Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head
SimpliSafe The Essentials vs Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2nd Gen)
Which should you buy? Here's the honest call, pulled from our full The Best DIY Home Security Systems: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
SimpliSafe is the best DIY security system for most people: effortless setup, built-in cellular and battery backup, and no-contract monitoring with the fewest strings attached. Ring Alarm is the smarter buy for Alexa households that will subscribe anyway, thanks to the cheapest hardware and a monitoring plan that also covers Ring cameras.
SimpliSafe The Essentials
Buy itThe most polished all-around DIY security kit, with genuinely painless setup and no-contract professional monitoring that just works.
- Peel-and-stick installation that independent testing consistently ranks among the easiest in the category
- Base station has cellular connectivity and battery reserve, so it keeps protecting you through Wi-Fi and power outages
- No-contract professional monitoring with transparent tiers, plus a working free self-monitoring mode
- Clean, unintimidating hardware that owners say guests and kids actually use
- No Apple HomeKit, Z-Wave, or Zigbee support - it is a security system first and a smart-home citizen second
- Monitoring plans have crept upmarket over the years, and the best app features sit behind the paid tiers
Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2nd Gen)
Buy itThe best value in DIY security if you subscribe - cheap sensors, deep Alexa integration, and monitoring that undercuts the big names.
- Lowest equipment and expansion costs of the four - extra contact sensors cost noticeably less than rivals'
- Excellent app and seamless integration with Alexa and Ring doorbells and cameras
- Slim second-generation sensors that fit narrow door frames, with sub-hour setup reported by most owners
- Professional monitoring tier also bundles camera features, making the subscription good value in the ecosystem
- Heavily subscription-dependent: cellular backup and key features require the paid plan, and free-tier functionality has been trimmed over time
- Amazon-only ecosystem - no HomeKit, and Z-Wave was dropped from newer hardware
Side by side
| SimpliSafe The Essentials | Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2nd Gen) | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | Most households that want a set-it-and-forget-it alarm with credible professional monitoring and no contract | Alexa and Ring households that are happy to pay the monthly fee and want the cheapest path to whole-home sensor coverage |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget |
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the SimpliSafe The Essentials - The most polished all-around DIY security kit, with genuinely painless setup and no-contract professional monitoring that just works. Choose the Ring Alarm 8-Piece Kit (2nd Gen) instead if alexa and Ring households that are happy to pay the monthly fee and want the cheapest path to whole-home sensor coverage.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best DIY Home Security Systems: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).