SimpliSafe 2026 Review: Our top DIY pick

Security systems don't have to come with a hefty installation fee—you can easily install DIY alarms on your own. SimpliSafe Home Security is our #1 pick for DIY home security. 

The SimpliSafe home security system delivers a triple threat to bad actors: video verification, Rapid SOS integration, and Active Guard monitoring. Its new Active Guard Outdoor monitoring helps stop intruders before they break in. 

It’s also the only top-rated system that lets you start and stop professional monitoring anytime, with the option for self-monitoring at no monthly cost. Best of all, you can try out SimpliSafe's pro monitoring for 30 days for free.

If you want no contracts and the most proactive monitoring around, SimpliSafe is for you.

SimpliSafe’s equipment packages start at around $250 and often include a free indoor or outdoor camera. Compared to other DIY security brands, it offers some of the best prices. Plus, if you want a bigger setup, you don’t have to pay all at once—SimpliSafe now offers financing through Affirm.

Monthly monitoring costs range from $0 to $80, with the top-tier plan including 24/7 Active Guard outdoor monitoring for the same price that other systems charge without real-time intervention. SimpliSafe also gives you full control over your plan—you can start, stop, upgrade, or downgrade at any time with no fees. Plus, you get a 30-day trial to decide if professional monitoring is worth it.

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, which can cost hundreds per month. 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.)

The key takeaway? SimpliSafe is simple by design. It prioritizes low costs, ease of use, and hassle-free installation. While it doesn’t integrate with tons of third-party devices, it packs homes with sensors, offers renter-friendly solutions, supports self-monitoring, and ditches contracts and cancellation fees. And their confidence in customer loyalty is well-founded—most SimpliSafe users stick with it for a decade.

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

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, 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.

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 McEntire. had to say about her experience calling the helpline to reset the PIN during her latest round of SimpliSafe tests:

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.

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.

1. The averages presented for average monitoring prices reflect data SafeWise gathered from 21 national home security companies in the United States. These figures do not represent all home security companies or services available, and pricing may vary based on the specific provider, location, and service level chosen.
2. Apple App Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App." Accessed March 30, 2026
3. Google Play Store, "SimpliSafe Home Security App." Accessed March 30, 2026
4. 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 March 30, 2026
5. RapidSOS, "4 Ways RapidSOS Can Help Reduce Stress for Telecommunicators," October 2021. Accessed March 30, 2026