Best DIY Home Security Systems With Cameras
CR's testers weigh in on the latest models from Ecobee, Kangaroo, Ring, and SimpliSafe
When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.
Not every DIY home security system works with cameras, and for those that do, the cameras are often sold separately from the system’s starter kit. Only around half of the 15 systems we’ve tested come with cameras in their starting kit, and yet cameras are in growing demand by consumers.
“Security cameras that are part of a complete home security system provide the consumer with a comprehensive picture, so to speak, of what is happening at the home,” says Kirk MacDowell, founder of the electronic security consulting firm MacGuard Security Advisors. “Camera adoption by consumers in the residential space is one of the fastest-growing segments of the market.”
In This Article
Best DIY Home Security Systems With Cameras • How We Test Home Security Systems
Best DIY Home Security Systems With Cameras
You can install any of these security systems yourself, but some require that you pay a monthly fee for professional monitoring.
With professional monitoring, dispatchers at centers immediately notify you and the police when your alarm goes off. Self-monitored systems send an alert to your smartphone, but it’s up to you to contact the police.
We note each system’s monitoring costs, as well as the security components included in each kit.
How CR Tests Security Systems
In our lab tests, CR grades each system based on its array of security features. Our list of essential features includes the ability to monitor a system yourself via a smartphone app, keypads and key fobs, and e911 so that you can contact your local emergency dispatcher regardless of your location. In addition to those essentials, our test engineers judge add-on security features geared toward environmental and personal safety, smart home capabilities, ease of use, ease of setup, and motion detection.
Because these systems also connect to the internet, testers at CR’s Digital Lab also evaluate their digital privacy and security to make sure both your data and your home are protected from the prying eyes of manufacturers and attacks from hackers. For example, in our jamming resistance tests, we found that a number of systems are vulnerable to jamming attacks. The video below explains how jamming attacks work and what you can do to prevent them.
