Gabe Turner: Hey, folks. This is Gabe at Security Baron. Today, we have a matchup of every proportions
in the home security system around the young, upstart SimpliSafe versus the veteran Vivint.
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Gabe: In today's showdown between SimpliSafe and Vivint, we're going to go over some key
similarities and differences, system components and installation, professional monitoring,
customer support, and finally, dive into their respective mobile applications so you have
all the information you need to make the right decision.
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Gabe: If you'd 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 kick off today's comparison of SimpliSafe and Vivint looking at some key similarities
and differences, beginning with the similarities.
Now, both of these systems have really highly-rated mobile applications. Both iPhone and Android
users seem to be having a nice intuitive time arming and disarming their system, checking
out their event history, customizing the notifications, all in the mobile app.
I think that actually lends itself even further to convenience when you look at the cohesive,
integrated systems that both of these systems have. They have their own component, so each
piece works really well with the other. That's something that we don't always see in the
home security market.
Finally, you don't have to worry about your WiFi going out or having issues like that,
because they both come with cellular backup so they can always get out that crucial information,
no matter what's going on in terms of the power electricity.
When it comes to key differences between SimpliSafe and Vivint, one has to do with installation.
SimpliSafe is a do-it-yourself system. You're going to basically have all the pieces out.
They come pre-programmed, so don't worry, it's very easy. You're going to place them
where you want them to be physically around your home, and you'll be ready to go. I promise
you, the process shouldn't take you longer than an hour.
Vivint is on other end of the spectrum. It is a professional-installation-only system.
You or a trusted person will need to be at your home, and the Vivint technicians that
only work with Vivint -- they're not just general technicians -- will come and install
your entire system. It's very easy. It's very professional in my experience.
Another key difference between SimpliSafe and Vivint is related to their contracts.
With SimpliSafe, you're going to pay for your equipment up front and then you'll have a
flexible or month-to-month contract going forward when it comes to professional monitoring.
With Vivint, you can do the same thing. You can pay for all your equipment up front and
then have month-to-month contracting, or you can sign a three-and-a-half or five-year contract,
making sure that you retain professional monitoring, pay a little bit of a premium each month,
and spread out that initial cost of your equipment over the length of that contract.
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Gabe: Whoa, hold on. I hope you're enjoying today's comparison of SimpliSafe and Vivint.
If you want to keep up-to-date on the newest and smart home security, cyber security and
more, subscribe to our channel Security Baron. We're dropping new content weekly. All right,
let's get back to the video.
Now that we've gone over the key similarities and differences between the SimpliSafe and
Vivint home security system, let's talk about their components. Now, each of these systems
is highly customizable, but here in Security Baron, we think that everyone should have
some core components.
Of course, they should be your base station and keypad, your entry sensors, your motion
sensors, and a home security camera. Now, with SimpliSafe, that process is really transparent.
You can go to their website. You can decide if you need things for a small apartment,
a larger home. Then you can add elements à la carte, and you know right there on the
website, how much that's all going to cost you.
With Vivint, the process is a little bit opaque. You're going to have to give them a call and
talk through which pieces you think you need for your home. Ultimately, you'll be provided
with a quote.
Interestingly enough, after we built out our expansive systems with SimpliSafe and Vivint,
the prices came out to be fairly comparable. With the SimpliSafe system, it was under $800,
but just barely. With Vivint, it was a little bit over $800. That was a surprise to us,
but of course, this is going to be highly variable and dependent on your needs for your
home.
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Gabe: Now that we've gone over the system components for SimpliSafe and Vivint, let's
talk about the installation process. Now, with SimpliSafe, it is easy. No knowledge
of home security systems required. No drilling. No tools. It's all a peel-and-stick system,
and it all comes pre-programmed.
So you'll take out your base station and your keypad, all of your sensors, you want to plug
in that base station. Then you're going to go through and physically place by just peeling
and sticking each elements over your door, possibly, over your window, place your motion
sensor somewhere.
Then you use the mobile application to sync all of these together with the DIY process
brought to you by SimpliSafe.
Moving on to Vivint, it is a professional installation process. You just have to make
sure that you're at home. Vivint will send its own technicians to your home and it will
be free as long as you're buying an entire home security system.
Not only do these people install it very professionally, but they actually walk you through the process
and ensure that you understand your system before they leave. They can answer any of
your questions, and by the time they left my home, I felt really confident that I knew
everything I needed to know about getting my home security system up and going.
Overall, I was really impressed with the Vivint professional installation process.
Looking at the distinctive installation processes from SimpliSafe and Vivint, you're going to
have a very different experience -- be it the do-it-yourself elements of SimpliSafe,
or the professional installation of Vivint -- but they are similar and that they're both
pleasant processes that are going to leave you with a well-functioning system.
Let's go over the professional monitoring options for SimpliSafe and Vivint. Here at
Security Baron, we think that professional monitoring a.k.a. a team of professionals
watching your home, your environment 24/7 is really important for you and your family's
safety.
We also think they should have cellular backup with any home security system so that just
because your Internet goes out, you still can get out those all important notifications
and alerts.
Beginning with SimpliSafe, you can get that professional monitoring with the Interactive
Plan. $24.99 a month gives you remote control of your home's resources in terms of arming
and disarming the system. You get smart home integrations, and of course, that all important
cellular backup to ensure that your family is safe even if your Internet goes out.
If you need to move, you can do so easily. Remember, it's the do-it-yourself system.
Just tell SimpliSafe where you've gone and they'll be sure to relocate your home in terms
of their system and where they need to send the proper authorities.
In terms of if you decide to go abroad or you don't need professional monitoring for
whatever reason, it's a flexible contract, so you can stop and begin at any point.
With Vivint, you're going to pay $29.99 a month for your professional monitoring, and
it's going to be $5 a month for each camera that you include. In terms of what you get
with that, you get of course, remote control of your entire system, smart home integrations,
and that cellular backup is all important in case your WiFi goes out.
When it comes to moving, that is a little bit more difficult because remember, Vivint
is a professional installation experience. You're going to have to talk to Vivint about
what the process will be for you and your situation. If you paid for your entire Vivint
system up front, you can cancel your professional monitoring at anytime with no problems.
Ultimately, SimpliSafe is a more affordable professional monitoring system, but we actually
found that Vivint is pretty affordable as compared to its traditional competitors in
the market.
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Gabe: Let's talk about the customer support options for SimpliSafe and Vivint. With SimpliSafe,
you can of course go to their online help center. You can give them a call. You can
submit a form online or just send them an email.
In our experience, we've found that they weren't the most responsive, and sometimes when we
got responses from SimpliSafe, we found that they were a little bit inadequate or incomplete.
However, we do find their online forums that they provided to be more helpful, and they
have a bit of an advantage in that regard over some other home security systems.
When it comes to customer support with Vivint, they give you the online help center option,
the ability to call them, send an email and they even have a live chat function which
we particularly like here at Security Baron, because sometimes we just don't have the bandwidth
to be on the phone all day.
With that being said, very rarely are the phone queues that long when you're giving
Vivint a call. If you have a question, they'll send a technician to your home to fix any
issues and we really thought that they were really on the ball when it comes to taking
care of their customers, and have pretty excellent customer support.
You can see that both of these companies, SimpliSafe and Vivint, provide you a number
of ways of getting in touch with them and getting the help that you need. SimpliSafe
seems to really excel when it comes to answering questions on its online forums, whereas Vivint
has really taken the entire customer experience from responsiveness and attention to detail
to the next level.
Let's talk about the mobile application experiences for SimpliSafe and Vivint which are both phenomenal.
The SimpliSafe app is in the high four out of five star ratings for both the Apple App
and Google Play stores. SimpliSafe has really improved each iteration of the app and it's
been shown in those app scores.
They initially started around the threes. The fact that they've jumped up so much is
really impressive to us here at Security Baron.
In terms of navigating the app for arming and disarming the system, live streaming footage,
looking at your timeline -- which is essentially your event history -- they've made it really
simple in the SimpliSafe app. That's been a great experience.
Switching to Vivint, it is immensely enjoyable experience. It is knocking it out of the park
when it comes to its ratings in the Apple App and Google Play Store, which are both
in the high fours out of five stars.
That's a really impressive element of the Vivint app and it speaks to the overall convenient,
intuitive process for live streaming footage, arming and disarming your system that the
Vivint mobile app provides.
When it comes to the mobile app experience with both SimpliSafe and Vivint, you have
nothing to worry about. The evidence is clear. They are leaders in the industry when it comes
to using your mobile app. It's going to be a super convenient, integrated process.
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Gabe: All right, we've come to the end of our comparison between SimpliSafe and Vivint.
We need to hash out the final distinctions between the two. Let's check that out in our
final breakdown.
With SimpliSafe, we're getting that straightforward DIY installation process that you can have
done in mere minutes with the peel-and-stick and pre-programmed components.
When you're customizing that system online, you can make exactly what you want and know
exactly what you're paying with that transparent pricing. You can couple that with the affordable,
flexible monitoring, and you're ready to go. The real kicker here is this highly rated
mobile application that lets you navigate the system with ease.
When it comes to Vivint, you're going to have a professional installation experience that
is the epitome of professional. Not only are the technicians that work for Vivint polite
but also knowledgeable. They're going to provide you with an experience that makes you feel
incredibly confident about your home's security.
It doesn't end there. It extends into their customer support where they not only give
you a number of options to get in touch with them, but they also even offer that hands-on
customer support where they'll send out a technician to ensure your equipment is working
the way that it should.
If you coupled those elements with their superior mobile app, you'll find navigating Vivint
incredibly easy and convenient.
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Gabe: Overall, SimpliSafe and Vivint both provide really great options for your home's
security. It's going to ultimately come down to what are your needs and exigencies. You
have your own unique situation, and you want to be clear on what those are before you make
your final decision.
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Gabe: That concludes our comparison of SimpliSafe and Vivint 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.
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