SimpliSafe Home Security Review 2025

The SafeWise team, including myself, has installed and tested SimpliSafe multiple times over the years (including 2025) and have always been impressed by its easy DIY setup, uncomplicated app, and commitment to lightning-fast professional response times. Active Guard monitoring—both inside and outside your home—delivers those responses in real-time, warning off suspicious characters while dispatching police.

That said, I'll be honest about SimpliSafe's shortcomings in this review. The big thing to be aware of is that SimpliSafe isn't designed to be part of a smart home ecosystem. SimpliSafe is all-in on protecting your home, so home automation takes a back seat. If you've gotta have the latest and greatest tech, you might outgrow SimpliSafe before you know it. 

If you want an easy-to-use system with no contracts and the most proactive monitoring in the business, then SimpliSafe is for you. It's one of the only companies on our top-rated security systems list that gives you the freedom to start and stop professional monitoring, allowing you to switch to a self-monitoring plan with no monthly fees after your first month.

SimpliSafe's equipment packages start at around $280 and usually include a free indoor camera. We tallied up the costs of the same equipment from other DIY security companies and found that SimpliSafe has some of the best prices, beaten out only by Cove and Wyze. For more details, check out our full article on how much SimpliSafe costs.

Even if you select tons of equipment and rack up an impressive total, you don't have to shell out all that money at once—SimpliSafe finally offers equipment financing through Affirm.

As for monthly monitoring payments, using your SimpliSafe system costs between $0 and $80 per month. Most impressive, its top-tier plan includes 24/7 Active Guard monitoring outside your home for just around $80 per month—that's as much as some other systems charge, and they don't have trained monitors interacting with bad actors while calling for help in real-time.

SimpliSafe’s 24/7 professional monitoring is optional, and you can add, cancel, upgrade, or downgrade your monitoring service plan at any time without any extra fees. Plus, you get 30 days to try out SimpliSafe's monitoring to see if you think it's worth the money.

Want to learn more? Read more about home security systems in our essential guide, or jump down to the equipment packages comparison table.

As far as professional monitoring for SimpliSafe goes, we recommend the Pro and Pro Plus plans for a few reasons. The biggest reason is that these plans give you SimpliSafe’s Active Guard Outdoor Protection. This new outdoor security feature helps prevent crime before it even happens by essentially offering you your own security guards. The Pro Plus plan offers full 24/7 coverage, and the Pro plan covers your home overnight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.

To get started, all you need is at least one Outdoor Camera Series 2. Once set up, you can also connect your Video Doorbell Pro to watch for any unusual activity. SimpliSafe's advanced AI service supports up to three cameras to keep an eye on your property.

When you arm your system in home or away mode, your outdoor cameras go on alert. SimpliSafe’s specially trained professional monitoring team gets notified immediately if the cameras detect a potential threat. From there, agents can:

• View a live feed and talk to the person outside through two-way audio
• Trigger the camera’s siren and spotlight to help scare off intruders
• Record video as evidence
• Communicate with emergency dispatch to get help

Although these plans cost more per month than SimpliSafe's other plans, Pro and Pro Plus are still cheaper than similar security guard-style plans such as Deep Sentinel. Plus, SimpliSafe's top-tier plans include a lifetime warranty and a 10% discount on all accessory purchases. (Core also has this discount and warranty, but no guard protection.)

SimpliSafe consistently ranks high on our list of the best home security systems. It's tough to beat an easy-to-use and affordable security system with generous customer policies. Plus, SimpliSafe has proven that its top priority is protecting your home and family. It skips some of the bells and whistles, like whole home automation, that you get with companies like Vivint or ADT to focus on security.

We recently met with SimpliSafe's CEO and top product and technology officers and were impressed by their commitment to security first—followed closely by concern for the customer's experience and bank account. SimpliSafe wants to help keep you safe and they don't want the best home security to be out of reach for regular people who need to balance the costs of essentials like groceries and daycare with affording to protect their home.

The big thing to remember when considering SimpliSafe vs. the competition is that SimpliSafe is simple. And that's definitely by choice, since SimpliSafe wants to keep everything low-cost and effortless to install, use, and troubleshoot.

So while you can't connect a ton of different third-party gadgets, SimpliSafe arms your home with sensors galore, offers renter-friendly security, supports self-monitoring, and doesn't punish you with iron-clad contracts and cancellation fees. In fact, SimpliSafe confidence that its customers will stick around without a contract is well-founded. The company told us the average customer keeps SimpliSafe on the job for 10 years. That tenure beats what we've heard from other companies whose customers stick around for five to seven years on average.

While we're talking about the competition, we want to point out that SimpliSafe has a few features that are hard to find elsewhere.

Active Guard monitoring: We can't say enough about this real-time "security guard" feature. SimpliSafe trains all of its monitors and runs its own monitoring center to ensure that its live guard protection delivers the most proactive intruder deterrence in the industry.

Video alarm verification: Available only to Core, Pro and Pro Plus subscribers, this allows SimpliSafe's professional monitors to view brief clips from your security cameras to understand what's going on. It helps them confirm the alarm and dispatch the best emergency services.

Only ADT offers the same type of video verification service, but for twice the monthly rate of SimpliSafe. 

Extra technology: SimpliSafe has two extra monitoring updates to improve emergency dispatch time. Text-based alarms let you quickly cancel a false alarm or confirm an emergency, and the optional critical alarm notifications by-pass your phone's Do Not Disturb or silent settings during an alarm event. 

Small-batch pro monitoring: Although they don't advertise it, we have the inside scoop straight from SimpliSafe. You can buy 30 days of pro monitoring through SimpliSafe and decide exactly when to use them. It could be only for the weekdays, weekends, or when you're on vacation.

The only other home security company that sells its pro-monitoring services in small batches is Abode.

If you've made it this far and know you need more than what SimpliSafe has to offer, check out our roundup of alternatives to SimpliSafe or our one-on-one brand comparisons:

SimpliSafe breaks from security system tradition and skips the contracts. There's no hefty cancellation fee chaining you to a system you don't like.

You also aren't tied to a monthly payment—and you can activate the professional monitoring service only when you need it. If you want extra protection when you’re on vacation, you can add monitoring for that month and then cancel and go to unmonitored when you return with no penalties or hassle.

You have two months to try out SimpliSafe and decide if you like it. That's one of the longest trial periods in the home security industry, matched by Cove and outdone only by ADT's incredible 6-month money-back guarantee.

Start your countdown from the minute you complete your order—the 60-day money-back period starts from the day you order, not the day you receive the system.

If you decide that SimpliSafe isn’t the right fit, you can send it back in that 60-day window, and the company will process a full refund and cover the cost of return shipping.

Learn more about how to cancel SimpliSafe.

I found that using the keypad to name devices or enter your Wi-Fi password during setup is a bit like texting on an old flip phone—you may have to hit each button multiple times to select the right letter. Navigating through the menu isn't super intuitive either since you have to press down on either side of the screen to move forward or back.

Despite the slight learning curve, this keypad gets the job done and works as expected when used to arm and disarm the system. I liked that the keypad buttons were big and easy to see, even in low light. 

Luckily, you can do anything that needs to be done with the keypad through the app. So, if it annoys you, you're not stuck with using it.

In the past the base station met all of our expectations except one, and it's a doozy: the siren was quiet. In my latest test, I found that this problem has been totally remedied. When I forgot to disarm the system, the alarm went off at an ear-piercing loudness all throughout the house. My husband is legally deaf in one ear, and it still seemed almost painfully loud to him, and he was on the other side of the house.

If you need more volume, though, SimpliSafe sells an auxiliary siren that can be used outside.

SimpliSafe sells an indoor camera, two outdoor cameras, and a video doorbell camera. They work okay. (Yes, that's pretty much all the enthusiasm I can muster for these cameras.)

First-time home security buyers will love the audio and video quality of SimpliSafe's cameras. More tech-savvy buyers might be disappointed by the cameras' lack of customization. For example, you can't set up privacy areas where the camera can't view (like your hot tub) like you can with other security cameras like Ring. You also can't adjust the motion detection sensitivity. 

Learn more about what to expect from SimpliSafe cameras in our guides and reviews:

• SimpliSafe Cameras
• SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Review
• SimpliCam Review
• SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro Review

Aside from those frustrations, all SimpliSafe equipment performed as expected. The other sensors seem pretty run-of-the-mill in terms of looks and size.

To see everything SimpliSafe has to offer, how much it costs, and how it compares to other security brands' offerings, check out our page dedicated to SimpliSafe equipment.

SimpliSafe lets you pick-and-choose your own sensors, cameras and what-not, or select a pre-made bundle. There is no cost difference—bundles aren't discounted. The best way to get a discount with SimpliSafe is to watch for the sales it offers regularly—sometimes granting up to 60% off.

You'll have the option to add cameras, the SimpliSafe Smart Lock, and other accessories to your cart after choosing a bundle or à la carte sensors.

SimpliSafe is perfect for renters or anyone who doesn't want to mess with tools. A lot of the equipment is just peel-and-stick. That's right; you can stick the sensors and even the keypad right to the wall with adhesive backing attached to each device. The app guides you through every step.

In our experience, installing SimpliSafe is a straightforward process unless you're getting a used system from a friend, previous tenant, or marketplace seller. Used systems need to be reset, which adds a smidge of extra hassle to the process. 

Unlike some other DIY security companies—notably Cove and Frontpoint—SimpliSafe's sensors don't arrive pre-paired with the base station. You name and pair everything yourself by following the setup instructions on the keypad. 

It's pretty easy, but the pairing process takes time. Still, it took less than an hour to install the system, and the app helps speed things along too. 

Learn what to expect in our updated SimpliSafe installation guide. We've also written an installation guide for the SimpliSafe doorbell.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel to learn how to protect your home, loved ones, and belongings.

For a modern-looking system with a new approach to pricing and contracts, SimpliSafe’s smart home features are surprisingly old school. Its proprietary equipment keeps prices low but limits the system’s smart home abilities. However, the company told us this is by design: SimpliSafe has prioritized security features over home automation and other extras that are convenient but not necessary to protect your home.

You can pair SimpliSafe with Alexa or a Google smart speaker and add other smart home devices to the speaker, but devices like lights and plugs don’t work directly with SimpliSafe.

• Voice control: Amazon Alexa and Google Home
• Climate control: Nest Thermostat
• Smart locks: August Smart Lock

We've talked to SimpliSafe a lot, both as industry professionals and confused consumers. Everyone at SimpliSafe has treated us with kindness and courtesy, from the phone reps to the forum moderators to the marketing pros.

Here's what our tester, Katie M., had to say about her experience calling the helpline to reset the PIN during her latest round of SimpliSafe tests:

Learn more about SimpliSafe's helpline hours, troublshooting articles, online forums, and overall reputation in our SimpliSafe customer service guide.

Got more questions? Check out our in-depth SimpliSafe FAQs page.

But we didn’t stop there:

• We met with SimpliSafe.
• We read hundreds of customer reviews.
• We visited the SimpliSafe online forum to find out what long-time users have experienced with their SimpliSafe security system.
• We collected feedback from SafeWise readers
• We even tried jamming our SimpliSafe system.

Check out our methodology page to learn more about how we rate and rank products and services.

SimpliSafe is a straightforward, low-cost, do-it-yourself home security solution. Its discreet equipment is ideal for small living spaces, but it may fall short if you need to protect a large amount of property.

For those looking to add home security on a budget, SimpliSafe’s affordable equipment and no-contract professional monitoring are hard to beat.

• Alternatives to SimpliSafe
• The Best Wireless Home Security Systems
• Troubleshooting SimpliSafe
• The Best Pet-Friendly Home Security Systems
• The Best Home Alarm Systems in the UK

1. Apple App Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App." Accessed March 24, 2025.
2. Google Play Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App." Accessed March 24, 2025.