SimpliSafe vs Link Interactive: An Expert Comparison
Today we will be comparing home security providers SimpliSafe and Link Interactive, and see how they stack up! We’ll go over equipment, monitoring plans, and more!
Trying to find the perfect security solution for your home can be a bit overwhelming. A good security control panel will provide you with the option to expand it to include some home automation and video surveillance equipment with it. You also want to make sure that the company you are interested in has a monitoring service that fit both your needs and budget. Today we will be comparing SimpliSafe and Link Interactive by going reviewing add-on equipment, monitoring services, and more.
SimpliSafe Control Panel
SimpliSafe is well known for designing and producing their own brand of security, home automation, and video surveillance equipment. SimpliSafe uses their wireless and cellular control panel to connect all of your devices to one place. Their control panel has a cone shaped design, and it includes an LED indicator light at the base that changes color to show different system statuses. It is powered by an AC power source, and includes a backup battery. You don’t have to have a WIFI or landline connection for your SimpliSafe control panel to work, but it will connect to your home’s WIFI as a backup. All functions for your control panel and SimpliSafe system are controlled through a separate push-button keypad. They keypad has a rechargeable-battery, and you can add devices, customize features, and access much more of your system’s and devices’ features through the keypad. The SimpliSafe control panel includes chimes for different devices being triggered along with alerts letting you know your system’s status. If your system is triggered the SimpliSafe control panel will sound its internal siren. The SimpliSafe control panel and keypad include an extra layer of protection so if they are damaged during a home invasion by an intruder, they will still transmit a signal.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, our home security system at Link Interactive >>
Link Interactive Control Panel
Link Interactive doesn’t have just one control panel for you to choose from, but instead has a couple. Link’s best selling control panel is the Qolsys IQ Panel 2 control panel. This control panel has the most features, and has a sleek thin design that is sure to look good inside any home. It is a wireless and cellular system, but you can connect to your home’s WIFI so that you have double the connection. It is powered by an AC power source, and it includes a backup-battery. You can control your system and any connected devices right from the IQ Panel 2’s 7-inch full colored touchscreen. The touchscreen also displays your system’s status, time, and local temperature. It has a 5 MP front facing camera that will trigger to take a snap shot when your system is armed or disarmed. The IQ Panel 2 includes Bluetooth arming and disarming which is feature that will automatically arm and disarm your system when you leave or return home. One really standout feature for the IQ Panel 2 is that it has a built-in glass break detector that will listen for the sound of breaking glass. This panel also includes an internal siren that will sound if your system or any connected devices are triggered. The IQ Panel 2 includes a Z-Wave protocol that allows you to use a variety of other branded smart home automation devices with it like smart locks, making it super expandable.
See our cutting-edge control panel by Qolsys >>
Who wins?
Both SimpliSafe and Link Interactive offer high-quality control panels that are easy to use and are built to last. We really like the simplicity of the SimpliSafe control panel, and the indictor light is a nice touch. The IQ Panel 2 offered by Link Interactive is out of this world, with more bells and whistles and integration possibilities with various sensors and smart devices. Additionally, we really love the built-in glass break sensor and camera on the panel. Because Link Interactive offers a more premium control panel, we are choosing Link as the winner for this category.
SimpliSafe Equipment
SimpliSafe has a variety of basic equipment for you to choose from. They offer wireless battery-operated intrusion sensors such as door/window, motion, and glass break sensors. These sensors are great at protecting the areas that most home invaders choose as their entryway into the home. SimpliSafe also offers wireless and battery-operated external sirens so you can hear your system being triggered no matter where you are. As another way to arm and disarm your system, SimpliSafe offers key fob remotes. Their key fob remotes have a push-button design that allows to arm and disarm your system with a push of a button. To automatically trigger your system for an emergency response, SimpliSafe offers a push-button panic button. To protect your home against the elements SimpliSafe safe has environmental safety sensors you can use with their system. Their environmental safety sensors are wireless and battery-operated. SimpliSafe offers smoke, temperature, CO, and water leak sensors. These sensors will trigger your system if dangerous rises are detected in their determined environmental hazard, they will make an audible alert along with triggering your system. All equipment offered by SimpliSafe is DIY (do it yourself), but the equipment is super easy to setup and they include a step-by-step setup guide.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive >>
Home Automation
You are going to run into a bit of a rut if you are interested in a SimpliSafe system and are looking to expand it to include home automation/smart devices. You can only use SimpliSafe branded equipment with your SimpliSafe system, and they don’t really have a lot of their branded home automation equipment for you to choose from. The only real piece of home automation equipment they offer is their smart lock. Their smart lock is a really easy self-install lock that fits over your existing deadbolt lock. You can remotely control your SimpliSafe smart lock through the SimpliSafe app. You can create custom user codes for your SimpliSafe lock that can be entered on its push-button keypad.
Video Monitoring/Cameras
When it comes to video surveillance equipment, SimpliSafe fairs a bit better. The main camera they promote is their Simpli Cam which can be used indoors or outdoors. Though we suggest if you are going to use it outdoors that you place it in an area that protects it from the elements. The Simpli Cam is a wireless camera that works by directly connecting to your home’s WIFI network. It is powered by an AC power source so you want to make sure you have one nearby. The Simpli Cam can capture video is stunning HD, and it includes smart motion detectors that will trigger it to start to record. It has a night-vison technology and a 2-way audio feature that lets you directly communicate with whomever is around your Simpli Cam. SimpliSafe also offers a video doorbell camera. This stunning little camera can capture video is in 1080P and has a 162-degree field of view. It works by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network, and it is powered by your existing doorbell wiring. The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro has 2-way audio, advanced night vision technology, and smart motion sensors.
Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive >>
Link Interactive Equipment
Link Interactive wanted to make sure you could really expand your Link Interactive security system to give your home total coverage which is reflected in the selection of basic equipment. All the basic equipment we will be going over is wireless and battery-operated. Link Interactive offers a variety of intrusion sensors. Link offers door/window, gate, tilt, glass break, motion, and image sensors. The gate sensor is unique in that it is a door/window sensor but for the gates/doors of the outside of your home. The image sensor is another unique sensor due to it being able to take snap shots when motion is detected in an area it is placed. Tilt sensors are used for the garage doors of home, and they will alert you to when your garage door has been opened or shut. Link Interactive offers a secondary full colored touchscreen remote. You can control all of the basic functions for your IQ Panel 2 through this keypad. Link interactive offers a panic button that will immediately trigger your system if the button is pushed. To protect your home from the elements, Link Interactive offers a temperature/smoke sensor and a CO sensor. Their temperature/smoke sensor will detect for smoke and detect rises and drops in temperature while their CO detector will monitor for dangerous rises in CO gas. If these are detected these sensors will make an audible alert while triggering your Link Interactive security system. All equipment offered by Link Interactive is DIY, but a step-by-step setup guide for a fast and easy installation is included.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive >>
Home Automation
Link Interactive has a ton of home automation and video surveillance equipment you can use with the Qolsys IQ Panel 2. Today we will only be going over some of these items. If you are looking for a more complete list you can visit Link Interactive’s website at https://www.linkinteractive. Link Interactive offers a few different smart locks that you can buy directly from them. The smart locks offered by them have a push-button keypad that allows for quick one touch arming. You can create custom user codes along with remotely control the smart locks offered by Link Interactive through their smart phone app. Links offers smart lights and modules in where custom timers can be set for when they come on an off. These devices are great at cutting down on your home’s energy consumption down, and they can also be remotely controlled through the Link Interactive App. To remotely control the garage doors of your home, Link Interactive offers a garage door controller. You will also receive push notification anytime your garage doors have been opened or shut. To make your home a little greener you can add a smart thermostat from Link Interactive to your system. The smart thermostat offered by them works for the majority of HVAC heating and cooling systems. Custom timers along with remote control of this thermostat is just some of its features.
Monitoring/Cameras
Link Interactive also offers a huge selection of indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell cams. The basic features for all the cameras include HD video resolution, motion sensor, 2-way audio, and advanced night vision. Due to the IQ Panel 2 having a Z-Wave protocol you can also use other home automation equipment not listed or offered by Link Interactive with your Link Interactive security system.
Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive >>
Who wins?
SimpliSafe and Link Interactive offer a lot of basic equipment for you to choose from. Both offer wireless and battery-operated intrusion and environmental safety sensor. Link Interactive offers an image sensor which is something that we haven’t seen from other companies lately. We really like the external siren offered by SimpliSafe. However, Link Interactive does have an external siren available as well, and also have a larger selection of basic equipment for you to choose from. For that reason we are choosing Link Interactive as our winner for this category.
There is a huge difference between the selection of add-on equipment SimpliSafe has and the selection of add-on equipment that Link Interactive offers. Unfortunately, SimpliSafe only offers their smart lock as their only add-on home automation equipment. SimpliSafe does have some really nice video surveillance cameras, but they also don’t compare to the variety that Link Interactive has. Link Interactive has a wider variety of home automation and video surveillance equipment than that of SimpliSafe, and for this reason we are choosing Link as the winner for this category.
SimpliSafe vs Nest Secure App
SimpliSafe and Link Interactive both offer professional, self, and video monitoring services. Self-monitoring services are done through an app which are free to download and work for Apple and Android Devices. Both companies’ self-monitoring services will allow you remotely control your system and connected devices, and you will receive push notifications for events. The Link Interactive app however has more features for you to use which allows more customization than SimpliSafe’s app. Link Interactive uses the Alarm.com app, which is the gold standard in remote control technology in home security. Self-monitoring services work the same way where you have a 24/7 professional monitoring station watching over your home. SimpliSafe’s and Link Interactive’s video monitoring services work through the app where you can stream and view live and recorded video clips. Comparing month to month fees for both monitoring services, SimpliSafe is cheaper - BUT, you will need to pay for your equipment upfront with them due to them not offering contracts. Link Interactive’s month to month monitoring services may be a bit higher, but Link offers a HUGE discount on equipment along with various contract lengths, and on top of that you get a much better system and monitoring app.
Recommended: Check out Link Interactive. With Link Interactive you’ll get the Alarm.com app (the gold standard in home security), and top of the line security equipment at great affordable prices. See details >>
SimpliSafe vs Link Interactive
SimpliSafe offers an easy to use system with low month to month monitoring fees. The quality of the equipment and monitoring app is questionable though. Link Interactive offers a huge variety of security, home automation, and video surveillance equipment for you to choose from that is top of the line. Due to Link Interactive having a larger variety of equipment for you to choose from, and that the fact the IQ Panel 2 is so advanced we are making Link the overall winner.
Recommended Alternative: Link Interactive
If you’d like a better bang for your buck without skimping on features and quality of service, take a at the Link Interactive home alarm system.
Link Interactive and SimpliSafe are very similar in terms of equipment and monitoring services. At Link we offer a more advanced control panel in the the Qolsys IQ 2 Panel with Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party professional monitoring. We also offer cutting-edge video monitoring services, all at a much better price point than SimpliSafe.
We have thousands of 5-star reviews on various reputable third party review sites complimenting our awesome after-sales support! We encourage you take a look at our offer here, get a quote and compare. You can also call us direct at 1-877-826-5443 for further details and speak with a rep!
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