Simplisafe Home Alarm System

[dagofast]

I don't think that's correct, the phone app allows configuration of alerts / notifications when your system is triggered. email and texts sent out to addresses you specify / your phone. This doesn't require monthly fee monitoring services. IIRC the monthly fee services are for human notification and forwarding to police / fire / ems. What SimpliSafe calls "Interactive monitoring"

I have a wired camera covering my porch and with the alarm set I get camera stills of package delivery on my porch. And not contact from SimpliSafe about intruders or alarms set

We own the classic system that uses a cellular signal only. No monitoring plan= no cellular service. I believe you are correct on the newer system as it has internet connectivity in addition to cellular on the new base station.

I do know that the basic monitoring plan used to give you alerts only. To be able to arm/disarm the system from their smartphone app you needed the premium (interactive) plan but Simplisafe has since pushed out an app update that now allows users to arm/disarm the system remotely from the smart phone app on the base standard plan.

 

[Klammer]

I haven't used Simplisafe, or other options, but for a basic (low cost) monitored system I've been happy with mine from Wyze

https://wyze.com/home-security-monitoring

There are a lot of sensor options and it's only $60 per year for the monitoring. They usually have discounts on the hardware when you pay for monitoring up front, too. I've only set it off once when I must have fat-fingered the disarm code and I got a text and call within minutes asking if I was OK.