SimpliCam Review

At $99, this home security camera comes with a mid-range price, but companies like Wyze and cameras like the Yi Camera Home 3 are starting to close in by offering similar cameras for $50 or less. With SimpliCam's connectivity issues and limited features, it's not a camera we would recommend on its own, but if you already have a SimpliSafe security system, it's worth considering. It's nice when all your devices can play well together.

Pros	Cons
Simple installation User-friendly setup Clear picture Privacy shutter	Limited features Spotty connection

SimpliCam pricing

Plan	Monthly cost	Unlimited recordings	Requires SimpliSafe Security System	Monitoring type	Learn more
Camera Recordings Only	$9.99	Up to 5 cameras	No	Self	View Packages
Standard	$17.99	No	Yes	Professional	View Packages
Interactive Monitoring Plan	$27.99	Up to 10 cameras	Yes	Professional	View Packages

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

While cloud storage isn't really a "plan," for around $9.99 a month you can see video recordings from motion-triggered alarms. SimpliSafe's cloud storage fees are about the same as what we've seen from other companies.

SimpliSafe's Standard and Interactive Monitoring Plan are its professional monitoring options for the SimpliSafe home alarm system. They allow the monitoring center to receive footage whenever the camera records an alarm event. Because you don't always know what might trigger a recording, this kind of monitoring might be a little more invasive than you'd like.

Tech and equipment

The SimpliCam is just what the name implies: simple. Its resolution is only 720p, which is still considered HD but lower than the 1080p that has become the industry standard for the best security cameras. Still, it's hard for most people to notice the difference in picture quality.

Features and usability

Like everything else with the SimpliCam, its features are basic and simple.

Motion detection

You can adjust the motion sensor's sensitivity between off, low, medium, and high, and you'll get a notification on your phone when the camera detects motion. When testing the SimpliCam, the frequency of notifications was just right: when I was in the room with the camera, I got motion alerts only every few minutes instead of constantly.

Event timeline

The app tracks all motion-triggered events and puts them into a timeline for easy review, but this feature only works if you subscribe to cloud storage.

Night vision

SimpliCam's night vision has three modes: on, off, and auto. The night vision works okay, but I noticed a weird ghosting effect when someone moves through the frame. Their outline blurs and it's almost like you can see through them. It's super creepy, and not helpful for identifying an intruder.

Status light

The flashing blue light on the camera lets you know it's working, but you can turn it off in the app if you don't want it drawing attention.

Two-way talk

You can listen and talk to people near the camera walkie-talkie style using the app and the camera's speaker, but this feature struggled with connection issues like the live feed did.

I also noticed that the microphone picks up a lot of ambient noise. Unless the person is within about 10 feet and speaking clearly, it can be difficult to hear what they're saying.

The camera speaker's audio is also more tinny than other cameras we've tested, and the walkie-talkie-style setup can be frustrating with the one- to two-second delay (or longer if there are connection issues).

Privacy shutter

The privacy shutter is a small silver disk inside the camera that covers the lens when you select the privacy setting. You can tie this feature into your SimpliSafe security system to have the shutter open while your system is in "away" mode and close when the system is off. The privacy shutter makes an attention-grabbing click when opening or closing, alerting any intruders that they're being watched.