SimpliSafe review

Are you looking into the best security systems for business? Keeping your premises secure is important, but so is keeping your costs down. SimpliSafe is an award-winning security company that offers a range of easily installed budget DIY security options for business, such as wireless motion and entry sensors, as well as professional monitoring.

In this SimpliSafe review we’ll take a deeper look at its offering, focusing on pricing, features, user-friendliness, and customer support so you can determine if it’s right for your business.

SimpliSafe: Plans and pricing

SimpliSafe is competitively priced compared to similar systems on the market. You buy the hardware up front for one of its standard or customised security packages. These packages are categorised by different business types.

Business Essentials ($155), the cheapest package, provides basic hardware including the base station, motion sensors, and keypad. Meanwhile, the more expensive Office System ($236), Storefront System ($260), and Restaurant System ($293) packages all come with varying types of hardware/sensors to suit the business type.

SimpliSafe also offers finance options to spread the upfront cost of the equipment. All packages come with a 60-day return option if you are not satisfied, and SimpliSafe will even pay for the return shipping. If you prefer professional installation instead, you can arrange that with SimpliSafe for a $79 fee.

SimpliSafe also provides a choice of three business monitoring packages that are bought separately from the hardware. The first is 24/7 Professional Monitoring ($0.83 a day), which provides monitoring from SimpliSafe’s control center. It includes police dispatch with video verification, unlimited recordings for up to10 cameras, and water damage/temperature monitoring.

Next is Limited Pro Monitoring ($0.50 a day), which provides monitoring, but does not offer evidential video recording. That means if there’s an alarm, the monitoring center will dispatch police without any video evidence of a break-in, so police response times will be slower.

Camera Recordings Only ($0.33 a day) is for those who already have the SimpliCam or Video Doorbell Pro (sold separately) and want to do their own video monitoring. This means you’ll need to contact the police yourself if there is a break in.

None of SimpliSafe’s plans require a long-term contract, so there are no expensive contract cancellation fees.

SimpliSafe: Features

SimpliSafe provides a variety of features, depending on what package or monitoring plan you choose, and here we take a look at some of the most important.

As the brains of the SimpliSafe system, you want the base station to be ultra-reliable. It’s built to be smash proof, and has a 95dB siren as well as 24hr backup battery in case of problems. When your base station sounds an alert, it sends the signal until the monitoring center confirms they received it (if you have a monitoring plan).

You don’t need Wi-Fi for your SimpliSafe system to work, but it is recommended. The SimpliSafe base station has a built-in cellular connection that controls your sensors and communicates with SimpliSafe’s monitoring service. You can connect SimpliSafe to your Wi-Fi network as well, which means your devices will automatically switch to Wi-Fi when the cell connection is too weak.

This is also useful for those with businesses in more rural areas who may be concerned about patchy cellular coverage.

You’ll receive instant alerts via the SimpliSafe app, or by text message/email, depending on your monitoring plan. You can customise these notifications, and the alerts are very useful for finding out immediately if someone tries to break in or an employee is there when they shouldn’t be.

If you choose the 24/7 Professional Monitoring plan, you’ll get a silent notification if a restricted area you have specified is entered or opened. This feature enables you to closely monitor sensitive or important files, drawers, areas, or safes without anyone else knowing.

SimpliSafe: Interface and in-use

One of the big advantages of SimpliSafe is how easy it is to set up and use. Unbox, plug your base station into a standard AC outlet, and follow the setup instructions for placing the sensors and any other hardware in the best places. You don’t need any tools, and there’s no drilling involved.

The SimpliSafe mobile app is available for both Android and iOS devices, and is well designed. It’s easy to use, and it enables you to operate your alarm system from a remote location. It also integrates with temperature and water sensors if they come with your package.

The app is extremely useful for those who spend a lot of time away from their premises yet want to keep an eye on things.

SimpliSafe: Support

SimpliSafe offers extensive support, including an online Help Centre that covers general questions about billing, using the system, and monitoring services, as well as sections on specific SimpliSafe products. You can also ask questions on the user forums, of which the ‘Installing and Using SimpliSafe’ forum seems to be the most active.

Support options include email, a phone number that is available 365 days a year, from 8:00am to midnight, ET, and there is a live help option open during the same times. Email response can be slow if you aren’t in the same time zone.

Alternatives to Simplisafe

SimpliSafe isn’t the only DIY security system out there worth considering. FrontPoint is dependable and effective for small/medium businesses, but you are tied into at least a 12-month contract.

If your security needs are more specialised but you still want a DIY system, Link Interactive offers features that few others do. For instance, you can get gun locks with sensors, and the company also does sensors for outdoors areas like sheds or gates. As with FrontPoint, its contracts lock you in for at least 12 months, though.

Simplisafe: Final verdict

SimpliSafe is an easy and budget-friendly way to protect your business. While the hardware may cost more than the competition, the monthly monitoring fees are very affordable, and the smartphone app offers you great flexibility.

One downside is that its products don’t integrate with Z-Wave, IFTTT, or other smart platforms like those of some rivals, but that’s probably not going to be a deal-breaker for most.

SimpliSafe isn’t the best choice if your business has a very large area to protect, or has many entry points. This is because the base station range is around 800 feet, and if your premises are larger than that you won’t get the level of protection you need. If you have a lot of entry points it also becomes cost prohibitive to buy sensors for each one of them.

However, it’s an excellent choice for small to medium business premises and offices, and would suit places like restaurants, medical practices, law firms, real estate developers, home offices, and smaller retailers. All in all, we were very impressed by SimpliSafe and highly recommend the system.