The Best SimpliSafe Alternatives of 2026
After testing over 60 security systems in our home, we identified the best SimpliSafe alternatives.
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Last Updated on May 07, 2026
- Optional DIY installation available for free
- No contracts required with the option to self-monitor
- Highly reliable professional monitoring service with 12 redundant monitoring centers
- Advanced smart home integrations and home automation controls
- Smart Deter feature works similarly to SimpliSafe’s active monitoring
- Long-term financing available
- Affordable equipment with packages starting at $99
- Easy to install with components arriving pre-paired to the hub
- 24/7 professional monitoring starts at $19.99 per month
We like our SimpliSafe security system for plenty of reasons – reasons that we all laid out in our SimpliSafe home security review. It’s easily one of the best security systems around. But we get it; it’s not for everybody. You might want top-tier professional installation. Or, the most advanced smart home integrations to make their home feel like it could be in The Jetsons. And even though we’d consider SimpliSafe affordable, it’s far from the least expensive security system around.
So, we put together a list of the best SimpliSafe alternatives based on our testing of over 60 security systems. We looked for security systems that excel at SimpliSafe’s shortcomings. By doing that, we decided the top three alternatives to SimpliSafe are ADT, Vivint, and Cove.
Top 3 SimpliSafe Alternatives
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1. ADT - Best Professional Installation and Monitoring
Product Specs
Equipment Costs Packages starting at $404 Monitoring Options Professional and DIY Monthly Monitoring Costs Starting at $24.99 Contract Lengths Month-to-month or 36 months and up Installation Options Professional and DIY Smart Platform Integration Alexa and Google Home Overview of ADT vs SimpliSafe
We tested every component ADT offers for a complete look at their offerings. SimpliSafe ranked second in our annual roundup of the top security systems with its 9.2 out of 10 score. Our highest-rated option was ADT, which earned a near-perfect 9.8 score. That’s because ADT offers a few more capabilities than SimpliSafe on top of a longer-standing reputation without giving up much. The only real drawback to ADT is the slightly higher price point.
ADT’s Installation and Monitoring
We proudly displayed our ADT yard sign so burglars knew our home was protected. ADT has been around for more than 140 years,1 so unlike SimpliSafe, it takes a more old-school approach. What we mean by that is that it prioritizes professional installation and monitoring. They used to require both but recently started offering a DIY option as well.
Here’s the thing though: Because ADT customers will be more likely to sign up for professional monitoring, it’s a more secure option. With monitoring, ADT will dispatch the police to your house in case you need help. That means you’re never on your own. Plus, ADT offers the most robust monitoring service in the industry with 12 redundant monitoring centers. With SimpliSafe, professional monitoring is optional with free and paid self-monitoring plans as well.
ADT’s monitoring plans offer comparable price points to SimpliSafe. They range from $24.99 to $49.99 depending on whether or not you have cameras. SimpliSafe plans range from $22.99 to $79.99. We recommend most people go with SimpliSafe’s $32.99 per month plan whereas ADT requires a specific plan depending on your security equipment.
ADT’s Smart Home Capabilities
Our Nest Learning Thermostat synced up seamlessly with ADT. Despite its long history, ADT is on the cutting edge when it comes to technology. The ADT+ app is one of the most intuitive, user-friendly home security mobile apps out there. It’s what we used to integrate our system with our Alexa and Google Home ecosystems.
Integrating with Alexa or Google Home let us activate and deactivate our system with our voices, otherwise known as voice control. We will say the Google integration gave us more capabilities and it was easier to set up since ADT is partnered with Google. They even offer Google Nest Cams now. ADT’s smart home integration went beyond Alexa and Google Home though and included smart lights, smart locks, and smart thermostats for a complete home automation set up.
Expert Insight: Speaking of automation, ADT’s best automation feature right now is Trusted Neighbor. Using the facial recognition on the Nest Cams, your ADT system can automatically unlock the door (provided you have a smart lock) and disarm the system to let a trusted contact in during emergencies or at certain times of the day to run errands for you.
ADT’s Pricing
If we have a complaint about ADT, it’s the higher price point compared to SimpliSafe. Although, ADT has come closer to SimpliSafe’s pricing in recent years. For comparison, ADT’s starter package retails at $269 while SimpliSafe’s retails at $250. And as we added more components to our system, the price gap got bigger. ADT offers financing options to spread out the cost of our system over three years. SimpliSafe only offers up to two-year financing.
Still, you can’t put a price on trust, and with almost a century and a half of a solid reputation, we knew we could trust ADT to take care of our homes.
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2. Vivint - Best Smart Home Capabilities
Product Specs
Equipment costs Starting at $199 Monitoring options Professional Monthly monitoring costs Starting from $24.99 Contract lengths Starting at 42 months Installation options Professional Smart platform integration Alexa and Google Home Overview of Vivint vs SimpliSafe
Our entire Vivint system was controlled by the sleek Vivint Touchscreen Control Panel. Vivint is yet another highly rated home security system that shows up frequently on our list of the best home security systems. As a starting point, we loved that the company provided us professional installation services for free thanks to a Vivint special deal when we signed up. We’d never see that from SimpliSafe since they focus on DIY installation.
Vivint also has some of the most advanced technology in the industry. Our favorite was their outdoor camera’s smart deter feature that flashed its LED light on lurkers on our property.
Vivint’s Installation and Monitoring
Vivint sent out a professional technician to install our entire system. When it comes to installation and monitoring, Vivint takes things a step further than even ADT. They require professional installation and monitoring, so if you’re not ready to commit to a monthly fee, you should look elsewhere for self-monitored home security.
However, for around $24.99 a month, we had the security of knowing someone had eyes on our home at all times and would call us and emergency services if there were a problem. Vivint may be a little more expensive than some other companies, both in terms of equipment and monitoring, but it’s certainly not overpriced, given just how good a system it is.
Vivint’s Smart Home Capabilities
We synced our Vivint system with the Kwikset smart lock. We mentioned Vivint’s advanced technology earlier and its smart home capabilities is one place where those capabilities shine. While it can pair with smart home ecosystems like Alexa and Google Home, it goes further than that. Instead of pairing Vivint to our Echo Show, we paired our smart home devices to our Vivint system. All of it could be controlled from our Vivint touchscreen control panel or the user-friendly mobile app.
Since we paired our living room lights with our Vivint system, we made our Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro’s active deterrence even more powerful. Whenever it detects a lurker, which turns on its LED light, we also have it turn on our living room light. That can make anyone thinking about breaking into our home think that the house is occupied.
FYI: The Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro features High-dynamic range (HDR) resolution which balances out the dark and light areas of an image, providing more gradations between the two. This helps eliminate shadow and glare.
Vivint’s Pricing
Vivint has taken several steps to become more affordable. While the Outdoor Camera Pro we mentioned cost us $399.99, Vivint recently introduced the HomeProtect system, which starts at just $199.99. That’s one of the most affordable packages we’ve seen from Vivint. A complete HomeProtect Pro system starts at $599.99 with professional installation included.
As we mentioned earlier, Vivint requires a contract and professional monitoring, which starts at $24.99 per month. Now, a contract is only required for systems with financed equipment, but because of the price of Vivint hardware, most customers choose to finance. Unlike ADT contracts, which are typically three years long, Vivint contracts can be up to five years. While price used to be Vivint’s biggest downside compared to SimpliSafe, the new HomeProtect options have made them much more competitive.
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3. Cove - Best Affordability
See Pricing Links to Covesmart.com
Product Specs
Equipment Costs Systems start at $109.5 Monitoring Options Professional only Monthly Monitoring Costs Starting at $22.99 Contract Lengths Month-to-month Installation Options Professional or DIY Smart Platform Integration Alexa and Google Home
Overview of Cove vs SimpliSafe
With Cove’s low prices, we built out a comprehensive security system without breaking the bank. Founded in 2017,2 Cove is a relatively new player in the home security business, but the company has already made a name for itself with affordable monitoring and exemplary customer service. It costs even less than SimpliSafe with a similar approach to home security.
Cove’s Installation and Monitoring
To install our Cove Entry Sensor on the top left corner of our door, we needed a small step ladder. Just like with SimpliSafe, Cove focuses on DIY installation. They can set up a third-party to professionally install the system for a fee, but we recommend installing it yourself. We had ours up and running in about 30 minutes and didn’t run into any hurdles.
But, Cove requires professional monitoring. We had a choice between two Cove monitoring plans. The first of these, the Cove Basic plan, is just $19.99 a month. For that price, we had 24/7 professional monitoring, text and email alerts, and cellular backup. The second, Cove Plus, adds camera access along with other perks like extended warranty.
Since we always go with professional monitoring, we didn’t mind this requirement. Plus, their plans are definitely affordable. Also, its monitoring responses are among the fastest in the business.
Cove’s Smart Home Capabilities
Usually, we controlled our Cove security system through the app. When it came to connecting our Cove system to our Amazon or Google Home devices, we started to notice one of the compromises Cove makes to offer such low prices. We got our system connected to both smart home ecosystems, but the control we were offered was limited. Basically, we could only arm or disarm our system. SimpliSafe offers a bit more in this regard since it could integrate with a few more devices like August Smart Locks. Cove, on the other hand, doesn’t work with any other smart devices.
Cove’s Pricing
For only $50, we thought the image quality of Cove’s indoor camera was pretty good. We customized our own Cove system and managed to get everything we needed for just over $200, including indoor and outdoor cameras, entry sensors, a motion sensor, and a control panel.
Cove even included a free indoor camera, which costs $50 normally. That camera had clear 1080p HD resolution, so we could see exactly what our cat was up to while we were at work. (Spoiler alert: his routine involves a lot of napping.) For comparison, a similar camera from SimpliSafe, the Wireless Indoor Camera, costs $149.99.
THE MORE YOU KNOW: Person detection is a form of artificial intelligence available on newer security cameras. With this feature, the camera can differentiate between people, animals, and moving objects, eliminating false alarms.
While that $50 indoor security camera is a good deal, that’s par for the course with Cove. Here’s an overview of their equipment pricing:
Cove equipment Price Cove Touch Alarm Panel $150 Door/window sensors $15 Motion detector $50 Glass-break detector $50 Smoke and CO detector $95 Flood sensor $125 Key fob $30 Indoor camera $59.99 Outdoor camera $159.99 We had a choice between two Cove monitoring plans. The first of these, the Cove Basic plan, is just $19.99 a month. For that price, we had 24/7 professional monitoring, text and email alerts, and cellular backup.
In order to control the system from our phone, though, we had to go with the pricier Cove Plus plan, which costs $29.99 a month. If self-monitoring is your thing, Cove isn’t for you. The company doesn’t offer any self-monitoring options.
We always go with professional monitoring, though, and Cove’s plans are definitely affordable. Also, its monitoring responses are among the fastest in the business. Ultimately, we felt like Cove really cared about us, and that’s exactly what we want in a home security system company.
Recap
When it comes to top-tier security systems, you have choices. SimpliSafe is a great system, and we recommend it highly. But it’s not for everyone as it does have a few minor drawbacks.
For instance, if you want the best professional installation and monitoring, we’d recommend ADT instead of SimpliSafe. On the other hand, for anyone looking for top-tier smart home capabilities, Vivint blows SimpliSafe out of the water. And if a SimpliSafe system is too expensive for you, Cove can fit almost any budget with systems. For more details, read our Cove review, ADT review, and Vivint review to learn more about each system.
FAQs About SimpliSafe Alternatives
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What is the best alternative to SimpliSafe?
The best SimpliSafe alternative depends on the reason you’re looking for an alternative to SimpliSafe. If you want better professional installation and monitoring, we recommend ADT. For better smart home capabilities, Vivint offers some of the most advanced smart features available. To save some money, Cove offers extremely affordable security systems.
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Is SimpliSafe a good security system?
Yes, we think SimpliSafe is one of the best security systems available. But, it’s not the best option for everyone. We recommend SimpliSafe for anyone looking for a DIY security system with plenty of flexibility.
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Are there cheaper security systems than SimpliSafe?
Although SimpliSafe offers some of the best value in the industry, Cove’s prices are lower across the board.
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Does SimpliSafe offer professional installation?
While you can get your SimpliSafe system professionally installed, it’s not our favorite professional installation service. Instead of installing the system themselves, they hire a third-party to install your system. We preferred the in-house professional installation we received from ADT and Vivint.
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Can SimpliSafe integrate with my smart home ecosystem?
SimpliSafe can work with both Amazon and Google Home smart home ecosystems. But, they don’t offer much in terms of controls. Basically, they just allow you to control your SimpliSafe system with your voice. More advanced systems like Vivint let us set up advanced automation so our security system could react to different scenarios automatically.
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Crunch Base. (2021). Cove – Crunchbase Company Profile & Funding.
crunchbase.com/organization/cove-5deb -
ADT. (2021). Our History.
adt.com/about-adt/history
