How Does SimpliSafe Work?
SimpliSafe uses smart motion detection, HD video with night vision, and two-way audio for indoor and outdoor cameras to ensure that your home gets the most security possible. Here’s how it works:
- You or a trained technician plug in the monitoring system.
- The built-in Wi-Fi provides backup in case your Wi-Fi loses power.
- An agent will provide 24/7 professional monitoring if you choose the professional monitoring plan.
- If you choose the self-monitoring plan, you can use your smartphone to monitor your home through the SimpliSafe app.
- The system senses danger and releases a siren to notify you of any issues.
- If there’s an emergency, an agent will request a police dispatch with the professional monitoring plan.
How Much Does SimpliSafe Cost Per Month?
Monthly monitoring service fees range from approximately $10 to $30 per month depending on the plan. With seven equipment packages and three monitoring service plans to choose from, it’s easy to find a combo that’s within your budget.
Monitoring Plans to Choose From
As you consider your monitoring options with SimpliSafe, you’ll find that there are three paid monitoring plans available. We’ve broken them down below so that you can figure out which plan is best for your home.
| Services | Fast Protect Professional Monitoring | Standard Monitoring | Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99/day | $.66/day | $0.33/day |
| 24/7 monitoring | Yes | No | No |
| Notification for floods or extreme temps | Yes | Yes | No |
| Intruder deterrence | Yes | No | No |
| Video verification for incidents | Yes | No | No |
| Cell backup during outages | Yes | Yes | No |
| Unlimited recordings | Yes | No | Yes |
| 30-day cloud storage | Yes | No | Yes |
| HD live camera | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alarm cancellation and confirmation with texts | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Remote arming and locking | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| No contract | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Extended warranty | Lifetime of subscription | None | Three years |
| Hardware discounts | 10% | None | None |
| Home insurance discount | 15% maximum | None | None |
Fast Protect™ Professional Monitoring
The Fast Protect Professional Monitoring plan costs $0.99 per day and provides you with the most comprehensive monitoring. You’ll have a live guard protecting your home 24/7 who will receive real-time notifications of dangers around your home and notify you if problems arise.
Standard Monitoring
SimpliSafe’s Standard Monitoring plan costs $0.66 per day. With this plan, you’ll receive basic professional monitoring features without the camera recordings that come with the fast protect plan. Other advanced features, like extended warranties and discounts, aren’t included in this plan, but you’ll get seven days’ worth of history in the SimpliSafe app as well as 24/7 emergency dispatch services.
Self-Monitoring With Camera Recordings
With the self-monitoring plan, you’ll pay $0.33 per day to monitor your home yourself and contact emergency services if you witness suspicious activities on your property. Though you’ll save money compared to the professional monitoring plan, you won’t have 24/7 protection from live agents, police, fire or medical dispatchers, cellular backup when there’s a power outage or advanced app features.
Unmonitored
If you want to forgo the cost of any of the SimpliSafe monitoring plans, you can choose the unmonitored route. The unmonitored option still gives you access to basic features that allow you to view live video feeds through the SimpliSafe app and remotely arm and disarm your system, but you’ll miss out on 24/7 emergency dispatch services, the built-in cellular connection and more.
Equipment Packages to Choose From
There are seven packages to choose from with SimpliSafe. The prices vary based on the number of pieces and the type of equipment that comes with each package. Below is a look into SimpliSafe package prices by plan.
| Monitoring Plan | Full Price | Number of Pieces |
|---|---|---|
| The Foundation | $249.96 | 4 |
| The Essentials | $279.95 | 5 |
| The Hearth | $399.91 | 9 |
| The Lighthouse | $469.93 | 7 |
| The Knox | $479.87 | 13 |
| The Haven | $519.86 | 14 |
| The Beacon | $709.90 | 10 |
The Foundation
This package costs $249.96 in total or $10.42 per month for 24 months. The Foundation package is made for smaller homes and apartments and comes with one entry and motion sensor.
The Essentials
As one of their most popular plans, The Essentials package costs $279.95 in total, or $11.66 per month for 24 months. This package comes with one motion sensor and several entry sensors for coverage on main entry points in your home.
The Hearth
The Hearth package costs $399.91 in total or $16.66 per month for 24 months. A step up from The Essentials package, The Hearth package offers the same protection but with smoke detection and an extra 105dB siren to scare off intruders.
The Lighthouse
The Lighthouse package costs $469.93 in total or $19.58 per month for 24 months. This package comes with all of the items found in The Essentials with an added wireless outdoor security camera for outdoor protection on top of your indoor home protection.
The Knox
The Knox plan is ideal for larger homes and costs $479.87 in total or $19.99 a month for 24 months. With this plan, you get double the protection that you’d get with The Hearth package, making it a good choice for four-bedroom homes or bigger.
The Haven
The Haven plan costs $519.86 in total or $21.66 a month for 24 months. If you live in a region where water damage or a fire hazard is a very real threat, then you’ll want to choose
The Haven package.
The Beacon
For the best of the best, The Beacon system costs $709.90 in total or $29.58 for 24 months. This system offers the most protection out of all of the SimpliSafe plans. This plan comes with two wireless outdoor security cameras, two motion sensors and four entry sensors.
Factors That Determine SimpliSafe Costs
You can break down your SimpliSafe installation cost by looking at the cost by equipment, installation and monitoring. Below is a glance at the different costs per type of charge.
| Type of Charge | Cost |
|---|---|
| Equipment | $249.96 - $709.90 |
| Installation | $0 or $124.99+ |
| Monitoring | $0.33 - $0.99 per day |
Equipment Charge
The cost of SimpliSafe equipment ranges from $249.96 to $709.90. More pieces in your equipment package will increase the cost. You can help mitigate some of the cost of your equipment by choosing refurbished products.
Installation Charge
The cost to hire a trained technician to unbox, place the sensors, set up the Wi-Fi, connect the monitoring system and guide you on how to use it starts at $124.99. The more sensors and parts in your package, the more it will cost for your technician to hook everything up and install it. You can avoid these installation charges by installing the package yourself. Self-installation is free.
Monitoring Charge
After you have purchased the equipment and installed it, you’ll also need to pay for monitoring your property. You have three options for monitoring your home with SimpliSafe. The Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings plan option costs $0.33 per day, the Standard Monitoring costs $0.66 per day, while the Fast Protect Professional Monitoring plan costs $0.99 per day.
Advertisem*nt
THIS IS AN ADVERTIsem*nT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisem*nt, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary.
Additional Costs and Considerations Associated With SimpliSafe
There are also a few costs and considerations that you’ll want to keep in mind when you choose SimpliSafe. The company offers a build-your-own system option, many add-ons and refurbished systems.
Build Your System
With SimpliSafe, you have the flexibility to customize the perfect system for your home. You must purchase a base station and keypad, which cost $5.42 and $2.92 per month for 24 months, respectively. Everything else is up to you. Here are the different options you can choose from to build your system:
Burglary sensors
- Entry Sensor: $14.99
- Motion Sensor: $34.99
- Glassbreak Sensor: $39.99
Cameras
- Wireless indoor camera: $139.99
- Wired indoor camera: $99
- Wireless outdoor camera: $189.99
Hazard Sensors
- Water sensor: $19.99
- Smoke and carbon monoxide detector: $59.99
- Smoke detector: $34.99
- Temperature sensor: $29.99
Add-ons
On top of a typical plan or the basics of a build-your-own system, you can also choose between seven different add-ons, including the following:
- Panic button: $19.99 each
- Key fob: $24.99 each
- Video doorbell pro: $169.00 each
- Extra 105dB siren: $59.99 each
- Extra keypad: $69.99 each
- Extra 9″ x 9″ yard sign: $3.99 each
- Pro Setup Help: Starts at $124.99
Refurbished System
Refurbished SimpliSafe systems cost between $289.94 and $524.86 depending on the package, while new systems cost between $249.96 and $709.90. A refurbished system may be a cost-effective way to have the specs you want without the price tag of a new system.
SimpliSafe Benefits
SimpliSafe is a monitoring system that can help protect your home from break-ins and natural disasters like fires or floods. The benefits of choosing SimpliSafe include:
- Professional monitoring
- Free professional monitoring for the first month
- Several installation options
- Many customizations to cater to your home’s needs
- Smartphone control through the SimpliSafe app
- 60-day money-back guarantee
- Free shipping on returns within that 60-day guarantee
- Live chat with agents
How to Save Money on a SimpliSafe Package
With some SimpliSafe prices exceeding $700 without including monitoring, finding ways to save can make a difference for those looking for an economical security system. Here’s how you can save on the cost of your SimpliSafe package:
- Install it yourself to save $124.99 or more on installation fees.
- Avoid unnecessary add-ons.
- Choose a refurbished system.
- Go with the self-monitoring plan to save $0.66 per day.
- Choose The Foundation or The Essentials packages.
- Wait for a sale. Sometimes, SimpliSafe offers sales like 20% off promos or freebies.
Advertisem*nt
THIS IS AN ADVERTIsem*nT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisem*nt, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary.
Bottom Line: Is SimpliSafe Right for You?
SimpliSafe comes with many monitoring packages and add-ons, making it a great security system for anyone looking to customize their cameras and sensors for maximum security. However, SimpliSafe may not be right for everyone. With only three monitoring plans and limited bells and whistles for your smartphone, you could find that there’s not enough customization on the monitoring and smartphone side to make it worth your while.
To arrive at the average costs in this article, editorial team members surveyed a range of one provider (Simplisafe). All averaged figures were correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.
Secure Your Indoors & Outdoors With Security System
Get smart CCTV cameras for home & offices for better safety & surveillance. Compare quotes from top-rated home security installers.
Advertisem*nt
THIS IS AN ADVERTIsem*nT AND NOT EDITORIAL CONTENT. Please note that we do receive compensation for any products you buy or sign up to via this advertisem*nt, and that compensation impacts the ranking and placement of any offers listed herein. We do not present information about every offer available. The information and savings numbers depicted above are for demonstration purposes only, and your results may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is SimpliSafe worth it?
If you’re looking for a security system that can offer maximum protection from theft, fires, floods and more, then SimpliSafe may be worth it for your home. SimpliSafe is easy to install and cost-friendly compared to competitor security systems. However, you might find that SimpliSafe lacks smart technology features.
Does SimpliSafe work if Wi-Fi goes out?
If your Wi-Fi goes out, SimpliSafe has its own Wi-Fi that serves as a backup so that you don’t have to worry about the security of your home. Alternatively, if the SimpliSafe Wi-Fi goes out, it can connect with your Wi-Fi.
Can I use SimpliSafe without a subscription?
Yes, you do not need a subscription for SimpliSafe. Doing so greatly limits your home’s security, though. The only way to use SimpliSafe without a subscription is to manually check in on the live feed through your smartphone. You won’t get notified of any suspicious activity or inclement weather problems as you would with a subscription plan.
Does SimpliSafe automatically call the police?
No, SimpliSafe does not automatically call the police. If the alarm system goes off, and you don’t cancel the alarm using the keypad, then an agent will call your first and second contacts. Your contacts must give your assigned safeword to cancel the alarm. If the monitoring center dispatcher cannot reach either contact, they will then contact the police.
