Installing comprehensive home security doesn’t need to be as complicated or expensive as it sounds. Today’s smart home technology means security systems can be wireless, easy to fit, and controlled from a smartphone, or even your voice.
There are several different companies to choose from, each offering their own range of security systems and which all vary in terms of price and scale and functionality. Some smaller systems work best for one-bedroom apartments, while others have enough components to secure an average home, and some can even be expanded into a vast system of 100 individual devices all working together to protect you and your property – garages, sheds and other outbuildings included.
Key companies to consider include Ring, Yale, Simplisafe and Eufy, but there are many others too, each offering devices like video doorbells, motion detectors, door sensors, sirens, keypads and more.
These systems all work in a broadly similar way, with their individual sensors connecting wirelessly to a central control hub, which then connects to the internet via your router. The system is then controlled using a smartphone app.
But where they differ is where it comes to subscriptions and live monitoring. The latter is where a company employs staff who are alerted when your home alarm is triggered. They can then alert you, check in on your home through the status of sensors and even via the security cameras, before calling the police or other emergency services if required. Some monitoring alarm services will also, included with the cost of their subscription, dispatch an agent to check on the home if the situation is unclear.
How we tested
I installed and used each of the alarm systems featured below for at least a week. During that time, I assessed how smooth the installation process was, how well the companion smartphone application worked, and whether the hardware optionally connects to smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home.
With the installation complete, I used each alarm system as if it were my own. Fitted to the doors and windows of my home, I monitored how quickly the systems responded to entry and exit, and assessed the loudness of their sirens. I also paid close attention to how much configurability each offered, what other products can be added to expand the system and, of course, what their various subscription services offer.
I also tested how well the security systems work when away from home and, where available, how they interact with other smart home products, such as Philips Hue lighting.
Why you can trust us
The Independent is committed to providing unbiased reviews and expert shopping advice across a range of home improvement products. Our team of experts has spent years testing and rating the latest smart home tech in our homes, gardens and under real-world conditions, so you can be sure our verdicts are authentic and based on personal experience with each product featured. When it comes to security systems, our expert testers consider everything from app features and ease of setup to ongoing subscription costs.
Best smart home security systems 2025:
- Best overall – Simplisafe: From £156.71, Simplisafe.com
- Best for cameras – Ring: From £219.99, Ring.com
- Best without a subscription – Eufy: From £159, Eufy.com
- Best for covering the basics – Yale Sync: From £269.99, Yale.com
Simplisafe
As the name suggests, Simplisafe is a home security system that aims to put simplicity first. In a world where some security kits require a thorough understanding of how smart home systems and voice assistants work, this is a refreshing change.
The Simplisafe system has created a middle ground for itself, somewhere between the more complex offerings of Ring and Nest, while being smarter and more connected than older traditional home security systems. I can see this approach appealing to homeowners (and renters) who want a very simple setup process, and who want to avoid the extra functionality and inherent complexity of more feature-packed systems.
This can make the Simplisafe kit look and feel slightly dated, with the keypad especially resembling something from a decade or two ago. It doesn’t even have a colour display, let alone a touchscreen.
But, again, I can see the appeal here. It’s a product that looks part of a traditional home alarm system, but which is fully wireless, connected to the internet and (with the right subscription) includes professional monitoring and police response – something Ring does not offer in the UK. In this sense, despite offering an entirely DIY installation, Simplisafe is closer to the services of traditional alarm companies like ADT than tech-first systems like Ring.
Buy now £404.87, Simplisafe.co.uk
Ring Alarm
Ring is arguably the biggest name in smart home security, and for good reason. The Amazon-owned brand has built a solid reputation off the back of its video doorbells and security cameras, which we rate highly. But the company also sells a smart alarm system, which uses the same smartphone app and taps into the same subscription services available to owners of Ring doorbells and cameras.
In its simplest state, the alarm includes a base station with integrated sire, a wireless keypad, a motion detector and a door/window sensor. The system uses Z-Wave wireless technology and can be expanded to include up to 100 devices. There’s both battery and cellular backup, so the base station will keep working if your internet goes down, and can run off its own battery for up to 24 hours if there’s a power cut.
However, this cellular backup is one of the many features of this kit that requires a subscription. Prices start at £7.99 a month or £79.99 for a year, and without it the system loses much of its functionality. Pay up, and the Ring Alarm offers just about everything you could ever need, and it of course ties in neatly with Ring’s doorbells and security cameras. There’s also integration with the Amazon Alexa smart home platform and voice assistant.
Despite being available in the US, Ring does not offer professional monitoring in the UK. Instead, it operates a system called Alarm Calls where, if the alarm is triggered, your pre-defined list of emergency contacts will be called, one after another, until one answers. They are then given an automated message from Ring, stating that your alarm has been triggered, as well as what caused it (such as a door being opened, or motion spotted in the kitchen), and when. No human is involved in this, and there’s no direct way of calling the emergency services. That said, it works well and serves as a useful way of alerting your emergency contacts at times when you can’t see a notification on the Ring app, or your phone is switched off.
Although it lacks proper monitoring, Ring Alarm is still a great system – especially for anyone who already owns a Ring product, like one of its video doorbells. Adding this kit is the obvious next step for upping your home security game, and the extra functionality makes Ring’s subscription feel like better value for money than when it’s usually purely for a doorbell.
Read the full Ring Alarm review
Buy now £219.00, Ring.com
Eufy Home Alarm Kit
Eufy sells a wide range of tech products, from robotic vacuum cleaners and floor mops, to security cameras, video doorbells and alarm systems. We especially like how, unlike many of its rivals in the home security space, Eufy does not charge a subscription for basic functionality.
Its cameras record locally (either to their own storage or to storage within the base station) instead of uploading to a costly cloud server, and the alarm system works fully without any ongoing costs. While there is a subscription option available, this is only needed if you want cloud backup of your security camera footage.
The hardware looks and feels good, although the door/window contact sensors are on the large side, and the wireless keypad has a battery life of 180 days between charges. The base station can be plugged into your router with the included Ethernet cable, or connected wirelessly, but it lacks the cellular and battery back-up systems offered by rivals. This means if your power goes out or the internet drops out, your alarm system stops working.
That said, we think the kit represents great value for money, and we love how extras like security cameras can be added with ease and without an ongoing subscription fee. The company also sells useful accessories like solar panels to give your outdoor cameras unlimited power, plus floodlights too.
Eufy’s cameras offer more functionality than those of Simplisafe, but this system lacks any form of monitoring, professional or otherwise. You’ll be alerted via the phone app when the alarm is triggered, but there’s no option to have an automated call gho out to your emergency contacts, as Ring does for UK subscribers. This is the compromise with Eufy’s no-subscription service; you get a system packed with useful features and configurability, with excellent cameras available too, but there’s no monitoring.
Read the full Eufy Home Alarm review
Buy now £159.00, Eufy.com
Yale Sync Smart Home Alarm
If you only need the basics, the Yale Sync is a solid option for your home. It doesn’t have the bells and whistles of other systems – and nor does it offer professional monitoring – but it includes a wireless outdoor siren that other systems lack. It also has a more compact base station than most, and the keypad is nice and small too.
Coming from a name synonymous with door locks and home security, the Yale Sync is a little more expensive than some rivals. But the inclusion of the siren helps make up for this, along with the lack of any costly subscription service. There’s support for Amazon Alexa and Philips Hue smart lighting, and the base station has a battery that can keep the alarm working for up to 12 hours during a powercut.
There‘s no cellular backup though, so you won’t receive a smartphone alert if your home internet is down when the alarm is triggered, and the base station doesn’t have Wi-Fi. This means it needs to be plugged into your router with an Ethernet cable, which limits where you can locate it.
Yale sells extra accessories like motion detectors and door/window sensors, letting you build up a larger system than what’s included in the kit. The base station works with up to 40 devices at a distance of up to 200 metres, giving you the option to secure an outbuilding like a shed or garage as well as your house.
I liked how the outdoor siren and door/window sensors come with tamper sensors, which send an alert to the app if they are removed from wherever they are mounted.
This system is a little older than Yale’s latest Smart alarm system, which uses the equally new Yale Home app. Instead, the Sync kit featured here uses the older Yale Alarm app, which is starting to show its age with limited functionality and a sense that it is no longer being developed. Although more expensive the new kits also have the option to subscribe to professional monitoring by Securitas.
Read the full Yale Sync review
Buy now £236.98, Yalehome.co.uk
Smart home security FAQs
How do smart home security systems work?
Unlike traditional systems, smart home security kits are wireless and connect to your smartphone via an internet connection. Such kits usually consist of a base station which connects to your router, either with Wi-Fi or an Ethernet cable, then connects to dozens of wireless accessories like motion detectors, door/window sensors, sirens, keypads, cameras and more.
Most kits also come with a wireless keypad for arming and disarming the alarm, although this can also be done via a smartphone app and, often, by speaking to a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. Some systems can be configured to turn on and off based on the location of your smartphone, and that of anyone you live with.
When triggered by a break-in or movement, these alarms alert you via the smartphone app. Some also make an automated phone call to your or whoever is on your emergency contacts list. Some systems offer professional monitoring for a monthly fee, where service agents respond to your alarm, use the cameras (with your prior permission) to see what’s going on, and even call the emergency services if required.
Should I install it myself or get professional help?
In practically every case, smart home alarm systems can be installed without professional help. Most simply connect to your router, then use wireless technology and battery power to function, leaving you to fit the various sensors and detectors to your walls, doors and windows either with the included screws or adhesive pads.
Some external devices, like sirens and security cameras, might require a ladder and a power drill to mount them onto an outside wall. But that’s about as difficult as these installations get. Once installed, the systems are usually set up and configured via a smartphone app.
Are home security systems worth the money?
It’s hard to put a price on securing your home against burglars. Hardware costs are generally quite similar between brands, although naturally the larger the system, the more devices included and therefore the more you’ll have to pay.
What’s arguably more important is the cost of an ongoing subscription. Most smart alarm systems offer extra features via a monthly or annual subscription, including cloud storage for video camera recordings and enhanced functionality. Professional monitoring also comes as part of a subscription, but few alarm systems offer this service in the UK.
For example, Ring and Eufy both offer professional monitoring (for a fee) in the US, but they don’t offer it in the UK. If you want professional monitoring in the UK, Simplisafe is one of your best options, and our current favourite smart home alarm system.
What are the key features to look out for?
Almost all systems get the basics right, by including a base station, motion detectors, door/window sensors, a keypad for arming and disarming, and a smartphone app.
Beyond that, features to look out for are battery and cellular backup systems for the base station; with those, it will keep working for a limited time (usually 12 to 24 hours), even if your internet goes off and there’s a power cut.
Another useful feature is smart home connectivity. If you already have some smart home devices, like security cameras or a video doorbell, it might be worth buying an alarm system from the same ecosystem, like Eufy, or which works with the same smart home platform, like Alexa or Apple HomeKit.
The biggest optional extra is professional monitoring, which sees an agent remotely check your home when the alarm is triggered and even call the emergency services on your behalf.
The verdict: Best smart home security system
Simplisafe is our favourite smart home security system. It is very easy to set up and install, and there’s a wide range of optional extras to build a whole-home system. But what helps this system stand out from its rivals is the option to pay for professional monitoring. Since Ring and Eufy don’t offer this service in the UK, it’s something that puts Simplisafe at the top of our list.
If you don’t need professional monitoring, then check out Ring and Eufy. Both offer excellent alarm kits that connect to their wider smart home systems comprising security cameras, video doorbells and more. We especially like how Eufy records footage locally, thus avoiding the cloud storage fees imposed by Ring.
