SimpliCam Home Security Camera Review

Unboxing SimpliCam

SimpliCam Packaging

So this isn’t going to be rocket science. The SimpliSafe indoor cam is simple. So as you might expect, the packaging is minimal, and the set up is easy.

Once you’ve taken the camera out of the box, there’s not much more to it than that. Slide it into the support stand, and bingo — you’re off to the races. Of course you do have to concern yourself with where it’s going to be plugged in since there’s no battery-operated model, and where your Wi-Fi signal will be strong enough to support recording, but all in all, that’s really it for SimpliCam’s “installation” process.

SimpliCam on Ledge

One note about that support stand: It’s metal, while the body of the camera itself is plastic. That means the stand is actually heavier than the camera, making sure it doesn’t tip or slide. which is great news.In a recent analysis of Ezviz cameras, for example, I noted that the top-heavier cameras can be trickier to install.

SimpliCam Support Stand

In fact, when I tested Zmodo cameras recently, the camera would tip forward at the slightest movement of its attached power cord. This is because some camera models are designed to be top-heavy, so they don’t stay put unless they’re anchored by something. So SimpliSafe gets this balance just right.

If tipping or sliding is a concern, you can always skip the stand and instead use the included hardware to screw your SimpliCam camera directly onto a wall or surface. True to their name, this brand offers simple solutions, and you’ve got choices here. For lots more installation tips, visit our in-depth security camera installation guide.

SimpliCam Installation

Before we move on and take things outside, though, we did want to give you a quick rundown of SimpliCam and how it stacks up against some of its closest competitors:

SimpliSafe’s Indoor Competition

Using SimpliCam Outdoors

Back before SimpliSafe offered a dedicated outdoor camera, they used to sell what they called a “wetsuit” to protect the SimpliCam from the elements. It worked well enough, but fans of the company wanted something that felt a little more intentional.

Luckily, SimpliSafe listened and last year introduced the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera. You can read our in-depth review of the outdoor SimpliSafe camera here, but we’ll give you a short overview of its features.

SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera

One of the best things about the SimpliSafe outdoor camera is that it’s wire-free, unlike its indoor brother that has to be plugged in. The battery life is long-lasting, and you can place it pretty much anywhere on your property that still gets a Wi-Fi signal. While it’s not entirely waterproof, it’s IP65 rated, which means it’s tough enough to handle some weather.

SimpliCam with sleeve

In terms of video quality, it’s on par with the current SimpliCam. It has a 1080p resolution and a 140-degree viewing angle. Pretty standard stuff, and exactly what you’d expect from this no-frills brand.

The primary difference, though, is the night vision capabilities of both cameras. Inside, the SimpliCam uses infrared LEDs to see in the darkness, which means your picture is going to be in black and white once the sun goes down. On the other hand, your outdoor camera is going to use a motion activated spotlight to illuminate things. Your picture will be in color, but it’s not going to be super crisp. Imagine filming something on your phone in the dark using a flashlight.

No, it’s not as technologically advanced as cameras with true color night vision, but this setup does have the added deterrent of illumination. Something that can definitely spook folks sneaking around where they shouldn’t be.

In terms of everything else, like cloud storage, app access, and Google Assistant and Alexa integrations, the indoor and outdoor cameras from SimpliSafe are identical.

We’re going to talk about the App next, but first, let’s take a look at some of SimpliCam’s outdoor competition:

SimpliSafe’s Outdoor Competition

A Note on SimpliSafe’s App

Right off the bat, I noticed how fast everything was moving with the SimpliSafe app, which is basically ground control for your SimpliCam. No waiting for videos to load, no spinning wheel, no live view interruptions. It’s a pretty smooth ride getting a SimpliCam up and running.

SimpliCam App Welcome Page

Here, you’re just following prompts on the app, similar to lots of other DIY cameras. This step does bear similarities to the Arlo Pro 3 cameras I reviewed a while back, which were smooth and intuitive. SimpliCam’s setup process took about 10 minutes.

From there, you should take some time to get to know SimpliSafe’s app, since it’s the same app that connects to all of SimpliSafe’s products and monitoring services. It’s worth checking out a helpful guide under the Troubleshooting tab that shows you what each of the colors on the camera’s light mean. Take a look at the screenshot below to familiarize yourself.

SimpliCam Light Indicators

Learning what all those lights meant helped me make better sense of the SimpliCam once it was in action. As an example: You can look at the camera and see that when the light blinks blue, you’re probably about to get an alert on your phones in 3, 2, 1…

SimpliCam App Settings

Under Picture Quality, you’ll notice the SimpliCam is set at 720p, which is considered standard definition. The best wired security cameras hold pretty tightly to minimum 1080p resolution. I wasn’t surprised to see that SimpliCam didn’t offer quite the same video quality. That said, 720p is still decent, and – if you were wondering – part of the reason this camera is so responsive.

SimpliCam Picture Quality

I can’t get too rah-rah about a camera with so-so video quality – though SimpliSafe is still one of our top picks for DIY home security. There was a negligible difference between 720p and the setting one notch down, 480p, so that’s good news.

But barring unusual circumstances, video resolution2 does not necessarily affect the quality of the images you’ll get from your camera. In natural daylight, an image like the screenshot below is the typical picture you’ll get in a SimpliCam.

SimpliCam Video Quality

Keep in mind, though, that there’s a significant advantage to using cameras with lower resolution – especially if your home internet isn’t always solid. Lower-resolution images use less bandwidth, which means less of a strain on your Wi-Fi connection. If your internet isn’t always in tip-top shape, the SimpliCam is a good gadget to have around.

But for zooming in on specific images, or making out granular details, you’re going to want a camera that can at least record in 1080p. Consider something from Blink, like the petite Blink Mini Cam I unpacked.

Two-Way Talk

SimpliCam has Two-Way Talk, which is a standard feature in security cameras but for good reason: It’s really helpful in a crisis! SimpliCam’s Two-Way Talk did a great job scaring away a critter or two in my tests, and the audio handled similarly to the Ring Stick Up Cam I reviewed not long ago. In other words, it wasn’t a crystal-clear connection, but it definitely accomplished the task.

Night Vision

In short, night vision is not a strength of SimpliCam. But there’s a reason for that.

First of all, the camera doesn’t have any lights on it. That’s one of those crucial things you need to, you know, see.

So if you don’t already have a solid lighting source beaming into wherever you’ve placed your camera, you’re not going to see much beyond a certain point.

SimpliCam Night Vision

Thus, you can see the limits of using SimpliCam at night, right there in black and white. We know that without either a spotlight or some other built-in light source, the depth of view on most security cameras stops after a few feet. With more lighting in the vicinity, this improves.

Do we recommend this as an outdoor camera, in light of this shortcoming? No, we do not.

Bear in mind, though, that night vision varies widely across different brands. You’ll get way better color night vision images and some snazzy spotlights from Reolink’s well-equipped cameras, for one. This feature goes a long way toward making sense of all sorts of activity, but you should remember that it does pull more bandwidth from your network, like the aforementioned video resolution. Amcrest’s vast camera lineup includes several models with better-than-average color night vision, if that’s more your style.

Aside from rare cases, though, color night vision is not an essential tool for protecting your home.

SimpliCam Indoor Camera

App Playback

After the SimpliCam records a video, the app displays the playback as a quick GIF3 image. That way, you don’t have to watch the entire video from start to finish to see what triggered the camera. For busy adults, this is pretty nice. Who wants to drop everything they’re doing just to watch a 49-second video of their neighbor stopping by to say hello?

SimpliCam Video History

That said, the simple vibe is not for everyone. Some folks really like having lots of buttons to push and features to customize. While this camera doesn’t have all of that, SimpliCam does offer a smooth, stress-free experience.

A Look at SimpliCam Pricing

All told, you’re going to get a well-performing and well-made camera in the SimpliCam and a smooth mobile app experience. It was a minor bummer that the cameras couldn’t track motion, distinguish between different objects, and pan and tilt … but again, simplicity is the name of the game here.

At $99, this one’s a little steep, especially when you factor in the camera’s above-mentioned shortcomings. But by and large, SimpliCam isn’t really meant to be an effective stand-alone camera; it works better as part of a SimpliSafe kit.

But it’s also important to note that this camera wouldn’t cost you the full $99 if you purchased it as part of one of the SimpliSafe packages – in fact, the SimpliCam comes free with some of them. SimpliSafe’s cost and package options are below, and you can also read more about what made SimpliSafe the best home security system of 2024.

SimpliSafe Costs

A Quick Look at Subscriptions

At $4.99 per month, it’s worth springing for SimpliSafe’s monthly cloud storage subscription fee. It is optional, and you can still use the camera with the app to view live video without a subscription. But with all you get with that monthly fee – 30 days of video and 60-second motion clips – it’s an easy way to store recordings from your SimpliCam. These options are standard for the industry, but it’s still helpful to know.

Alternatively, if you really like your SimpliCam and don’t have a SimpliSafe monitoring plan, you might find that one of SimpliSafe’s security bundles suits you best.

Our Verdict and Recommendations

SimpliCam with Mookie

In testing SimpliSafe as a whole, the SimpliCam handled quite well. And that’s good, because I believe that’s exactly where it belongs – as part of a larger SimpliSafe security kit.

As a stand-alone security camera, SimpliCam is fair. That’s it. No fancy accessories or future-tech to be found. If you’re looking for features like artificial intelligence, motion tracking, pan and tilt, or even decent night vision, it’s best to look elsewhere, perhaps into the sparkling Google Nest Cams or even the handy Ring Spotlight Cam I reviewed a few weeks back.

So to sum things up, the SimpliCam can be a great indoor security camera, as long as you have the SimpliSafe security system to back it up.

Frequently Asked Questions