SimpliSafe is known for being one of the best DIY home security systems, offering affordable monitoring plans. But how affordable are they, and are there any hidden fees or extra charges after signing up? After reviewing SimpliSafe over six months, we can say for certain it’s everything it claims to be.
SimpliSafe isn't perfect – the company has increased its monitoring prices over time as it adds new features. But despite occasional price adjustments, SimpliSafe remains one of the most affordable security systems available today. Let's break down exactly what you'll pay.
SimpliSafe continues to upgrade its equipment along with its monitoring plan features.
A Snapshot of SimpliSafe Monitoring Plans
SimpliSafe offers both self-monitoring and professional monitoring plans. We always recommend professional monitoring, since it means you don't have to contact emergency services yourself if something happens. Self-monitoring can save you a few dollars, though, and works well if you're on a staycation or working from home and can keep an eye on alerts yourself. Here's a quick breakdown of each plan and its costs.
SimpliSafe Monitoring Plans & Prices
| Unmonitored | Self-monitoring with camera recordings | Standard | Core | Pro | Pro Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Self-monitoring | Self-monitoring with camera cloud storage | Professional monitoring | Professional monitoring with Intruder Intervention | Professional monitoring with Intruder Intervention and Active Guard | Professional monitoring with Intruder Intervention and Active Guard |
| Monthly cost | Free | $9.99 | $22.99 | $32.99 | $49.99 | $79.99 |
FYI: The main difference between Pro and Pro Plus is the operating hours for Active Guard Outdoor Protection. With Pro, SimpliSafe agents intervene between 8 pm and 6 am. For an extra $30 a month, you’ll get 24/7 protection.
SimpliSafe Monitoring Plan Features
Unlike ADT’s packages or Cove’s monitoring plans, SimpliSafe doesn’t restrict subscriptions based on your equipment. No matter what devices you buy, you’ll have access to all the features in SimpliSafe’s monitoring plans.
>> Compare: Cove Vs. SimpliSafe
Unmonitored and Self-Monitoring With Camera Recordings
You can self-monitor your home and skip the monthly fee altogether. However, if you choose this route, you'll be responsible for contacting the police yourself if an emergency or break-in happens. To save camera recordings for authorities or to share clips with neighbors, you'll need SimpliSafe's Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings plan at $9.99 per month.
Honestly, we think stepping up to professional monitoring is worth it for the peace of mind alone. At $32.99 per month, the Core plan means SimpliSafe's monitoring center has your back when things go sideways — and each tier up adds enough real capability to justify the price increase. Here's a closer look at what each of SimpliSafe's professional monitoring plans offers.
FYI: The Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings plan stores footage for up to 30 days across up to ten cameras. You'll also get scheduled arming and disarming capabilities, plus secret alerts that won't trigger an alarm or chime from your base station.
SimpliSafe Standard
The Standard plan costs $22.99 per month and includes 24/7 professional monitoring, environmental hazard detection, and cellular backup. That cellular backup feature is particularly valuable, as it keeps your security system running even if your Wi-Fi goes down.
That said, it's one of the leaner professional monitoring options out there. Ring Alarm offers a similarly priced plan that includes 180 days of cloud storage for video event clips on unlimited cameras. SimpliSafe's Standard plan skips video recording features entirely. If you're pairing your system with security cameras, we suggest stepping up to the Core plan instead.
>> Read More: Best Cellular Home Security Systems in 2026
FYI: SimpliSafe's environmental monitoring sends alerts from your smoke, heat, water leak, flood, and frozen pipe sensors to their monitoring center. Just remember these sensors are sold separately, though they're reasonably priced.
SimpliSafe Core
SimpliSafe's Intruder Intervention feature is the star of the Core plan ($32.99 per month), but it requires SimpliSafe's Wireless Indoor Camera to work. When the system detects a potential intruder, the privacy shutter opens and a SimpliSafe agent accesses the live feed and two-way speakers to deter the intruder, speaking directly to whoever is in your home in real time. In our experience, this live human response is what separates true intervention from a system that simply records footage after the fact. An agent can assess whether it's a genuine threat, a false alarm, or a family member who forgot the code, then react accordingly instead of triggering a blanket response.
Video verification of potential crimes also helps police respond more quickly, since video-verified reports typically receive a priority response. We've witnessed this feature's effectiveness while reviewing Arlo cameras and testing Ring cameras, and we consider it one of the more meaningful upgrades a self-monitored user can make for some of the reassurance of professional monitoring without a full contract.
We recommend getting the Wireless Indoor Camera and subscribing to Core for Intruder Intervention
If you own an Amazon Alexa or Google Home device, you can also use voice control to manage SimpliSafe hands-free with the Core plan. This feature isn't available in the Standard plan, and doesn't work with Apple HomeKit. We tested this by asking our Amazon Echo, “Alexa, ask SimpliSafe to arm my system in away mode,” and it worked within seconds. Checking the status of our system was as simple as saying “Alexa, ask SimpliSafe what's shakin'.
>> Read More: Best Home Security Systems That Work With Alexa in 2026
SimpliSafe Pro and Pro Plus
Active Guard Outdoor Protection is the premium feature that goes a long way toward justifying the $49.99 and $79.99 price tags. Both plans require at least one SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera to work.
The camera's AI tells routine activity apart from genuine threats, so the monitoring center only gets alerted when it matters. Once a threat is flagged, a trained agent steps in with real-time two-way audio, spotlights, and sirens to verify what's happening and scare off the intruder. Pro covers overnight hours, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, while Pro Plus delivers 24/7 coverage.
These plans cost more than standard monitoring, but they're still a bargain next to comparable live monitoring services — Deep Sentinel's live camera monitoring, for instance, starts at $100 per month and climbs as you add cameras.
Pro Tip: The Pro and Pro Plus plans require at least one SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera. However, detected threats also allow monitoring agents to use the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell for additional coverage. We set up three cameras – two outdoor cameras and one doorbell camera – all monitored through Active Guard.
>> Learn More: Everything to Know About Security Cameras
SimpliSafe Plan Features Overview
| Standard Plan | Core Plan | Pro Plan | Pro Plus Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24/7 professional monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in cellular technology | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Environmental monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Visual alarm verification | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intruder Intervention | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active Guard Outdoor Protection | No | No | Overnight protection from 8 PM to 6 AM local time | 24/7 protection |
| On-demand video recording | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Mobile app with instant alerts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Alexa and Google Assistant compatible | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $22.99 per month | $32.99 per month | $49.99 per month | $79.99 per month |
Which SimpliSafe Plan is Best?
Our short answer is: the Core plan. You’ll simply get more ‘bang for your buck' compared to the Standard, Pro, and Pro Plus plans. With that said, you might not care about staple features like smartphone controls, video support, and home automation. If that’s you, then the Standard plan will do the trick and should keep you and your family safe and secure. Or, you might need full outdoor protection, in which case the Pro and Pro Plus plans could be worth it. Honestly, all plans are pretty reasonably priced, so you really can’t go wrong.
FYI: If automation is important to you, we recommend checking out our guide on the best security systems with home automation. SimpliSafe’s features are limited compared to systems from ADT and Vivint, which can run routines and schedules, such as turning off lights and locking doors at specific times.
The Big Takeaway
After hands-on testing SimpliSafe in our own home, we felt good landing on the Core plan. It covered all the bases — 24/7 protection against break-ins and environmental threats like fire and flooding — while giving us app-based controls and video support. Bonus: the system works with both Alexa and Google Assistant, as long as you're on Core or higher.
The SimpliSafe Base Station blended in nicely with our decor.
Compared to other monitoring plans we’ve tested, SimpliSafe stands out for overall value. Our main complaint is the limited smart home automation and that Active Guard for the outdoor camera costs extra – though it remains more affordable than most competitors. If those trade-offs don’t bother you, SimpliSafe’s plans offer reliable, around-the-clock protection with a clean, modern design.
FAQs About SimpliSafe Monitoring
- Which SimpliSafe monitoring plan is the best?
In our opinion, the Core plan has the most value. It strikes the perfect balance between features and price, unlocking most of SimpliSafe’s features without costing an arm and a leg.
- Is the Pro or Pro Plus plan worth it?
For our home, since we only have a small yard, the Pro and Pro Plus plans weren’t worth it just to add Active Guard Outdoor Protection for the Wireless Outdoor Camera. But, if you have a big yard and need multiple outdoor cameras, the price is still less than the competition.
- How do I subscribe to the Pro or Pro Plus plan?
You can choose your monitoring plan at checkout alongside your SimpliSafe security system. It’s also easy to change plans at any time. So if you need more protection, sign in to your account and upgrade to Pro or Pro Plus.
- What does SimpliSafe charge for monitoring?
SimpliSafe’s professional monitoring plans start at $22.99 per month and go up to $79.99 per month. There is also a free self-monitoring option, as well as a $9.99 per month self-monitoring plan that includes 30 days of video storage for up to 10 cameras.
- Does SimpliSafe offer high-quality monitoring?
While SimpliSafe doesn’t have the fastest response times in the industry, we still think their monitoring is good. They add innovative features like video verification to get appropriate emergency personnel to your home as fast as possible.
