SimpliSafe home security system review

SimpliSafe offer eight packages of varying sizes for different budgets and homes (image credit: SimpliSafe)

SimpliSafe has been supplying home security systems in the US and UK since 2006. With years of experience, its packages are well-designed, easy to use and affordable.

SimpliSafe offers eight ready-made systems designed to protect various home sizes. We’ve analysed SimpliSafe’s equipment, cost and monitoring plans to help you decide if the brand is the right security solution for you.  

The eight packages available all include the basic Foundation kit, which consists of a base station, keypad, entry sensor and indoor camera. Equipment such as key fobs, glass break sensors, panic buttons and other camera types can be added with more expensive starter packages or purchased and integrated at a later date. The system isn’t just designed to protect your house against break-ins; you can also add hazard sensors, including smoke, temperature and water alarms.

The pear-shaped base station included in every package powers the system and measures just 4 x 8.25 x 4 inches. You can choose a black or white base station to match your home’s aesthetic. This station must be placed within 121 metres of sensors and 0.3 metres of the keypad. It has to be plugged in, but offers a 24-hour emergency backup function should power be lost. The base station features a 95dB siren which will alert you if a problem arises in your home.

Installation is DIY and is said to take less than an hour, plus there’s no need for drilling or wiring. Homeowners can select from several packages with varying equipment, build personalised packages or add to an existing package as desired. 

• Installation type: DIY
• Price range: From £249.96
• Number of packages: Eight packages plus custom build option
• Monitoring: Self-monitoring and optional professional monitoring

SimpliSafe monitoring

Signing up for professional monitoring will give you access to all of the features on the SimpliSafe app including guard dispatch and ensuring speedy police assistance in the event of a break-in.

The optional professional monitoring add-ons – the Pro plan for £0.53 extra per day and the Pro Premium plan (£0.93 more per day) – offer benefits such as 24/7 live monitoring, police and fire dispatch. 

The Pro Premium plan is required to enable some smart home integration. While the basic system integrates with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, and August Home door locks, it’s incompatible with Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, Zigbee and Z-wave. 

The discreet base station will pulse its LED blue band when there is an issue with the sensors (image credit: Simplisafe)

Highlights: The simple setup, affordable monthly fees and no contractual lock-in enable homeowners  to customise and manage home security systems to their preferences.

Service: Homeowners don’t need to pay a monthly fee to use their SimpliSafe equipment and a ‘no plan’ option can be selected upon purchase. Alternatively, there are options to select the Pro Premium plan at a cost of £0.93 per day or the Pro plan for £0.53 per day for extra benefits.

Warranty: SimpliSafe will replace a product or part within one year of purchase. Customers who sign up for Premium professional monitoring before their one-year warranty expires will receive a limited lifetime warranty on their products throughout their subscription. Customers who opt for the standard monitoring plan or camera-only plan before the one-year warranty expires benefit from a two-year warranty extension.

Key benefit: SimpliSafe is highly affordable and has DIY installation. The price of your system will ultimately depend on your individual requirements and which features you choose. Monthly fees are optional.

Like with any home security system, SimpliSafe has pros and cons. Some of the advantages include:

• Flexibility: There are eight packages with different equipment and features, and additional equipment can be purchased at any time. If the packages are not suitable for you, you can simply build your own system from scratch. There’s also no need to subscribe to a plan. Monitoring can be cancelled or added at any time on a month-by-month basis.
• Low price: Pricing starts from as little as £284.96 for the basic package, and SimpliSafe offers deals and discounts.
• Ease of installation: The package arrives in a box and can be set up without professional assistance. SimpliSafe suggests the process takes under one hour, and there’s no need for tools, drilling or wiring.
• Great reviews: SimpliSafe has received over 7,700 reviews on Trustpilot and has an average star rating of 4.8 out of 5. Customers praise the system for its ease of use and helpful support staff.
• Hazard monitoring: SimpliSafe offers optional hazard monitors to protect your home against flooding, fire or freezing pipes.

There are also a few disadvantages to consider:

• Limited product availability in the UK: If you wanted to get your hands on SimpliSafe’s video doorbell or smart lock system, you’ll be disappointed to learn these products are not available in the UK.
• Few integration options: SimpliSafe doesn’t offer a good deal of integration with smart home systems or devices as it was designed to be as simple as possible. 

The SimpliSafe system is very easy to install and does not require drilling, tools or wiring. Just open the box and plug in your base station. The whole process should take under an hour, but this depends on how much equipment you are installing.

Each system requires a base system, a keypad, an entry sensor and an indoor camera; this makes up the basic Foundation package. The most expensive package, The Edinburgh, includes multiple entry, water, motion and temperature sensors, while The Bamburgh features a panic button and a glass break sensor. 

The base station is the brains of every system. It’s equipped with 24-hour backup battery power, so will keep working for a limited time if the power goes out. An LED light around the bottom of the base station pulses whenever there is an error with one of your sensors.

The door and window entry sensors are barely noticeable once installed (image: SimpliSafe)

The wireless burglary entry sensors alert you if there’s a break-in. SimpliSafe’s peel-and-stick motion sensors are precision-engineered to detect humans only, not pets, using heat signatures – so you don’t need to worry about false alarms. Their field of view covers 90º with a 9m range so sensors are best placed in the corner of a room, either on a shelf or attached to the wall (at least 1.8m above floor height if you have active cats).

The keypad is another essential component of the SimpliSafe system. It enables users to arm or disarm the system with a click. It’s wireless and smash-proof, so it will still notify SimpliSafe’s monitoring team if an intruder smashes it in a break-in.

The indoor camera allows you to watch live HD video and audio from your smartphone, tablet or computer at any time. If it detects motion when there shouldn’t be any, the system will alert you. Using the Simplisafe app on your device, you’ll be able to see a live video feed and take action on what you see. With the Pro Professional monitoring plan, the police will be called if there’s visual verification with the indoor camera. 

The Pro Premium plan has lots of added benefits, including guard response, rapid police response, unlimited camera recordings, fire monitoring, advanced phone alerts and built-in cellular data connection. You can also choose the Pro plan for £0.53 per day, which has fewer features. Both plans can be activated and deactivated as desired with no minimum contract dictated.

SimpliSafe is an affordable DIY home security system that is suitable for most homes, thanks to the flexibility of the packages. However, if you would prefer to use the services of a professional installer, you might want to consider Verisure.

Verisure is slightly more expensive but offers a fully customisable package, professional installation and 24/7 professional monitoring. No long contracts are required, and your installation team will arrive within 24 hours to get your system up and running. 

Another alternative is Ring. Ring offers either DIY or professional installation, and lets you decide between self-monitoring or professional monitoring.

Ring is highly customisable, with sensors and cameras included. Their standout feature is the Ring doorbell camera which is set to be active at all times or activated via motion detection. Ring connects via Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

SimpliSafe is one of the most affordable home security systems on the market. Here’s how it compares to its competitors:

There is a hidden panic button on every keypad (image credit: SimpliSafe)

The SimpliSafe home security system doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. The base station will pulse the integrated LED strip light to let you know if there is an error with one of your sensors. You should keep an eye out for firmware updates, which will be received automatically via wifi. In addition, your sensors use coin cell batteries that need to be replaced after five years or if you receive an alert indicating that they need replacing.

“The best alarm system is in a great neighbourhood with caring neighbours, and the second-best is one that takes you less than ten minutes to set up. If you don’t have the former, at least SimpliSafe can make it easy to get the latter. The new system is unobtrusive, very usable and allows you to go from zero to protected in a few minutes. In short, one of the best DIY security systems just got better, and that’s a good thing.”

• Techcrunch review

“When you tally up all of the things that qualify for a great do-it-yourself home security system, there’s one option that stands out from the rest, and that’s SimpliSafe. SimpliSafe offers the most comprehensive system in a box without being the most expensive. It is easy to install, has some of the most discreet interior sensors for doors, windows and motion, and integrates with other smart home gadgets like Nest thermostats and August locks, as well as virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa.”

• The Verge review

“Great customer service, no long wait times, no haggling, sorted out my issues right away all in the space of a 10-minute conversation. One other quick mention, we were broken into this month, thanks to SimpliSafe police were called and arrived within 10 minutes.”

• Alessio G, via Trustpilot

I have been a customer of SimpliSafe for 4 years and I’m very happy with the system. It’s straightforward and offers value for money. Contract flexibility is good. I spoke to Ryan today about my contract. He was friendly, polite and very helpful about my options and we ended up with a good solution. At last somewhere where loyalty is rewarded without being painful!”

• Caroline Mcmillian Browse, via Trustpilot

“Finlay was a credit to your customer service team. He was very knowledgeable and explained how each component of the Simple safe system worked. He was not pushy trying to sell me extra equipment. I decided what I required and he explained shipping expected arrival and about the guarantees. Also informed me of technical help if required. Altogether a pleasant experience. Thank you, Finlay.”

• Jacky Sansom, via Trustpilot

As one of the most cost-effective home security systems in the UK, considering the variety of packages and number of devices available, SimpliSafe is a fantastic option for any home. With eight differently-sized choices, plus customisation, homes big and small can be secured. What’s more, SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring system is as affordable as it is comprehensive, with guard and emergency services alerts.

If you’re looking for a system that can be as hands-on or -off as desired with flexible contracts and packages, you can’t go far wrong with SimpliSafe.

Rating: ★★★★

While compiling this SimpliSafe home security system review, we consulted hundreds of customer opinions, media articles, technical documentation and professional forums. We then scored the SimpliSafe home security system against others considering the following factors:

• Reputation, including customer reviews
• Variety of packages available
• Security features and functionality
• Upfront and contract pricing
• Usability

For more information, read our article on how we review home security systems.

• The ratings provided by customers in online reviews, for a total of 10 points;
• General affordability and pricing, for a total of 10 points;
• The availability of equipment warranties, for a total of 10 points;
• The quality of the equipment and software, for a total of 10 points;
• The availability of smart home integrations, for a total of 10 points;
• The availability of security cameras and their cost, for a total of five points;
• The availability of motion sensors and their cost, for a total of five points;
• The alert system used, for a total of 10 points;
• The contract system, for a total of five points;
• Whether installation is DIY or professional, for a total of five points;
• The variation of equipment and packages, for a total of 10 points; and
• Optional extras for one point each and a maximum of 10 points.