Hey everyone, Katie from SafeWise here.
And today we're putting two of the most popular
home security systems head to head.
Both claim to have better prices and features and equipment,
but we'll be the ones to decide who comes out top DIY dog.
In this corner, we have the doorbell pioneer themselves,
the Amazon-owned Ring.
And in this corner we have the system that changed the game,
you've probably heard of them on podcasts: SimpliSafe.
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The two are competing in five categories;
price, monitoring, equipment, smart features,
and customer service.
Who will come out on top?
Stick around and find out.
But first, like and subscribe to SafeWise
and tell us who you think the reigning champ is.
SimpliSafe, Ring, I want a clean fight.
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First up is pricing.
We compared the lowest packages from each system.
And so what do you get with each of them?
SimpliSafe's cheapest equipment comes in at $229,
while Ring, on the other hand, costs $199.
SimpliSafe's foundation kit comes with a keypad,
a base station, one contact sensor, and one motion sensor.
Ring counters with a five-piece kit that has
all of the above plus a range extender
that sends signals farther to spread out equipment.
So if you have a larger house or a ton of equipment
working with your Ring system,
it's a really handy device to have.
So far, that $30 difference
is not working in SimpliSafe's favor.
We're gonna give this point to Ring.
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Let's see how the two compare with monitoring.
Both companies offer professional monitoring.
And, no surprise, Ring's is cheaper.
But what do you get for each plan?
With Ring, $10 a month gets you connection
to monitoring professionals who call first responders
when your alarm triggers.
It also extends your warranty and gives you a discount
on future purchases with Ring.
SimpliSafe, on the other hand, costs $24.99 a month,
but its interactive plan comes with much stronger features.
SimpliSafe's interactive plan includes video clips
sent to emergency responders, fire emergency dispatch,
water damage alerts, and built-in cellular connection.
So for this category, we gotta give it to SimpliSafe.
Big blue may be pricey,
but you get a lot more for your money.
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Now let's look at equipment.
Basic sensors are helpful, but we wanted something
that does a lot more than just scare off the bad guys.
SimpliSafe has a potpourri of home safety
and security equipment.
Outside of the standard system, you can find devices
like glass break sensors, smart locks,
and even a panic button.
SimpliSafe also has sensors for hazards
like carbon monoxide, smoke, water damage,
and freezing temperatures.
The SimpliCam and video doorbell both have two-way audio
and options for video recording.
And while SimpliSafe has yet to release an outdoor camera,
you can get a kit for your cam.
Ring, on the other hand, has pretty basic equipment.
Its other packages are kind of just the five piece
with extra sauce.
You can get basic system add-ons like an Echo Dot,
extra contact sensors, or a smoke alarm listener,
which is kind of like a smoke alarm alarm.
But Ring's strength really lies in its cameras.
The company got its start with doorbell cameras
and now has eight different models.
Ring also has two outdoor cameras and two indoor cameras.
Ring is a great option if you want cheap monitoring
and cheap camera options,
but there is some controversy behind them.
Check out our video on Ring privacy and the police
to learn more about that.
On the other hand, SimpliSafe does cost more,
but the company has equipment to protect
against fires, burglaries and more.
So this category goes to SimpliSafe.
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Next up is smart features.
These let you automate your system and parts of your home.
Pairing your security system with other components
makes your routine a little smoother,
whether you're at home off to work or out of town.
Honestly, neither system shines too brightly
in this category, but they both check
a lot of important boxes.
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Smart speaker compatibility allows you to arm
and disarm your system with just your voice,
as well as connect your system with things like
lights and plugs.
SimpliSafe has its own smart lock
and works with August Lock.
But outside of that,
it doesn't really play well with others.
Ring has the opposite problem.
The Amazon-owned company has pretty limited equipment
of its own, but it works with a zoo of third-party gear.
You can pair your Ring system with things like smart locks,
lights, plugs, bulbs, dimmers, switches, garage openers,
IFTTT components, Z-Wave, and even smart TVs.
Ring works with so many extra things
that we had to dedicate an entire article to it.
With that said, SimpliSafe covers some smart features ground
but Ring takes the cake on this one.
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Which brings us to our final category: customer service.
We compared things like help resources, customer reviews,
return policies, and warranties to figure out
which company has the better experience.
Both SimpliSafe and Ring have online forums for customers
and giant FAQ pages.
You can also have either system installed professionally
if you prefer.
And they both have direct lines of connection
with customer service reps.
As far as reaching actual people goes,
we gotta give this one to Ring.
They have a 24/7 open phone line,
while SimpliSafe limits their hours.
But customer service rating shows a different story.
Overall, SimpliSafe gets more and better reviews
from their customers on websites like Trustpilot,
Consumer Affairs, the Apple App Store,
and the Google Play Store.
Customers on only one of those four sites that we saw
favored Ring over SimpliSafe.
And then there's the return policies and the warranties.
SimpliSafe offers a 60-day window to return your system
and get your money back.
While Ring on the other hand, limits it to 30.
And SimpliSafe's three-year warranty
kicks the pants off of Ring's one year.
So, overall, we have to give this category to SimpliSafe.
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Despite not being available on the phones all day,
SimpliSafe offers a better customer service
with its better return policy, warranty, and reviews online.
And our winner in this head-to-head is SimpliSafe.
Ring put up a good fight with its competitive pricing
and wide selection of cameras.
But we've gotta hand it to SimpliSafe for having
the better monitoring equipment and customer service.
Is there a side-by-side comparison you wanna see?
Let us know in the comments below, and don't forget to like
and subscribe to SafeWise.
But for now, stay safe.
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