SimpliSafe Installation
Having started out as a DIY security system for apartments, SimpliSafe’s experience here really shows. All in all, we were able to get our entire system up and running in about 20 minutes. And that’s after we had an issue with our reading comprehension.
You see, SimpliSafe specifically says to press the adhesive backing on their equipment against the wall for 30 seconds. We decided to go rogue and let go after 10 seconds only for the motion sensor to come crashing down moments later. For a two-bedroom apartment, getting the entire system set up shouldn’t take any longer than 15 minutes so long as you follow the directions.
>> Learn More: How to Install a Home Security System: It’s Easier Than You Think
SimpliSafe Professional Monitoring
With the new Fast Protect monitoring that SimpliSafe rolled out recently, you can’t get much better professional monitoring. Although ADT’s six monitoring centers give a bit more redundancy, the video verification feature in SimpliSafe’s premium monitoring solution comes in handy. As a premium option, it does bring up the monthly cost of your SimpliSafe system though.
For instance, we had our friend check in on our houseplants while on vacation. Since we were on vacation, we weren’t near our phones and didn’t see the alert. But, thanks to SimpliSafe Fast Protect monitoring, they used the two-way audio in our indoor camera to ask our friend what they were doing in our house. Well, we gave them the safe word we set up while installing our SimpliSafe system. They could then confirm they were just there to water our plants — all without us needing to rush for our phones while on vacation.
Fast Protect monitoring isn’t the only subscription plan SimpliSafe offers though. They also offer a basic professional monitoring plan, a DIY monitoring plan. Here’s an overview of SimpliSafe’s monitoring plans and their costs:
Features |
Free |
Self-Monitoring |
Professional Monitoring |
Fast Protect Monitoring |
Cloud storage for 30 days of recordings |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Smart platform compatibility |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
Cellular backup |
No |
Yes |
No |
Yes |
24/7 professional monitoring |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Video verification and live guard |
No |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Equipment warranty |
1-year |
3-year |
3-year |
Lifetime |
Price |
Free |
$9.99 per month |
$19.99 per month |
$29.99 per month |
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell
This is where SimpliSafe falls a bit short. Unfortunately, they only sell a hardwired video doorbell. There are no battery-powered ones. That means you’ll need to remove your current doorbell and replace it with a SimpliSafe video doorbell. Then, before you leave your rental, you’ll need to reinstall that old doorbell.
We know, it’s a bit of a pain. But, we must say that when we tested the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro, it worked really well after we installed it. We really liked how we could set the sensitivity of the motion sensor. This enabled us to avoid alarms every time someone walked past our door as they left our apartment building. But, we’d still get a notification when someone was standing there knocking. This is why SimpliSafe topped our list of the best security systems with video doorbells despite only offering one option that’s hardwired.