SimpliSafe Equipment Compatibility: How Does It Work?

SimpliSafe consistently ranks highly among our top home security systems thanks to affordable monitoring and no contracts. It also sports a huge selection of proprietary security devices compared to DIY competitors like Google Nest Secure^† and Ring Alarm.

Unfortunately, that selection doesn't apply to SimpliSafe's smart home compatibility with third-party brands. The brand integrates with Alexa, Google, and August, but that’s about it.

Here's a quick breakdown of the equipment that works with the SimpliSafe security system. For more information about SimpliSafe as a whole, including professional monitoring, pricing, equipment, and customer service, check out our full SimpliSafe review.

Every SimpliSafe starter kit comes with four essential components: a base station, keypad, motion detector, and entry sensor. Without all four devices, your system isn’t fully set to detect when intruders enter your home. Everyone with a security system should build on this foundation.

Although you'll find the same base equipment in every SimpliSafe system, the add-ons depend on the starter kit you choose or how you customize your system. All of these devices tie into the SimpliSafe alarm system to trigger alarms or change system arming status.

None of these add-ons are strictly necessary for a functional security system, but they can bump your security up to the next level, depending on your needs.

SimpliSafe pours a lot of money into proprietary add-ons for its system, similar to Vivint's professional system. This isn't common among DIY security systems, which often have fewer sensors overall or rely on third-party equipment to fill the gap.

By creating its own devices, SimpliSafe can reduce costs and control the quality of the products, but has almost no flexibility to work with third-party brands.

Here are the possible add-ons for SimpliSafe security systems:

You might buy a key fob or panic button for easier system controls, while a siren can help scare away intruders. Or maybe you want to spot environmental hazards like flooding, freezing, smoke, and carbon monoxide.

Glass break sensors fill a gap between motion detectors and entry sensors since you might have motion detectors in main areas of your home but not bedrooms.

While most SimpliSafe equipment works as part of the security system, its two camera products work without it. These two devices are a great jumping-off point if you want to try SimpliSafe gear but don't want to commit to a full-blown security system.

We appreciate that SimpliSafe supports third-party smart home devices in the first place, but it's far less communicative than competitors like ADT and Vivint. Most of this comes down to SimpliSafe's meager home automation offerings: no smart lights, plugs, or thermostats.

SimpliSafe boasts smart home compatibility with three popular platforms: Alexa, Google, and August. While Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant offer limited control of SimpliSafe security systems, you can control August smart locks as part of your system.

The Alexa and Google commands are pretty limited with just two options: arming the security system and checking system status. Citing better security as a goal, SimpliSafe won't disarm using a voice assistant, making it less useful than ADT's option to disarm with a spoken code.

• SimpliSafe Home Security Review
• SimpliSafe FAQs
• How to Install a SimpliSafe Home Security System
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