright side, the motion sensor has a 30-foot range, meaning it can monitor long hallways and large rooms. We placed one of the sensors at the far-end of the second-floor hallway leading to our bedrooms, and as soon as anyone reached the top of the stairs, we got notified.

Glass Break Sensors

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Largely self-explanatory, the glass break sensors would have been very useful if an intruder decided to break a window instead of open it.

They worked on sliding glass doors, as well, but don’t worry, these large-ish sensors don’t need to be placed on the glass door itself. Just place it near glass doors and windows, and it will pick up the sound of breaking glass. We didn’t actually break any glass windows to test the sensor out, but we did play a sound of glass breaking and found that the glass break sensor responded as we expected.

We recommend getting glass break sensors if you have rooms with multiple glass windows. That way, the glass sensor can monitor an entire room without much help from other sensors. It also makes sense to get the glass break sensor if you have large glass doors, because again, some burglars might find it easier to break a glass door to gain entry than tamper with a door lock.

Indoor Camera

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SimpliSafe offers two indoor camera options, the simpler SimpliCam and the newer and more advanced Smart Alarm. We tested the former, as you can see from our SimpliCam review, and we were greatly impressed by this nifty plug-in device. We didn’t need to do much to set it up, and we liked its privacy features like the stainless steel privacy shutter that physically covered the camera’s lens whenever we wanted some privacy. It’s an indoor camera, after all, so we can’t risk any form of spying.

The newer Smart Alarm camera, however, seems to go the other way in terms of privacy. You’ll see why in a moment, but first, let’s talk about its features.

The Smart Alarm camera is pretty impressive (especially for a wired cam), with its 1560p HD resolution and a built-in siren. We’re not so thrilled about the camera’s design though. We find it bulky and boxy, not really something we want in an indoor camera. However, it does offer unique features that may make you want to add it to your SimpliSafe system.

The Smart Alarm camera has a smart motion sensor that can distinguish human-triggered motion events. When it does detect a person in the vicinity, it will alert SimpliSafe’s monitoring center, provided that you’re on the Fast Protect plan. From there, a live agent will access your live feed temporarily, and if there is an intruder, they’ll use two-way talk to tell the intruder to scram.

Of course, an indoor camera that can be accessed remotely by live agents is a cause for privacy concerns. For your protection, the camera has a privacy shutter much like the SimpliCam. Additionally, you can edit the settings to customize when you want it to send alert signals and live feeds to the monitoring center. And if you’re truly not comfortable having monitored cameras inside your home, continue reading. SimpliSafe has an exciting new feature for its outdoor camera that will bring live camera monitoring outdoors.

Pro Tip: We made sure to test out each of the systems’ components after we installed them to ensure that they connected with the app properly.

SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera

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The outdoor camera from SimpliSafe is actually a battery-powered camera similar to the Arlo Pro 3 we tested. It doesn’t work without a SimpliSafe system, so if you’re looking for just an outdoor camera and nothing else, check out Arlo’s lineup. The SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Pro is reserved for those who want a SimpliSafe system in their home with an outdoor camera they can integrate.

Feature-wise, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Pro features just enough specs and functions to be called a decent camera. It has a 1080p resolution with a 140-degree viewing angle, color night vision, and a motion-activated spotlight, plus at $169, it’s a well-priced, good value find.

Unlike a Ring or Nest cam, however, the SimpliSafe outdoor camera doesn’t work as a standalone camera. The camera will only record video and connect the camera to your home Wi-Fi if you pair it with a SimpliSafe system. Also, the outdoor camera has no local storage, but you can store video in the cloud from up to five cameras for $9.99 a month, which is about average as far as camera subscriptions go.

The SimpliSafe outdoor camera is wire-free, so you can install it without worrying about proximity to power outlets (though you do have to consider proximity to the SimpliSafe base station). The camera costs $169.99.

One word of warning is that the camera is rated IP65 for dust and water droplet protection, but it’s not designed for temperatures below -20 degrees Fahrenheit. Those in super-cold climates might want to take note. Overall, this is a good camera, but since it’s so new, it’s too soon to tell whether it’ll make our list of the best outdoor security cameras.

  • Video: At 1080p HD, the video quality on the SimpliSafe outdoor camera was better than the SimpliCam, and it had the added bonus of 8x digital zoom. 1080p is the current industry standard, and for outdoor video recording, it helps with capturing finer details like an intruder’s face or a critter in your garden. The outdoor camera had a wider field of view than the SimpliCam, which we also appreciated.Not up to par with cameras that already employed a 4K display like the Arlo Ultra, which has twice as many pixels as 1080p HD, SimpliSafe’s video quality was much better than many cameras that still only produced 720p. We were able to watch Gabe throughout the day without any problem, so although it wasn’t the best video on the market, it certainly got the job done.
  • Audio: We loved using the camera’s speaker and microphone to talk to people remotely. We just pulled out our SimpliSafe app and spoke to them directly.
  • Night vision:Overall, we’d say that we were impressed by the SimpliCam’s infrared night vision. We got a pretty clear picture of Gabe with absolutely no light entering our windowless room. We knew some cameras like Ring Spotlight Cam Battery offered both color night vision through a bright white light combined with infrared night vision. We preferred the SimpliSafe’s infrared night vision on its own because it was more inconspicuous. Gabe may have known about the camera as he tested it with us, but an intruder would not.
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  • Storage: We prefer to back our footage up in two ways: locally, on a micro-SD card or hard drive, and through cloud storage, as a secondary backup. While the SimpliCam and the SimpliSafe outdoor camera lacked local storage of any kind, cloud storage was available either on its own or lumped with professional monitoring.
  • Artificial intelligence: Here comes the fun part – in a recent press release, SimpliSafe announced that it will be bringing live video monitoring to its outdoor cameras. And for that to work, the cameras have been updated to include artificial intelligence, which they will use to detect when a person approaches and to determine if the person is a member of the house. It will most likely use facial recognition.
  • Live video and audio monitoring: If the camera detects a stranger approaching your house, it will activate its link to the monitoring center. That gives monitoring agents the ability to see and speak with the trespasser. It works similarly to the app’s two-way voice function, but instead of having you talk down the intruder, the monitoring center will do that for you. You’d need the Fast Protect plan for this, and for now, it seems that only select early access users can use this feature. But we’re certainly looking forward to it being added to all SimpliSafe users.

Panic Button

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SimpliSafe’s panic button enabled us to contact emergency services with just the click of a button. If we couldn’t reach our alarm or call 911, we weren’t left to deal with a tricky or dangerous situation on our own. Instead, we could simply reach for our panic button.

Once we pressed the button, the system alerted SimpliSafe’s monitoring center, and the center turned our alarm on. In the end, the panic button had the potential to get us help just as quickly, if not sooner, than calling 911.

Key fobs

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Another backup option was the key fobs, which combined the panic button and the keypad. The panic button and keypad allowed us to arm and disarm our system, minus the passcode, of course. We found that the fob came in handy particularly when we were on a different floor of our home from the keypad.

The key fobs are slim and easy to carry around. We attached one to our car keys, and we found it great for arming and disarming the system as we enter or leave the house. It may also work as a necklace pendant, especially if you’re living with an aging loved one who might someday need convenient access to emergency help. It works anywhere within 30 feet of the base station.

Siren

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The SimpliSafe siren made it a great security system for larger homes.

The auxiliary siren was a good way to make sure we heard our alarm if it went off. In terms of decibels, it sat at 105, meaning it was as loud as a table saw. Its water resistance meant we could use it outside. When it went off, the entire neighborhood could hear!

We used the siren upstairs and found that it was a great way to stay connected to the base station and main parts of the larger security system while we were a floor away.

SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro

A front door find, the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro sent us notifications about visitors, let us view them over live stream, and allowed us to speak to them through two-way audio.

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To use SimpliSafe’s Video Doorbell camera, we needed to have an existing doorbell setup, so it was fortunate that we did. After hardwiring it into our home, we took a closer look at its performance.

  • Video: We were very impressed with the Doorbell Pro’s video. Not only did it have a 1080p HD display with a 162-degree field of view, but it also had HDR, which helped limit distortion from outdoor light. You can see below that even though it was bright outside when we took the photo, even the shadowy areas remained clear.
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  • Audio: A standard feature of all video doorbells, the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro had two-way audio, so we got to have conversations with our guests remotely. This really came in handy in preventing package theft when we needed to give instructions to delivery people.
  • Night vision: We appreciated the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro’s infrared night vision, which allowed us to see clearly at night. It used infrared night vision, and although it turned the videos into black-and-white, it resulted in clearer imagery that allowed us to see fine details like the plate numbers of cars passing by.
  • Storage: Storage options with the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro were essentially the same as they were for SimpliCam, $9.99 a month for unlimited recording on five cameras, or $29.99 a month for unlimited recording on 10 cameras as part of a professional monitoring plan.
  • Artificial intelligence: Like the SimpliCam, the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro had person detection, which was really helpful for a camera facing the street. We weren’t notified about every car that passed, just human visitors. We had fewer false notifications with the Video Doorbell Pro than with the SimpliCam, too, which made staying on top of our visitors much easier.

All in all, we were very pleased with the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro, and it was very reasonably priced at $169.

Simplisafe also offered environmental monitoring, such as smoke detectors and CO detectors, freeze and water sensors, and a smart lock. We controlled all of these items remotely through the SimpliSafe app. When we used the Standard Plan or Fast Protect Plan, our system notified us of any activity.

How Well It Worked

SimpliSafe was one of the easiest systems for us to get up and running for daily use, even as we added various new components like the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro. Nearly everything was wireless and connected with the base station, which conveyed information by speaking out loud, sending notifications to our app, and even changing the color of the LED strip at its base.

Once we’d installed the system, the firmware updates were automatic, so it didn’t require any maintenance post-installation. We were so impressed with SimpliSafe, we added it to our best home security system roundup.

One thing that really impressed us was the overall user experience. We recommend SimpliSafe if you want a straightforward system with an almost non-existent learning curve. It’s also perfect if you’re living with seniors who may not be comfortable with touchscreen control panels or overly advanced home security technology.

Just take the arming and disarming process, for instance. You can arm the system with just a couple of button presses on the keypad, and then disarm it by entering a passcode through the physical number pad. So really, one just has to remember the passcode to use SimpliSafe. Using the smartphone app is completely optional.

And then, there are the remote control devices like the panic button and key fob. With one press of a button, you can call for help, arm the sensors, or turn off the system. Overall, the name SimpliSafe aptly describes the security system.

Smart Home Features

Although it’s simple, SimpliSafe was no old-school alarm system. It was smart and connected to both the internet and voice assistants, such as Alexa and Google Assistant.

We enjoyed using the voice assistants to control SimpliSafe. We were impressed that we could use just a brief statement to Alexa and set our system in the home or away mode. Likewise, we used our voices to check the system’s status and to arm and disarm it.

As far as smart home compatibility goes, however, SimpliSafe is a long shot away from Vivint, one of the best smart home security systems. Vivint can integrate with dozens of other brands from Nest thermostats to Philips Hue smart lights. It can even pair with Zigbee and Z-Wave. SimpliSafe offers none of that. It used to be compatible with Nest and August (smart locks), but that’s no longer the case today.

Still, you can make a lot of smart home integrations using Alexa or Google Assistant. SimpliSafe won’t be at the center, but it will at least work with third-party devices. For example, you can set up an Alexa routine that arms your system at a certain time at night, or disarm the system and turn off your smart lights when you say “Good morning” to Alexa.

Monthly Costs

When we purchased our SimpliSafe system, we wanted to see what it was like to use it without paying any additional monthly fees. We found that it was pretty robust. Comparing SimpliSafe with Ring Alarm, for instance, we found the two were quite similar. Like Ring Alarm’s free plan, we were able to control our system remotely and receive notifications. We also got full smart platform integration plus a seven day history timeline, compared to Ring’s 60 days of cloud storage.

With SimpliSafe, we splurged for the Fast Protect Plan, which was the “whole enchilada”: 24/7 professional monitoring, Smart Alarm camera live guard, video verification, cellular backup, remote control, notifications, smart platform integrations, and more.

Pro Tip: Social media posting mistake #1: Uploading vacation pics before you’re back home. With SimpliSafe professional monitoring, though, you can rest easy knowing trained operators are watching over your home while you’re out there sipping co*cktails by the beach.

FeaturesFree planSelf-monitoring with five camera recordingStandard Monitoring planFast Protect Monitoring Plan
Live-streamingYesYesYesYes
24/7 professional monitoringNoNoYesYes
Fast Protect™ TechnologyNoNoNoYes
Cellular connectionNoNoYesYes
Environmental monitoringNoNoYesYes
Remote controlYesYesYesYes
NotificationsYesYesYesYes
Secret alarmsNoNoNoYes
Video verified alarmsNoNoNoYes
Unlimited cloud storageNo5 camerasNo10 cameras
Smart home integrationsNoYesNoYes
Monthly price$0.00$9.99$19.99$29.99

We thought the Fast Protect Plan was well worth its $29.99 per month price. Plus, we could pay for a single month, so we didn’t have to make any long-term commitment, which was great for renters like us (or commitment-phobes).

Find more pricing details on theSimpliSafe price overview page.

Did You Know? SimpliSafe offers a wide range of plans: recording plans with no monitoring, monitoring plans with no recording, the Fast Protect Plan that features both, and a free plan that has neither.

Fast Protect™ Technology

In line with SimpliSafe’s monitoring plans, here’s one feature that SimpliSafe is focusing on developing right now and is a feature exclusively available to Fast Protect plan users.

Fast Protect™ aims to speed up and streamline SimpliSafe’s process of responding to alarms, while also keeping false alarms to a minimum. To do that, it incorporates several features, including video verification, alert texts, and critical alarms.

  • Video verification: If you have security cameras, SimpliSafe’s monitoring agent will access its livestream briefly after an alarm is received to verify the incident. This process also helps speed up police response, as verified alarms are prioritized over tripped systems that could turn out to be false alarms.
  • Live Guard: As discussed above, SimpliSafe can monitor live feeds from the Smart Alarm indoor cameras and outdoor cameras when they detect human-triggered motion events.
  • Alert texts: In addition to calling the homeowner, SimpliSafe will notify them through an instant text. The homeowner can then respond to the text to confirm or cancel the alarm. This feature is dual-purpose. In case of real security incidents, alert texts give users a more efficient way to confirm alarms than through a phone call. In case of false alarms, it lets users quickly cancel the alarm without having to talk to a monitoring agent.
  • Critical alarms: This feature is optional, but when turned on, this lets the SimpliSafe app bypass silent and Do Not Disturb modes so critical alerts can still go through. This ensures that the homeowner never misses an alarm. This is one of many reasons why we deemed SimpliSafe as one of the best home security systems for the deaf.

Again, Fast Protect™ is an exclusive feature of the Fast Protect plan, so a $29.99 monthly payment is necessary to enjoy its benefits.

System Installation

SimpliSafe is perhaps best known for its DIY qualities. You can get it up and running yourself, without help from professionals. As a matter of fact, it’s one of our favorite DIY security systems. So how hard was it to install?

Installing SimpliSafe wasn’t difficult at all. We started with the base station. We plugged it in, turned on the wireless keypad, and waited for the two to connect. We also downloaded the SimpliSafe app to create an account with a Master PIN. The rest of the process – connecting the sensors, activating the monitoring service, testing and naming our devices – was guided by the same app. All in all, it took us less than an hour to set up everything, including the wired SimpliSafe video doorbell mentioned earlier.

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That said, if you’re not up to install SimpliSafe on your own, you could get professional installation services for a fee starting at $125 per month. The price scales with the number of devices in your home.

>> Also See: The Best Professionally Installed Systems

The SimpliSafe App

The SimpliSafe app, which worked with every plan including the free plan, was where we armed and disarmed the system, live-streamed footage, and got alerts. The self-monitored camera plan and the Fast Protect plan also let us view our recordings and set up smart platform integrations.

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The app had awesome ratings, a 4.8 for iOS1 and a 4.5 for Android2, and we definitely agreed with the ratings. It was easy to stay on top of our home using SimpliSafe’s app.

Customer Service

SimpliSafe had a few options for reaching customer support, including a phone line, user forum, and email address. A few user manuals were available online, as well. Support was available via phone and email every day from 9 AM until midnight, EST.

We reached out to customer support via both phone and email. For the most part, we felt SimpiSafe’s email customer support was timely in response. Once, they responded within the same day. Another time, it took a day to respond, and once it took five days, so the average stood at two days, which was not bad.

However, for the fastest support, we had to call SimpliSafe directly. That considered, the email responses we received were very friendly and thorough, so, overall, we had a good experience with SimpliSafe’s customer support team.

Can Other Systems Compare to SimpliSafe?

Overall, we see a simple, user-friendly, and reliable security system in SimpliSafe; but to paint an even clearer picture for you, let’s compare how SimpliSafe protects your home versus how other security systems do it.

ADT is currently the highest-rated home security system on our website, and rightly so, because it offers a wide range of high-quality equipment, professional service in terms of installation, and state-of-the-art monitoring service. Compared to SimpliSafe, ADT’s advantage is that it offers more – more equipment options, more monitoring options, and more features.

SimpliSafe, however, is a more straightforward option than ADT. You can buy your system online, install it yourself, and choose whether to self-monitor or get professional monitoring. Although it lacks the capabilities to match ADT’s smart home prowess, SimpliSafe is a solid and reliable home security option.

Another advantage of SimpliSafe is the price. Both the equipment and the monitoring service are affordable, a stark difference compared to a system like Vivint, another top option. You can get started with about $200 worth of SimpliSafe equipment (as opposed to $800 with Vivint), and a monitoring plan for as low as $19.99 per month. Vivint charges about $39 monthly.

All things considered, we rank SimpliSafe in the top 3.

  1. ADT: Affordable equipment and monitoring, strong smart home capabilities, and top-quality services and products
  2. SimpliSafe: More practical and affordable home security, with reliable and straightforward features and services
  3. Vivint: Top-quality smart home security system, but can pricey for average homeowners

Find out if SimpliSafe can protect your home like other home security systems

It’s good to have options. See how SimpliSafe compares to these top home security system picks.

  • SimpliSafe vs. Blink: Comparing Two Contract-Free Security Systems
  • SimpliSafe vs Vivint
  • SimpliSafe vs Frontpoint Comparison
  • SimpliSafe vs Arlo Comparison
  • SimpliSafe vs Abode Comparison

Our SimpliSafe Research and Data

The following is the data and research conducted for this review by our industry-experts. Learn More.

Encryption

In TransitYes
At rest?Yes
All network communications and capabilities?Yes

Security Updates

Automatic, regular software/ firmware updates?Yes
Product available to use during updates?Yes

Passwords

Mandatory password?Yes
Two-Factor authentication?Yes
Multi-Factor authentication?Yes

Vulnerability Management

Point of contact for reporting vulnerabilities?security@simplisafe.com
Bug bounty program?Yes

Privacy Policy

Linkhttps://simplisafe.com/privacy-policy
Specific to device?No
Readable?Yes
What data they logName, address, email address, telephone number, location, demographic information, payment information, how many children and adults living where alarm is installed, if location is a business, home or apartment, emergency contacts, IP address, browser type, computer or device type (brand name, model name), operating system, internet service provider
What data they don’t logn/a
Can you delete your data?No
Third-party sharing policiesShares information with third parties.

Surveillance

Log camera device/ app footageYes
Log microphone device/ appYes
Location tracking device/ appYes

Parental Controls

Are there parental controls?Yes

Company History

Any security breaches/ surveillance issues in past?Yes
Did they do anything to fix it?Yes

Additional Security Features

Anything like privacy shutters, privacy zones, etc.?Yes, SimpliSafe’s indoor camera and video doorbell provide an LED light indicator whenever they are recording or being viewed live. The indoor camera also features a visible stainless steel privacy shutter that audibly clicks open when recording and audibly clicks closed when not recording.

Recap

Of course, as with any security system, SimpliSafe isn’t for everyone.

Who We Recommend SimpliSafe For…
  • Anyone that needed a professional monitoring service and cellular backup: SimpliSafe monitoring was available for as little as $19.99 per month, and offered protection for a reasonable price.
  • Someone that wanted DIY installation or professional installation: No matter which option we chose, installing our system was something that anyone could have done easily or affordably.
  • A user in the Google or Amazon smart home ecosystem: SimpliSafe worked with Alexa and Google Assistant as well as Nest thermostats and August smart locks.
Who We Don’t Recommend SimpliSafe For…
  • Someone in an especially cold climate: SimpliSafe now offers an outdoor camera. However, that camera only works in temperatures down to 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Anyone that wanted a security camera with facial recognition: The SimpliCam was a fine camera in terms of video, audio and night vision. It even featured person detection. However, it lacked facial recognition.

SimpliSafe was an affordable security system that worked well, but not all of its parts were created equal. We were a bit disappointed with the lack of facial recognition in the SimpliCam. As we mention in our guide to the best security cameras with artificial intelligence, that’s becoming a common feature among security cameras.

While other companies had more advanced cameras, SimpliSafe did a good job in terms of its other components, flexible monitoring options, and easy DIY installation. Overall, SimpliSafe certainly proved trustworthy and made staying on top of our home’s security a breeze.

SimpliSafe had a number of packages and customizations available, as well as deals. Right now, in fact, there’s a discount deal on SimpliSafe’s website. Explore this and other SimpliSafe Prime Day deals, SimpliSafe Black Friday deals, or just general SimpliSafe discounts. Or, learn more in our SimpliSafe FAQs.

SimpliSafe FAQs

  • Was SimpliSafe any good?

    SimpliSafe is good. It’s one of our top-rated security systems, with affordable and flexible professional monitoring, awesome smart platform integrations, and impressive customer support and system components.

  • Was SimpliSafe better than ADT?

    SimpliSafe was better than ADT when it came to installation, customer support, and pricing, but ADT had SimpliSafe beat in terms of its mobile app and variety of system components.

  • How much did SimpliSafe cost per month?

    Simplisafe offers a free plan, but that plan doesn’t include video storage or professional monitoring. To record video, SimpliSafe charges $9.99 per month to store footage from up to five cameras. For professional monitoring, SimpliSafe charges $19.99 or $29.99 per month. The latter, the Interactive Plan, comes with environmental and professional monitoring, plus cellular backup, remote control, notifications, cloud storage, and other features.

    PlansFree planStorage for up to 5 camerasStandard Plan (monitoring without storage)Interactive Plan (monitoring and storage)
    Monthly priceFree$9.99$19.99$29.99
  • Did SimpliSafe offer professional monitoring?

    SimpliSafe offers professional monitoring. For $19.99 a month, the Standard Plan provides 24/7 professional monitoring, cellular backup, environmental monitoring, remote control, and notifications. However, you don’t get any video storage. For $29.99, you get all the perks of the Standard Plan plus secret alarms, video verified alarms, unlimited cloud storage for up to ten cameras, and smart platform integration.

SimpliSafe Security Review 2024 | Security.org (2024)
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