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Today we will be comparing home security providers SimpliSafe and CPI Security, and see how they stack up! We’ll go over equipment, monitoring plans, and more!

There are a lot of great benefits in owning a home security system. Home security systems are great at providing your home and family protection against home invasion crimes. There are companies on the market currently that can offer you a personalized security solution. Today we will take a look at what SimpliSafe and CPI Security have to offer when it comes to home security.

SimpliSafe Control Panel

To connect and control all of your SimpliSafe security, home automation, and video surveillance devices, SimpliSafe offers their control hub. SimpliSafe’s control hub is a cellular hub which means it doesn’t need a landline or internet connection for it to work, it instead has a cellular chip that transmits your security data. The SimpliSafe hub can also connect to your WIFI so you have double the connection. It has a simple design, and it looks a lot like a cone. It has an indicator light at its base that will change color to show your system’s statuses. It is powered through being plugged directly into an outlet, but it does include a 24-hour backup battery. The SimpliSafe control hub, and all connected devices are controlled through a separate push-button keypad. The keypad is battery-operated, and you can add devices, arm/disarm your system, and change system settings right from the keypad. The SimpliSafe control hub will only work with other SimpliSafe branded equipment. If your system or connected devices are triggered, the SimpliSafe control panel will sound its internal siren. The SimpliSafe control panel has different chimes for when devices are triggered or when the system changes status.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, our home security system at Link Interactive »

CPI Security Control Panel

CPI Security a thin full colored touchscreen control panel as their main component for their security system. Their fully colored touchscreen is called the InTouch Smart Hub. The InTouch Smart Hub has a 7-inch HD full colored touchscreen that allows you to control your system and any connected devices right from the touchscreen. It is a cellular system but it does include a second connection for you to connect to your home’s WIFI as a backup. It is powered by an AC power source, and it includes a backup battery just in case your power goes out. This control panel is super expandable and includes a Z-wave protocol that allows you to use other branded security and home automation devices. You can use up to 119 devices with your InTouch Smart Hub, and create up to 242 custom user codes. The InTouch Smart Hub has a built-in 5MP front facing camera that can be set to take snapshots of when your system is armed and disarmed. It includes a 2-way audio features and different chimes for events. It has a Micro SD slot that allows you to use a Micro SD card for extra storage. If your system is triggered your InTouch Smart Hub will sound its built-in internal siren.

See our cutting-edge control panel by Qolsys »

Who wins?

SimpliSafe’s and CPI Security’s control panels have a few similarities. They are both wireless and cellular panels. They both also have backup batteries and can connect to your home’s WIFI. SimpliSafe’s control panel doesn’t have as many bells and whistles as CPI Security’s control panel, but it is easy to use. The InTouch Smart Hub offered by CPI Security has a ton of features, and is really expandable. Due to CPI Security’s control panel having more features, we are choosing them as our winner for this category.

SimpliSafe Equipment

SimpliSafe offers wireless and battery-operated intrusion and environmental safety sensors. SimpliSafe offers door/window, motion, tilt, and glass break sensors to protect the entryways to your home. You can also add another keypad, other than the main one, that you can use to control your SimpliSafe system and control hub. To quickly arm and disarm your system, SimpliSafe offers their key fob remotes. Their key fob remotes are battery-operated, and allow you to arm and disarm your SimpliSafe system with a push of button. To let emergency services know that help is immediately needed, SimpliSafe offers a push-button panic button. SimpliSafe also offers a battery-operated external siren that can be placed anywhere around your home. To protect your home against environmental dangers, SimpliSafe offers a temperature/smoke, a CO2, and a water leak sensor. These sensors will look for dangers in their assigned environmental factor, and they will trigger your system making an audible alert if these are detected. All equipment offered by SimpliSafe is DIY, but they do offer an option for professional installation for a one-time fee.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive »

Home Automation

As of now, SimpliSafe doesn’t really offer their customers much when it comes to home automation equipment, and unfortunately because you can only use SimpliSafe branded equipment with your SimpliSafe control panel you won’t be able to expand your SimpliSafe system much. The only home automation equipment offered by SimpliSafe is their smart lock. SimpliSafe’s smart lock has a deadbolt lock that fits over your existing lock, and a push-button keypad that allows you to create custom user codes. You can control your SimpliSafe smart lock through their app, and it has a lot of great security features like lock timing which happens if a user code has been entered too many times.

Video Monitoring/Cameras

SimpliSafe does have a couple of video surveillance devices that you can use with their system. They offer their Simpli Cam which is a wireless camera that works by connecting to your home’s WIFI network and its powered by an AC power source. The Simpli Cam can capture and stream video in stunning HD. It has an indicator light at the top of it that will let you know when it is recording or inactive. The Simpli Cam can be used indoors or outdoors, but if you are going to use it outdoors, we recommend you place it in an area that protects it from the elements. The Simpli Cam has night vision technology, 2-way audio, and motion sensors. The last video surveillance device offered by SimpliSafe is their Video Doorbell Pro. Their Video Doorbell Pro can capture video in stunning 1080p, and it works by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network. You can create custom door chimes for it, and when your Video Doorbell Pro’s motion sensors are activated it will trigger it to start to record. You can respond directly to whomever is around your Video Doorbell Pro by using its 2-way audio feature. It also includes night vision that will allow you to capture and stream video even when there is no light.

Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive »

CPI Security Equipment

CPI Security offers all the wireless and battery-operated basic security and environmental safety devices you need to give your home total protection. CPI Security offers door/window, motion, and glass break sensors. These sensors will protect your doors/windows, detect motion in a large area of your home, or listen for the sound of breaking glass. They offer a keychain remote that is push button and battery-operated. CPI Security’s keychain remote has a 4-button design that allows you to arm and disarm your system, and it includes a panic button. CPI Security also offers a medical pendant that is battery-operated and has a single push-button that when pushed will let emergency services know help is needed. To protect your home against the dangers of fire, CPI Security offers their Fire Communicator. This device will listen for the alert sounds of your existing smoke/ fire detectors and trigger your system if these sounds are heard. CPI Security also offers a CO and a water leak detector that will look for rises in CO gas or rises in water. If these are detected these sensors will make an audible alert while triggering your CPI Security system CPI Security offers professional installation of your equipment so you don’t have to worry about setting it up yourself.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive »

Home Automation

CPI Security has a ton of add-on and video surveillance devices you can use with their InTouch Control panel that allows you to really expand your system. CPI Security offers Yale Smart Locks. The particular lock that they offer has a touch keypad that is illuminated. This smart lock allows you to create custom user codes, allows for one-touch locking, and it can be remotely controlled through the CPI Security app. To make your home greener, CPI Security offers a smart thermostat and a light control. Their smart thermostat has energy saving features that will cut down on your home’s energy consumption per month, and it works for most HVAC heating and cooling systems. You can set custom timers for when your heating and cooling system turns on/off, and it can also be remotely controlled. CPI Security’s light control allows you to connect a light fixture or small appliance to it. You can set custom timers for when it turns on and off, and it can be remotely controlled. If your home has garage doors, you can purchase a garage door controller through CPI security that allows you to remotely control the garage doors of your home. You will also get instant alerts sent to your smart phone anytime your garage doors have been opened or shut.

Monitoring/Cameras

CPI Security also has a really nice selection of video cameras that you can use with their system. They have a couple of indoor cameras for you to choose from, an outdoor camera, and a video doorbell camera. Their cameras can capture video in HD, have motion sensors, 2-way audio, and many more features.

Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive »

Who wins?

SimpliSafe and CPI Security both offer wireless and battery-operated intrusion and environmental safety sensors. They both offer professional installation of your equipment, with SimpliSafe also giving you the option of a DIY type of installation. SimpliSafe however, has a larger selection of basic equipment than that of CPI Security. For this reason, we are choosing them as our winner for this category.

There is a huge difference between the add-on equipment SimpliSafe offers, and the addon equipment that CPI Security offers. For one, SimpliSafe only offers a smart lock as their only home automation device, while CPI Security has several home automation devices you can use with their system. CPI Security also has a larger variety of video surveillance cameras than that of SimpliSafe. For these reasons we are choosing them as our winner for this category.

SimpliSafe vs CPI Security App

To monitor your system and connected devices, SimpliSafe and CPI Security offer professional, self, and video monitoring services. Their self-monitoring services are done through their apps, which are free to download and work for smartphones. Their apps allow you remote control of your system and any connected devices. You can stream live and recorded video, add devices, control home automation devices, and receive push-notifications for events all through their apps. CPI Security’s app however, has a bit more features you can use especially in the home automation side of their app. Their professional monitoring services work the same, in where you have a 24/7 professional monitoring station always watching over your home. SimpliSafe’s month to month monitoring services are cheaper than that of CPI Security’s, but you will get more features with your monitoring services with CPI Security.

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 CPI Security vs Link Interactive

Both SimpliSafe and CPI Security are decent choices. SimpliSafe offers an easy to use control panel, and their month to month monitoring fees are one of the cheapest out on the market. CPI Security offers a premium control panel that is super expandable, and they have a lot of home automation equipment you can use with their system. Because CPI Security offers a nicer control panel with more equipment than SimpliSafe, we are choosing them as our overall winners.

Recommended Alternative: Link Interactive

If you want to pay less without skimping on features and quality of service, take a look 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, complete with Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party 24/7 professional monitoring. We also offer cutting-edge video monitoring services and cameras, 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!