Simplisafe or Ring??? Don't know which way to go...

Here is the deal:  SS is the way it is now, and they are unlikely to change the way you want, and if they do change that way, it will take a long while, and they won't tell you that they are changing nor when the change will be complete.  They may not even tell you after the change is complete; often we learn about changes when a customer finds it and posts about it online.

So what that comes down to, is if SS will meet your needs AS IT IS NOW, then it can be a good choice.  If it has any "deal breakers", then go with another company which fits your needs better.  

Using SS indoor cameras can enhance their security system due to the "verified dispatch" option.  For external cameras, there is no benefit to integrating with the SS alarm, and there are much better options for outdoor cameras, which is likely to be true even if SS ever releases the outdoor cameras they promised a few years ago.

Note that Ring is owned by Amazon, which has a history of cancelling function and raising prices once everybody is sucked in.  So ask yourself, will you get as good function as SS, now, for the lower price, and are you willing to pay more when they collar enough of the market?.

I too had this decision to make and I'm still trying to make it.  One thing to consider that isn't mentioned here is Simplisafe's abysmal customer service.  It is virtually impossible to get in touch with anyone, should you have problems with the system.  More than half of my entry sensors had low battery alerts when I connected them and I literally could not reach them.  I have tried five times and I was hung up on all of them.  I have sent numerous emails to them and they have not responded.  I really do think that they pick and choose the emails to respond to.  If the customer is in any way unhappy, they just dump it and never respond.  That's just a theory.

I am in the process of attempting to return my system before the sixty day trial period is up.  Not because there is anything wrong with the system - it works fine.  It is precisely because of the customer service.  This company couldn't care less about anything other than taking the customer's money.  That is literally their only priority.  They got my money and now they don't have to answer my questions.  This is literally the worst company that I've ever had to work with.  I am not a fan of offshore tech support but at least it would be something that could get me answers.  It doesn't mean a single thing that their tech support is not offshore if you can literally never talk to someone.

That said.  If I were making the decision between Ring and Simplisafe, I'd look at the fact that Simplisafe has glass break sensors and Ring does not.  The back of my house is literally all windows and most of them are large enough to get through.  I have entry sensors on those and use wooden dowels to stop the windows from being opened, but someone could easily get in by just smashing a window.  I have a glass break sensor set up to catch that.  I know that Amazon Alexa has some sort of way to listen for glass breaking, but my Alexa barely understands me sometimes.  There is no way I'm trusting a "smart speaker" with my home's security.  On Ring's side is their sensor for listening to smoke and CO detectors.  I have a wired smoke/CO detector system and I don't really want to have to add more fire alarms to my house for Simplisafe.  I did get one smoke detector, but the are photoelectric and the don't sound like they do well in any environment where there's steam or moisture.  I don't trust photoelectric smoke detectors and I never have.  I haven't activated the smoke detector that came with my kit.  Before deciding to return the whole thing, I was planning on returning the smoke detector and trying to get them to swap my black keypad with a white one.  My keypad is in a dark area and I can't see the numbers.  In order to get the numbers to light up, I have to press one number.  That's useless if I don't pretty the correct first number of my code.  It's dumb that the whole keypad doesn't light up when I touch it.

So what are my plans?  I still have my perfectly functioning ADT alarm system.  The reason why I went with Simplisafe is that monitoring is half the price of what I was paying for ADT and the price of ADT just keep on going up.  I am not going with Ring because of the lack of a glass break sensor and because of the other information provided by Ride525 above.  I've been an Amazon customer for many years and they have no problem raising prices.  I didn't know about that whole private guard responder thing and cements my decision to not go with Ring.  I'lll likely stay with ADT for now.  I will pay more, but at least I know that their customer service is super responsive.

The things that make me second guess my decision are that I got the system for 50% off on the Black Friday sale and that the monitoring cost is half the price.  Also, aside from the stupid battery issues, I haven't had problems with the system.  I've been running it side by side with the ADT system and no glitches so far.  If only their customer support wasn't a slap in the face to their customers.

I considered both Ring and Simplisafe, before I ordered Simplisafe on Cyber Monday.

EDIT:  The post right below this one reminded me that there was another reason besides visual verification. Simplisafe has glass break sensors.

While Ring offers $10 monitoring, it offers less.  As seven points out above, with Simplisafe, you can get Visual Verification with Simplicams.  This means, that without visual verification, the police likely delay coming out, or may not come out at all, until there is a visual verification.  If you live in a verified response location, here is what Ring says:

"When the [Ring] monitoring center receives an alarm signal they will call you and your emergency contact(s) to ask if you are present at the alarm site, and able to verify whether there is a real emergency. If you are not at the alarm site or otherwise unable to verify, they will ask if you want a private guard responder to be dispatched to the alarm site in an effort to perform the verification."

"If you accept, the monitoring center will dispatch a private guard responder who will check the alarm site and dispatch emergency responders (police or fire) if there is a real emergency. The fee that you agree to pay for the dispatch of a private guard responder to the alarm site is $75.00 for the first 20 minutes, and $1.25 per minute thereafter."

"If you do not accept, due to the rules of the jurisdiction, the monitoring center might not be allowed to dispatch local emergency responders (police or fire) to the alarm site, or local emergency responders may refuse to respond to a dispatch request even in the event of a real emergency."

I am deep into the Amazon universe at this point.  Prime of course, 7 Echos, 4 Fire TVs, Recast, HD Music Subscription, Amazon credit cards, packages every other day, and movie rentals nearly every week.  You would think I would switch to Ring right?  The number one reason I don't switch is the Ring system is freakin ugly.  The keypad looks like a childs toy from the 90's and I care too much about my homes appearance to stick those things on the wall.  I struggle to understand why they would design it like that and struggle more wondering why anyone would be OK with it.  If they fix that, I'll have a conundrum to deal with.  For now, SS is attractive and it just works.  I've had no hardware failures with my 50 something sensors on the SS2 or the SS3.  

SS does lack in a couple of areas, but those areas don't concern me.  They don't have outdoor cameras, but I installed a much better wired system anyways.  Their tech support can be hard to reach, but again I've never had a problem and had no need to call.  Their forum sucks, but the constant whining and complaining will stop you from being a regular user anyways.  (Unless you're Captain or 7 of course, those guys are addicts.)    :)

For me, SS is fantastic.

@drunkpenguin welcome back from hibernation. Long time no hear. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!  Thought Id drop by and see whats new around here.  Not much has changed.  The ole place could use a new paint job I guess.  :)

Me personally would go with simplisafe, oh wait i did lol but my nextdoor neighbor has ring alarm and there cameras and i went in his house and checked it out and to be honest it looks cheap and i mean cheap as in a child's toy cheap and was not impressed at all by it but thats what they want and he's happy with it then so be it but i will give them one good credit, he pushed the panic button on his app and let me tell you that son of a mother was the loudest thing ever but to us nothing but simplisafe for this house.

Yea I know still in the middle of both. It's pros and cons on both sides. Simplesafe seems way to comfortable and updates are far and in between and they keep their normal and potential customers out of the loop and I don't think ring will do the same. I get that simplisafe was was of the first diy on the market but for a company that's been out 12 years what happened to the innovation when ring and everyone else was coming along for their capital ? Did they no see ring as a threat? Sounds like Apple and Samsung how no one took apple seriously until it was too late. I just want to be with a company that has their customers interest at heart and are looking for ways to innovate into the future . I mean why did it take 10 years to finally come out with a. Doorbell camera ?? Where is the outdoor cameras at and no not the condom they want you to put on the indoor one? I mean that's why I think it's been hard for me to shell out $25 a month and ring is $10. Yea I know amazon is under cutting everyone and will prolly go up at some point but I doubt they will no innovate and have upgrades along the process. I mean simplisafe doesn't even have iftt and smart homes have been the way of the future. I do like the look of the product and I'm sure it will work fine but I'm looking at the company as a whole and what to expect. And in these forms it doesn't seem like much I mean even if the plan was $15 it would be a no brainer but $25 with no cameras and only for sensors? Mann that why this decision has been a hard one because I look at what is the company doing and I m now sure they have or will be doing enough ... I have to still make a decision soon but I'm kinda leaning rings way, I don't really like amazon like that but i know they will add and innovate with updates and etc. I don't get why simplesafe isn't doing anything more to try to not lose or gain new customers and the market is flooded with diy alarms systems and the only thing that is setting them apart is that they been around for a while but is that really enough ???

This from above is what would concern me about Ring:

"If you accept, the monitoring center will dispatch a private guard responder who will check the alarm site and dispatch emergency responders (police or fire) if there is a real emergency. The fee that you agree to pay for the dispatch of a private guard responder to the alarm site is $75.00 for the first 20 minutes, and $1.25 per minute thereafter."

That's a lot of money.  I sure hope that they try and contact you before sending out a private guard to check it out.

Of course that private guard is less expensive than a false alarm fee in my town...

The thing that makes me want to either keep simplisafe or just stay with ADT is that they both have glass break sensors.  I need one glass break sensor minimum.

Reading ring site they only send out the private guard In certain jurisdictions. Some area require it to eliminate false alarms and they have the places on the site but they still call all the contacts first to see why you want to do. simplisafe does have visual monitoring but with one so-so indoor camera and a ok doorbell camera with no support for other cameras how will one do that anyway?? You would think they would develop more cameras to make this feature more efficient. Think I've made my mind up but I see simplisafe makes it hard for you to return or takes their time refunding the money. 30-45 min holds every time you call is also a negative. I really think this company is holding its own self back.

You can have more than one indoor camera.  I have three installed, and have to more sitting here ready to install.
Plus I have the video doorbell.

I ordered on the worst possible day, Cyber Monday.  And a few phone calls have not had near the times you mentioned.  Perhaps others have.