SimpliSafe Home Security Review

If you're a first-time security system buyer looking to get the hang of a simple system, SimpliSafe Home Security is a great choice. We've installed and tested SimpliSafe multiple times over the years. Although it usually lives up to its name with easy setup and use, we're here to tell you about the surprises and frustrations so you know what to expect.

The big thing to be aware of is that SimpliSafe isn't designed to be part of a smart home ecosystem. So if you've gotta have the latest-and-greatest tech, you might outgrow SimpliSafe before you know it. 

SimpliSafe's equipment packages start at around $245 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. 

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 $27.99 per month. 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.

Read more about SimpliSafe costs or how to choose a security system, or jump down to the equipment packages comparison table.

As far as professional monitoring for SimpliSafe goes, we recommend the Interactive Monitoring plan for a few reasons. It costs more per month than SimpliSafe's other plans, but it's still cheaper than other DIY systems like Frontpoint.

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 it's not going to leave users in a lurch—it was founded in 2006 as the original DIY home security company and is far less likely to dissolve than newcomers like Cove (which can still count its birthdays on one hand). 

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 (like you can with Abode) and its outdoor camera won't squawk at trespassers (a hallmark feature of Vivint and Frontpoint), SimpliSafe arms your home with sensors galore, offers renter-friendly security, supports self-monitoring, and doesn't punish you with cancellation fees.

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

Video alarm verification: Available only to Interactive Monitoring 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. 

RapidSOS: RapidSOS allows SimpliSafe's monitors to share your information with local dispatchers within seconds, which can shave minutes off the police response time.⁴

Cove is the only other national security brand currently integrated with RapidSOS.

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.

Only Abode sells its pro-monitoring services in small batches too.

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.

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

SimpliSafe's equipment is both stripped-down and state-of-the-art.

The company’s goal of keeping things simple limits the bells and whistles—including third-party compatibility and smart home functionality (more on that in a sec). Where SimpliSafe stands out is in the elegant, modern design of its Gen 3 components—a welcome upgrade from the clunky and dull-looking Original SimpliSafe system that debuted in 2006.

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 worked as expected when used to arm and disarm the system. 

The base station met all of our expectations except one, and it's a doozy: the siren was quiet. Home security sirens are supposed to be loud and disruptive. Neighbors should be peeking out their windows to witness the burglar's getaway when sirens start screaming. But with this siren, no one outside our tester's home would've known anything was amiss. 

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

Here's what one of our testers had to say about the new SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera:

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 or select a pre-made bundle. There is no cost difference—bundles aren't discounted. 

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

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, our testers report that it took less than an hour to install the system, and the app helps speed things along too. 

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

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. 

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.

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 video lead 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.

We're really impressed by the SimpliSafe app, which is free to download from the Apple App Store and the Google Play store.

And we're not the only ones who love how easy it is to control the SimpliSafe system remotely. The SimpliSafe app for iOS has earned 4.8 out of 5 stars from over 265,000 reviews.¹ Over 20,000 users rated the SimpliSafe Android app 4.6 out of 5 stars.²

Your app experience defines your home security experience. After all, you really don't physically interact with smart security equipment after the initial installation. That's why we strongly recommend choosing a home security company with an intuitive and well-maintained home security app.

SimpliSafe fits the bill. And if you do run into trouble with the app, your account, or the equipment, it's good to know that SimpliSafe's customer service team has a reputation for courtesy and prompt action.

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.

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 even tried jamming our SimpliSafe system.

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

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

1. Apple App Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App." May 2022. Accessed June 20, 2022.
2. Google Play Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App," May 2022. Accessed June 20, 2022.
3. Laura Brett, National Advertising Division, "NAD Finds Supported Certain Advertising Claims for SimpliSafe Home Security; Recommends Modification / Discontinuation of Others, Including Claim that its System Enables Police to Dispatch 3.5x 'Faster'," April 2020. Accessed June 20, 2022. 
4. RapidSOS, "4 Ways RapidSOS Can Help Reduce Stress for Telecommunicators," October 2021. Accessed June 20, 2022.

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