Safety is subjective. When it comes to comparing two smart home security systems like SimpliSafe vs Ring, you need to know what you’re seeking protection against. Aside from avoiding damages caused by crimes, leakages, floods, and fires, what else makes you feel safe?

Is it having someone watching over you so you can sleep peacefully? Or is it ensuring your privacy while you sleep peacefully? Do you prefer better cameras or more sensors and alarms? The answers to these questions will help you choose the security system that works best for your needs.

SimpliSafe Home Security

SimpliSafe is a simple DIY home security system that caters to your individual needs. It has everything you may need to secure yourself, your home, and anyone living with you. How does it do that?

Let’s look at its features and what its packages offer.

Highest Priced Package

SimpliSafe's priciest package, Haven, costs about $489 and includes 14 devices. This is a one-time cost for the needed hardware.

Haven consists of:

  • A base station.
  • Keychain remote.
  • Wireless keypad.
  • A couple of motion sensors.
  • Four entry sensors.
  • A siren.
  • Freeze and water detectors.
  • Carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.
  • Panic button
  • SimpliSafe’s yard sign and window decals.

Lowest Cost Package

The lowest-priced package of Simplisafe is $299. It is designed for snug little homes and apartments.

The package includes:

  • A base station.
  • A wireless keypad.
  • An entry sensor.
  • Motion sensor.
  • Yard sign and some decals.

What Add-Ons and Features Does SimpliSafe Have?

Mobile Phone Smart Home Control

SimpliSafe is flexible when it comes to designing your home security system. You can expand your package with add-ons, or make your own system from scratch by buying each item separately.

Here’s the catch though! If you’re already using a SimpliSafe system, you will have to make sure the older hardware is compatible with the newer devices you plan to add.

Cameras are not exactly SimpliSafe’s forte. They have nice doorbell cameras, but other than that, you can barely find any good quality cameras or video recording systems on the website.

One good thing about the indoor cameras available is that they have shutters on when the system is disarmed to protect your privacy.

The SimpliSafe system supports up to four cameras. However, you'll have to buy them as add-ons.

SimpliSafe systems come ready to install with no wiring or drilling needed. They have strong sticky patches that adhere to the surfaces you want to place devices on.

Related: The 5 Biggest Smart Home Security Risks and How to Prevent Them

SimpliSafe’s products don’t support Zigbee, Z-wave, IFTTT, or any home automation appliances that belong to other companies or brands.

Once you’ve installed the systems, you will want to subscribe to either the Pro-monitoring plan for $14.99 a month or the Interactive plan for $24.99 a month.

What's Included in SimpliSafe's Standard Pro Monitoring Plan?

With a standard Pro Monitoring plan, the security teams get alerts when an alarm is set off, or when your sensors detect something.

They contact you whenever the system alerts them. If you do not provide the safe word (a password) you’ve set, they contact authorities and send help. In cases where they’re unable to contact you, they dispatch help immediately.

What's Included in SimpliSafe's Interactive Plan?

With the addition of $10 a month, you can upgrade to the Interactive plan. This adds email and SMS alerts to the standard Pro Monitoring plan and gives you access to an interactive dashboard where you can monitor everything going on in your home.

It also gives you access to finer control features such as secret monitoring where the sensors send you alerts without setting off the alarms.

Pros of Using SimpliSafe

  • Flexible packages.
  • Suitable for all homes.
  • They contact you before alerting authorities.
  • Easy to install and remove.
  • Easy to operate.
  • Good for family, kids, and pets.
  • Supports Alexa and Google Assistant.
  • Back-up battery in case of a power outage.

Cons of Using SimpliSafe

  • Lack of good-quality cameras.
  • Doesn’t support more than four cameras.
  • It’s just a system of alarms without a subscription plan.
  • You don’t get alerts without the interactive plan.

Ring Security System

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Unlike SimpliSafe, Ring is more focused on outdoor security and overall neighborhood safety. That’s why it offers a good collection of high-quality cameras to help you identify faces.

Ring is owned by Amazon, which is why it is compatible with many Amazon products and its partners. Ring’s most prominent features are its app, cameras, video recording, and a wider range of prices.

Ring Neighbor’s App

The best thing about the Neighbor’s App is that it's free for everyone in the US regardless of whether or not they’ve bought any Ring products. The app keeps you in the loop on any incidents posted by other Ring users in your area.

How is your area defined? You set the radius around your home when you sign up to the Neighbor’s App. It notifies you about everything that is posted within that radius, so you can avoid any confrontation with criminals, animals, or any other hazards.

You can look out for someone’s lost pet, child, or otherwise send help whenever you can. You can also exchange information on criminal activities or security risks around you to keep your neighbors informed.

If you own Ring products, you can directly upload footage from your cameras and other alerts from your ring devices.

What's Included in Ring's Packages and Plans?

Ring offers three packages and three subscription plans apart from add-ons. Let’s start with the packages.

1. Five-Piece Alarm Package

The most economical package costs $199.99 and covers the basic needs of a small home. It offers a keypad, base station, range extender, contact sensor, and motion detector.

2. Eight-Piece Alarm Package

This package costs $249.99 and includes eight pieces of hardware—a keypad, a base station, range extender, three contact sensors, and two motion detectors—making it perfect for a family home with more windows and doors.

3. 14-Piece Alarm Package

The 14-piece package costs $329.99 and covers an entire house of 2,000 square feet or more.

It offers a base station, range extender, two keypads, eight contact sensors, and two motion detectors. This could work for a double-storey home with more than one entrance.

Now let’s look at the subscription plans and what you can get out of them.

1. Free

Here’s what you can get out of Ring if you don’t subscribe to anything:

  • Ring Neighbor’s App.
  • Alerts and Notifications from your devices.
  • Voice command control if you add on Alexa.

2. Protect Basic

Protect Basic costs $3 a month, and if you pay yearly, you get two free months. This includes video recording if you add on cameras (which we'll come back to).

3. Protect Plus

Protect Plus costs $10 a month, and if you pay for a year upfront, you get a $20 discount. It includes:

  • Video Recording.
  • Professional Monitoring.

Related: Ring Protect Basic vs. Ring Protect Plus: Which Is Right for You?

You can add environmental and motion sensors to make the most of this plan.

What Add-ons Are Available for Ring?

Ring offers a great variety of doorbell systems that include cameras, motion sensors, video recording, two-way communication, and alerts.

Apart from that, Ring can support up to 10 cameras, including add-ons, and their spotlight cameras are especially useful when it’s dark.

The security systems have back-up batteries that can last for 24 hours. The website also offers a Ring Stick Up Cam battery to keep your cameras functional.

You can control all of your Ring devices and systems through the Ring App and receive updates about your area from the neighbors.

Ring Privacy Concerns

Ring is an affordable, DIY security system that offers a wide range of useful items with good coverage.

But Ring has previously partnered with law enforcement agencies. While that may sound positive, it raises privacy concerns for Ring users.

You can't install cameras at angles that give a view of any neighbor’s house or yard.

However, that doesn’t make up for the fact that police and third-party agencies can request Amazon to provide access to any footage recorded from any of the Ring cameras within 60 days of recording—even when the owners deny access to their cameras when asked directly.

If you buy Ring products, you must read all the terms and conditions of what you’re agreeing to first.

Pros of Ring Security System

  • It's affordable DIY.
  • Free Neighbor’s App.
  • Free self-monitoring.
  • Video Recording.
  • Connected Neighborhood.
  • Better coverage with extenders.
  • Compatible with many smart home appliances.
  • Voice command with Alexa.

Cons of Ring Security System

  • Confusing Keypad.
  • Privacy issues.
  • Hard to reset.
  • Very few low-cost sensors.
  • No key fob.

SimpliSafe Vs Ring

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Though the SimpliSafe vs Ring debate might seem like comparing apples and oranges, if we take an objective stance, you can still decide which one is the best bet for you.

If you prefer being on your own, or the idea of anyone having access to your cameras bothers you, you should stick to the SimpliSafe alarm systems. It lets you set up secret alerts for monitoring and has more focus on indoor security.

If you’re in an area where outdoor security matters just as much because your kids or pets play in the neighborhood, or if your area has a higher crime rate, Ring is the better option.

The Ring app unites the whole neighborhood. You can remotely access your cameras and receive alerts when someone’s at your doorstep.

If your local authorities are trustworthy, Ring is even better and helps reduce the crime rate in your neighborhood.

When you opt for professional monitoring in Ring, it requires you to press the emergency button for at least three seconds to send an alert.

In terms of price, Ring beats SimpliSafe on every level, from hardware packages to subscription plans, and offers more coverage.

SimpliSafe Or Ring: The Choice Is Yours

Whether you choose Ring or SimpliSafe, you will have to read all the terms, conditions, and policies before you sign up.

Ring security systems are cheaper and offer more services, but privacy can be an issue. It focuses on extending security to outdoor areas and the overall neighborhood.

SimpliSafe is designed to be simple, and easy to use, with a focus on indoor security. The catch is that you need to subscribe to the Interactive plan for self-monitoring. It is meant for smaller homes and requires less operating.

Which one’s the safest for you? It's ultimately down to you.