SimpliSafe’s Video Doorbell Series 2 launched at $199.99, but the first thing to check is what you already have at the door. It needs a SimpliSafe Base Station and Keypad, plus an existing wired doorbell setup with a compatible transformer and a mechanical or digital chime. The camera isn’t a standalone purchase if those pieces aren’t in place.
Price: $199.99 (announced US price)
Where to buy: SimpliSafe
The new model adds 2K video, a head-to-toe view, and dual-band Wi-Fi on 2.4GHz and 5GHz. SimpliSafe announced it on September 15 as available through its own store and select retailers. For an existing SimpliSafe household, the more useful distinction is which features come with the hardware and which need a paid plan.
Check the plan behind the feature
The doorbell can be used in a SimpliSafe system without professional monitoring. People and package detection, however, require a paid plan other than Standard. The same exclusion applies to the advertised pre-event recording, which captures up to five seconds before an event. Vehicle detection was listed as coming soon in the announcement, so it shouldn’t be part of the reason to buy today.
Activity Zones let you select the areas the camera should focus on and ignore others, such as road traffic or a neighboring yard. It also has two-way audio and a loud siren, which SimpliSafe says monitoring agents can use with Active Guard Outdoor Protection.
Live agents change the recurring cost
Active Guard Outdoor Protection connects the doorbell to live monitoring agents. SimpliSafe says agents can view video, speak through the doorbell, use its siren, and request police dispatch while attempting to deter an intruder.
Access to Active Guard Outdoor Protection requires either Pro at $49.99 a month or Pro Plus at $79.99 a month. At those announced monthly rates, twelve months comes to $599.88 or $959.88 before any taxes or other charges, separate from the doorbell and any required system hardware. If you’re already paying for one of those plans, the calculation is different from joining it for this camera.
An amber status light indicates when a monitoring agent is speaking through the doorbell, while blue indicates the homeowner. That distinction matters here because either person can address someone at the door.
Pro and Pro Plus customers can choose to create a familiar-faces library to help agents recognize expected visitors. SimpliSafe says face matching is disabled in Texas, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, where agents instead review manually for a match to a saved familiar face. Customers in those areas can still use Active Guard Outdoor Protection.
Price: $199.99 (announced US price)
Where to buy: SimpliSafe
If your home already has the required wiring and SimpliSafe system, check your plan before adding the doorbell: professional monitoring isn’t required to use it, but that doesn’t make every feature free. Starting from scratch means budgeting for the system hardware as well. The announced $199.99 buys the doorbell; live-agent intervention comes with its own monthly bill.
