SimpliSafe vs Frontpoint: Which Home Security System Is Better?
One has no contract, ever. The other has the fastest independently tested response time in the category — buried inside a 36-month commitment. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
SimpliSafe takes it, 4–2 on rounds.
Frontpoint genuinely has the fastest tested response time in this matchup, but its default 36-month online contract and documented post-cancellation billing complaints make SimpliSafe the safer pick for most households.
Choose SimpliSafe if…
- • You want zero-commitment, cancel-anytime service with no contract risk
- • You want the stronger third-party trust and complaint record
Choose Frontpoint if…
- • You want the fastest independently tested alarm response time in the category
- • You're willing to call in and pay upfront to avoid the default 36-month contract
Round by round
- Round 1Monitoring & ResponseFrontpoint winsSimpliSafe6/10
$22.99/mo
24/7 professional monitoring with live video verification
- 24/7 professional monitoring with live video verification
- Video verification helps prioritize police dispatch
- No published average dispatch/response time
Source: SimpliSafe monitoring plans
Frontpoint9/10~25-28 sec avg response
Independently tested faster than the 45-60 second industry average
- ~25-28 second average alarm-to-agent response
- Independently tested faster than the industry average
- Self-monitoring tier ($14.99/mo) has no professional dispatch behind it
Source: Frontpoint response-time testing
SimpliSafe doesn't publish a response time; Frontpoint has independent testing proving it's one of the fastest in the business.
- Round 2Contract & CancellationSimpliSafe winsSimpliSafe9/10
No contract
Equipment keeps working as a local alarm after cancelling
- No contract or early-termination fee on any plan
- Equipment keeps working as a local alarm after cancelling
- Extra month charged if cancellation isn't processed before next billing cycle
Source: SimpliSafe cancellation policy
Frontpoint2/10'Billed for 2 years after canceling'
- No separate cancellation fee on the monitoring service itself
- Online orders default to a 36-month commitment
- Widespread complaints about billing continuing for months after cancellation
SimpliSafe's cancel-anytime policy is real; Frontpoint's online checkout defaults to a 36-month contract its own DIY marketing doesn't advertise.
- Round 3Cost — Equipment & Monthly FeeSimpliSafe winsSimpliSafe8/10
$22.99/mo, no contract
True 24/7 monitoring priced at $22.99/mo with no lock-in required
- 24/7 professional monitoring priced at $22.99/mo, no contract needed
- Free self-monitoring tier exists
- Starter kits can run up to $730 for larger homes
Source: SimpliSafe pricing data
Frontpoint4/10$44.99-49.99/mo without contract
Discounted $24.99/mo promo only available inside a 36-month commitment
- Essential kit starts cheap at $69
- Build Your Own components priced ~40% off retail
- Real 24/7 monitoring costs $44.99-49.99/mo without a contract
- Cheapest advertised price requires a 36-month lock-in
Source: Frontpoint pricing data
Frontpoint's headline promo price looks competitive with SimpliSafe's — until you notice it only exists inside a 36-month contract.
- Round 4Equipment & Device LineupFrontpoint winsSimpliSafe6/10
No smart lighting control
Full sensor lineup but no lighting automation devices
- Retrofit smart lock included in the lineup
- Dedicated panic button plus medical & fire sensors
- No smart lighting control offered
Source: SimpliSafe device lineup
Frontpoint7/10Yale lock + lighting control
Build Your Own components priced ~40% off retail
- Yale smart lock (Z-Wave) plus wireless light control and smart bulbs
- Build Your Own components priced ~40% off retail
- Video doorbell and outdoor camera are wired-only
Source: Frontpoint device lineup
Frontpoint's lineup matches SimpliSafe sensor-for-sensor and adds smart lighting control on top.
- Round 5Smart Home IntegrationSimpliSafe winsSimpliSafe7/10
3 ecosystems (HomeKit limited)
Three smart home ecosystems supported
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Apple HomeKit support, even if limited
- HomeKit integration noted as limited
Source: SimpliSafe smart home integrations
Frontpoint5/102 ecosystems, no HomeKit
No Apple HomeKit support listed
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- Native Yale smart lock (Z-Wave) integration
- No Apple HomeKit support at all
Source: Frontpoint smart home integrations
SimpliSafe at least gestures at HomeKit; Frontpoint doesn't offer it at all.
- Round 6Trust & ComplaintsSimpliSafe winsSimpliSafe7/10
3.8/5 (17,274 reviews)
74% rate SimpliSafe Excellent or Great on Trustpilot
- A+ BBB rating
- SafeHome.org SecureScore of 9.2/10
- Recurring connectivity and customer-service-wait complaints
Source: Trustpilot / BBB
Frontpoint3/10High unresolved complaint volume
A+ BBB rating reflects accreditation, not a clean complaint record
- 4.3/5 app rating on Apple App Store (~4,000 ratings)
- High volume of unresolved billing/cancellation complaints on BBB
- Customers report being billed for months after requesting cancellation
Source: BBB / Trustpilot
Both hold an A+ BBB rating, but that grade reflects accreditation, not satisfaction — and Frontpoint's complaint volume tells the real story.
Which one is for you?
Household that wants the fastest tested alarm response time
→ Frontpoint · Frontpoint tests at ~25-28 seconds average, beating the industry average
Renter or short-term household needing zero-commitment cancellation
→ SimpliSafe · SimpliSafe has no contract on any plan, cancel anytime
Buyer who wants smart lighting control built into the system
→ Frontpoint · Frontpoint offers wireless light control and smart bulbs SimpliSafe doesn't
Buyer who wants the stronger trust and complaint record
→ SimpliSafe · SimpliSafe's 3.8/5 Trustpilot score and lower complaint volume beat Frontpoint's
Side by side
- Free self-monitoring tier available
- 24/7 pro monitoring starts at just $22.99/mo
- No early-termination fees, ever
- Owned hardware keeps working after cancelling monitoring
- Independently tested at ~25-28 seconds, beating industry average
- Fully wireless, cellular-based — no landline dependency
- Starter equipment as low as $69
- Build-your-own hardware runs roughly 40% off retail
- Top Pro Plus tier runs $79.99/mo
- No professional-install option offered at all
- No radar-based or advanced behavior-detection cameras
- Video Doorbell Pro requires a wired connection only
- A true self-monitoring tier exists but offers no live dispatch
- Real 24/7 monitoring starts higher than Vivint's core plan, at $44.99/mo
- Lower-cost monitoring tiers aren't purchasable online — you must call
- Online orders default to a 36-month contract without it being obvious at checkout