Cove vs Simplisafe

SimpliSafe comes out ahead of Cove for its equipment selection, including a smart lock and video doorbell you won't find with Cove. But, if you look beyond the equipment, both brands seem like clones. Read our comparison to see why we chose SimpliSafe.

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If you value having the convenience of a smart lock and doorbell camera, SimpliSafe is a better wireless security system than Cove. Read more about why we love SimpliSafe in our full SimpliSafe review.

Cove excels with its monitoring. Still, its equipment selection lags behind SimpliSafe's. Learn more about Cove's unique monitoring features in our full Cove review.

It's uncanny how similar Cove and SimpliSafe are—right down to pricing, policies, and smart home support.

• Equipment prices: Most of the core alarm system equipment (motion sensor, entry sensor, glass break sensor) costs the same amount.
• DIY installation: The companies pre-program your equipment before shipping to make the installation process easier on your end.
• 60-day money-back guarantee: You can receive a full refund if you cancel your service and return your equipment within two months of purchase.
• Basic smart home support: SimpliSafe and Cove each work with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant^†, and August smart locks. This is sufficient for most folks, but DIY systems with Z-Wave support like Abode and Ring Alarm are much more flexible for adding new home automation devices.
• RapidSOS: Cove and SimpliSafe use RapidSOS. Unlike monitoring centers relaying information to emergency responders over the phone, RapidSOS shares vital information (location info, medical needs) directly with 911 dispatchers' computers. This speeds up communications and makes it easier to send an appropriate response to your home.

Even in their differences, Cove and SimpliSafe are still quite similar:

• Monitoring prices: SimpliSafe and Cove each charge under $20 for one of their plans, but that's the only similarity. SimpliSafe has four different monitoring plans while Cove just has two. 
• Contracts: While both security providers offer no-contract options, Cove also offers an optional contract so you can spread out your equipment costs over three years. SimpliSafe offers equipment financing through Affirm.
• Cameras: There is the SimpliSafe doorbell camera, SimpliSafe outdoor camera, and an indoor security camera that work independently of a SimpliSafe system (with affordable cloud storage to match). Cove sells an indoor camera, a battery-powered outdoor security camera, and a video doorbell. But the main difference here is that Cove's cameras don't work without a Cove Plus monitoring plan.
• Customer service: While SimpliSafe's customer service is no slouch, Cove has a much more positive customer experience, based on online reviews we found during our research.
• Equipment selection: SimpliSafe's smoke alarm doesn't have a built-in carbon monoxide detector like Cove's. (But you can buy a separate CO detector for your SimpliSafe system.) Similarly, Cove doesn't sell a temperature sensor or extra siren, as SimpliSafe does.

SimpliSafe normally wins high marks for its hallmark traits that compete well against big names like Vivint and Frontpoint: affordable equipment and a 60-day money-back guarantee. But, against Cove, SimpliSafe tastes like a different flavor of vanilla—one that has a smart lock and equipment bundles.

SimpliSafe has a slight edge on equipment costs—its keypad and base station cost around $66 less than the equivalent from Cove. Additionally, SimpliSafe sells a temperature sensor, SimpliSafe Smart Lock, and siren—three pieces of equipment Cove doesn't have. But SimpliSafe's equipment costs and overall selection are nearly identical to Cove's, and Cove often runs sales that significantly lower its equipment costs.

We're big fans of SimpliSafe's online shop that offers both pre-made equipment packages and a build-your-own system option. Although we prefer the option to customize your system, the equipment packages are helpful for those of us who have trouble deciding which equipment to buy for our homes.

Cove used to have an edge over SimpliSafe by offering equipment financing, but SimpliSafe recently partnered with Affirm to offer the same perk. With Affirm, you can choose how slow or fast you want to pay off the equipment, whereas Cove offers equipment financing through a three-year contract only. Now SimpliSafe has the upper hand. 

SimpliSafe offers more favorable warranty terms: three years of coverage versus one year for lower-priced plans. This makes SimpliSafe the better option for protecting your equipment without mobile app controls.

For a while, Cove's RapidSOS monitoring changed things. Now, though, SimpliSafe has this service, evening up the playing field. SimpliSafe stands out in the monitoring experience, though.

The biggest difference in the Cove security system is a sleek touchscreen control panel that gives you a better monitoring experience than SimpliSafe's keypad. The large screen is great for folks that might have trouble reading a smaller print, though it doesn't have tactile buttons that are easier to use without looking at the screen.

We also like Cove's wire-free outdoor security camera, which uses rechargeable batteries for maximum installation flexibility. Recharging the batteries every few months may be a chore, but it's regularly more affordable than SimpliSafe's outdoor security camera.

Cove Smart also sells a combined smoke and carbon monoxide detector. It's almost twice as expensive as SimpliSafe's smoke detector, but the ability to spot CO gases justifies the higher price. (You save $25 compared to buying SimpliSafe's separate smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.)

Still, it's a bummer that Cove lacks a smart lock. Although Cove has an optional contract, it covers only the equipment costs and doesn't require payment of any monitoring fees when you cancel.

While the warranty on Cove's cheaper plan doesn't compete with SimpliSafe, it ups the ante with a lifetime warranty when you upgrade to the $24.99 monthly plan. This means that you can replace defective equipment after three years (as long as you properly maintain it before it breaks). SimpliSafe's plan with a lifetime warranty is a little more expensive.

While there are advantages specific to each DIY security system, SimpliSafe wins thanks to its equipment selection.

• Winner: SimpliSafe has great equipment that's just a touch more tempting than Cove's.
• Second place: Cove has innovative monitoring tools and a lifetime warranty on its top-tier plan.

Otherwise, these systems are way too similar to recommend one over the other for core features and costs.

When we compare two brands, it's usually an exercise in pricing, contracts, equipment selection, and testing experiences. But we found so many similarities between Cove and SimpliSafe that we couldn't make an easy decision on that information alone.

Other than the simple bulleted list above, we ignored most of the similarities to zero in on the few differences between the brands. Check out our methodology to learn more about how we test and review products.

• SimpliSafe Home Security Review
• SimpliSafe FAQ
• Cove Home Security System Review
• Cove FAQ
• Best DIY Home Security Systems