Gabe Turner: Hey, folks.
This is Gabe at Security Baron and have I got match up for you today?
Ring Alarm versus SimpliSafe.
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Gabe: In today's comparison of Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security systems, I'm
going to get their key similarities, key differences, installation processes, professional monitoring
options, customer support, before finally delving into that mobile application so you
have all the information you need to make the right decision.
If you like to see a list of our favorite home security systems, google, "Security Baron,
best home security systems."
If you have a question about today's comparison, leave us a comment and I'll get back to you.
Let's begin our comparison of Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security systems by looking
at their key similarities and differences starting with the similarities.
Now they're both do-it-yourself installation home security system.
You order the system once it gets to your house you can go ahead and set it up.
They also both allow for flexible month-to-month contract and so you're not locked into anything
for any long period of time.
The major difference between Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe is about professional monitoring.
Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe both give you that 24/7 professional monitoring, but it is only
SimpliSafe that requires it.
In SimpliSafe, you have to do that 24/7 professional monitoring whereas with Ring Alarm home security
system, you can self-monitor.
Now that we've gone over the key similarities and differences between the Ring Alarm and
SimpliSafe home security systems, let's check out their respective installation processes
beginning with Ring Alarm.
The Ring Alarm you're going to want to take out the system, plug in that base station
and download the mobile app.
Mobile app will guide you through the rest of the process.
You'll take out the remaining components.
Let's say you take out the motion detector, you will sync it with the base station and
you will peel and adhere it to where you'd like your motion detector to be.
That goes again with the door sensors.
You'll take out the door sensor, pull the tap to get that battery going.
What's interesting about Ring is that the larger pieces acts as the piece that goes
on the door itself and the smaller piece goes in the frame.
Typically, with home security systems, you'll find that the larger piece goes in the frame
and the smaller piece goes on that mobile door.
With Ring Alarm, they've switched the process up a little bit.
You continue that process with the door sensor, you plug in your range extender and you'll
set up the Ring Alarm keypad.
Overall, Ring Alarm pretty straightforward set up.
I will note that you don't have all those pieces coming preprogrammed in the manner
that you do with a lot of other home security systems and that definitely adds time to the
overall set up process.
Hold on.
Quick break.
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Let's get back to the video.
Moving on to the SimpliSafe installation process, I have to say that, SimpliSafe is really that
easy.
No drills, no tools, really no skill required in setting it up.
You'll take your base station, get that package, plug it in, take the mobile app, put it on
your phone and you're ready to go.
All the components with SimpliSafe come preprogrammed and basically synced up.
You'll take your motion detector, peel off that adhesive, stick it where you'd like,
and there you go.
Your motion detection is engaged.
If you want to do your entry sensors, so take that door frame you have, put one piece on
the door frame, one piece on the door itself, and there you go.
Now you know whenever someone has opened or closed that door.
Same with your window sensors.
Peel and stick.
Boom.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Even adding in the SimpliCam that comes at our Summerfort security system by SimpliSafe,
it probably took me fewer than 30 minutes of my time to have the entire thing set up.
When it comes to choosing a top system for installation, I have to go with SimpliSafe
for its effortless process.
The next category for us to check out between Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security system,
is professional monitoring.
Professional monitoring gets you that 24/7 team of professionals protecting your home.
SimpliSafe requires it.
You have to get professional monitoring with SimpliSafe but you know you are protected.
They also have a cellular back up to ensure that in case there's a power outage, you can
still get out that all-important message that something might be going on.
We SimpliSafe you get that for as low as $14.99.
That's a standard plan.
If you upgrade to the interactive plan which is $24.99, you get Smart Home Integration
with Amazon Alexa, the ability to save and share videos, remote control of your system
and notifications to your phone among other things.
If you truly want that Smart Home security experience, you're going to go with the interactive
plan.
With Ring, you have a few options.
If you don't want to pay anything monthly, Ring gives you the ability to remotely control
your system, integrate with Amazon Alexa and even live streaming footage with the free
self-monitoring option.
If you decide to go with the Ring Protect Basic Plan for $3 a month or $30 a year, you
get the ability to have 60 days of Cloud storage and they add cellular backup.
If you go to with the Ring Protect Plus plan for $10 a month, you can add 24/7 professional
monitoring and an extended warranty.
Moving into contracts, they're both month-to-month flexible contracting.
I will note that Ring does give you an annual discount if you decide to go with that annual
deal.
I actually think if you decide to cancel at any point, you'll get pro-rated refund which
is pretty impressive for a home security system.
Both of them very simple, straightforward, flexible month-to-month contract.
When it comes to your policy for moving, you'll note that they're do-it-yourself system.
You just need to make sure Ring and SimpliSafe know where your new home is so they can send
the police to the right address or the fire department to the right address and you're
ready to go.
It's straightforward.
Take it apart, we set it up with that adhesive peel and stick.
When it comes to picking a top system for professional monitoring, we want to be clear
that both of these systems Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe are miles ahead of their competition
when it comes to affordability and flexibility.
That being said, we're going to give the win here to Ring Alarm just for how affordable
their professional monitoring is.
Let's jump to the customer support for Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe.
Both of them give you the option to go into their online help centers and use FAQs and
tutorials to find the answers to your questions.
They both offer phone support.
Neither of them has live chat which is something we love to see it with a home security system.
We will note that SimpliSafe does allow you to email them.
Ring has a 4.5 in Amazon and a 3.8 in Google with pretty mixed reviews as they pertain
to customer support with people saying they couldn't always find the answers they needed
with the representatives with whom they spoke with.
If you look at SimpliSafe, they have a 3.5 rating with a similar 12P system not too unlike
the Summerfort security system that we have.
Then a 4.7 rating in general on Amazon.
Once again, you see reviews of people who are not getting the answers they needed and
even some complaining about being on hold for hours.
When we pick a top system for customer support, we want to know that it doesn't seem that
Ring Alarm nor SimpliSafe have gotten things completely right.
We're still going to give the edge here to SimpliSafe.
The final element I want to compare today between Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security
systems, are their mobile applications.
With any mobile application, you want it to be one, intuitive and two, well-functioning.
Fortunately, The Ring Alarm Always Home app is both of those things.
It gives a 3.3 in both the Android Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Of course, you can do the most important and primary function of any home security system,
arm or disarm your system and make sure you know what's going on right there on the mobile
application.
You can also live stream footage and incorporate all the components in the Ring ecosystem like
we have with our Ring Stick up Cam.
Some cool extras that come with the Ring Alarm system is you get these crimes and neighbor
alerts so you can actually know what's going on in your general vicinity beyond what's
going on in your home.
Looking at this SimpliSafe app, this is a really interesting case.
When we initially reviewed SimpliSafe's mobile application, it was honestly getting almost
mediocre ratings of 3.3, 3.1 in the App Store and Google Play Store respectively and they've
really had an impressive turnaround.
They now have a 4.8 in the Apple App Store and a 3.9 in the Google Play Store.
All those things that you can do before in terms of live streaming your footage or reviewing
your Cloud storage, arming and disarming your system remotely, have all become that much
more of a consistent experience.
When it comes to choosing a top system for mobile application, we have to go with SimpliSafe.
The numbers reflected in their recent reviews and ratings are superior to those of the Ring
Always Home app.
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Gabe: Let's do a quick recap of every element that we've compared today between Ring Alarm
and SimpliSafe home security systems.
Installation, here we give the win to SimpliSafe.
In terms of the preprogramming of all the components and the peel and stick elements
of putting the system together, it's too easy.
Professional monitoring, here we give the win to Ring Alarm Home Security System as
it is incredibly affordable and flexible.
Customer support, here we give the slight edge to SimpliSafe as they seem to have a
generally more positive customer-support experience and more options for how to get in touch with
them.
Mobile application, here we give the win to SimpliSafe.
Their reviews and ratings are superior and their recent update seems to have really put
them ahead of the competition.
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Gabe: We've come a long way in our comparison of Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security
systems.
If you've been paying attention, you'll note that SimpliSafe won three out of our four
categories.
I actually want to go out of my way to say that Ring Alarm actually performed pretty
well.
It was edged out by SimpliSafe.
If you're talking about self-monitoring, you're going to have to go with Ring Alarm.
It's the only one that gives you that option.
Also, it gives you the most affordable and flexible professional monitoring options.
However, if you want the easiest installation process and one of the best mobile applications
out there for a home security system, you're going to want to go with SimpliSafe.
Overall, you really can't go wrong.
You need to make sure you know what you want out of your home security system.
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Gabe: That concludes our comparison of Ring Alarm and SimpliSafe home security systems.
If you appreciate today's video, give us a like and hit that "Subscribe" button.
As always, this is Gabe at Security Baron.
Be secure.