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If you’re looking to invest in one of the best home security systems for your property, you’ll need to consider factors such as what professional monitoring subscriptions are available, how easy it is to install the system and which components you need for your home. Price is another important factor, as the cost of home security systems can vary depending on how comprehensive you need the package to be.
Our experts have reviewed the cheapest home security systems on the market right now. Read our guide to find the best cheap home security system for your home.
Our Independent Advisor experts have researched and tested each home security system to provide fair, impartial and accurate recommendations. We’ve compared products, features, quality and cost. We’ve also consulted industry experts and considered how satisfied customers are with their systems.
Our scores are determined by the following factors:
Within each of these categories, we took 18 elements into account, including:
Our in-house team of fact-checkers verifies all our home security articles so you can be sure you’re getting the latest information about each security system. To find out more, read our article on how we review home security systems.
The most affordable home security system on our list is the Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit. It’s the cheapest kit at £159 and comes with no additional costs. This system offers a decent level of protection, although it’s not the most comprehensive.
Eufy only offers self-monitoring, which is free and ideal for the budget-conscious. If you’re looking for premium features that come with a paid-for subscription plan, such as alerting the police if your alarm is triggered, Eufy may not be the best option.
Key specifications
| Cost | £269.98 |
| Components | 1 base station, 1 keypad (2nd gen), 1 contact sensor (2nd gen), 1 motion detector (2nd gen), 1 range extender (2nd gen) and 1 indoor camera (2nd gen) |
| Power source | Battery (mains for hub and camera) |
| Connectivity | Wifi |
| Maximum volume | N/A |
| Smart home support | Amazon Echo/Alexa |
| Backup battery | Yes |
| Monitored | Self-monitoring with optional paid-for professional monitoring |
Ring’s alarm and camera pack is ideal for small homes and apartments. The kit includes arming and disarming features, motion detection and a live feed video from the indoor camera. We’ve chosen it as our best overall cheap home security system thanks to the level of the equipment, its affordability and the reasonably priced monitoring plans.
Another reason it’s top of our list is its easy installation. It comes with a choice of screws or adhesive strips – we recommend the latter for renters as it won’t damage infrastructure.
The Ring indoor camera (2nd gen) is compact and aesthetically pleasing. It records HD footage, which you can view as a live feed via the app or at a later time if you have a paid subscription. The camera also has a two-way talk feature that allows you to communicate with members of your household from anywhere via the app.
The kit can be purchased in three variations – small (£269.98), medium (£319.96) and large (£389.93). The bigger packs are only worth the extra cost if you have a larger home that requires additional sensors and motion detectors.
Though Ring offers a free monitoring plan, you’ll need a paid subscription to access premium features, such as storing video footage and receiving notifications. The Basic plan costs £4.99 per month, while the Plus plan is £8 per month. The Plus plan gives you full control over your system and is good value for money compared with others on the market.
| Reputation | ★★½ |
| Security and performance | ★★★★ |
| Features | ★★★ |
| Plans and pricing | ★★★★½ |
| Customer experience | ★★½ |
| Overall | ★★★★ |
Key specifications
| Cost | £159 |
| Components | 1 HomeBase 2, 1 keypad, 1 motion sensor and 2 entry sensors |
| Power source | Battery |
| Connectivity | Wifi |
| Maximum volume | 100dB |
| Smart home support | Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit and Google Home |
| Battery backup | Yes |
| Monitoring | Self-monitored |
Despite being a very affordable system, the Eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit is suitable for homes of most sizes. With long-distance connectivity, components can be placed at a good distance from each other around the house. If you have a larger home, you might want to invest in another motion sensor, as this kit only comes with one. But it does have two entry sensors, which can mount to your front and back doors, and each part of the kit will connect to your HomeBase.
The HomeBase can easily be connected to any additional Eufy sensors or cameras you decide to purchase, making future installation even easier. In the event of a break-in, a siren will sound on the HomeBase, and you’ll also get a notification on the Eufy app. As there are no professional monitoring subscriptions, it will be up to you to notify the police if an incident occurs.
Another pro is that the app can be used to arm and disarm the keypad, turn sensors on and off and adjust the sensitivity levels so your pets won’t constantly set them off. These sensors have a battery life of up to two years, which will give you peace of mind.
| Reputation | ★½ |
| Security and performance | ★★★ |
| Features | ★★★★½ |
| Plans and pricing | ★★★★½ |
| Customer experience | ★★½ |
| Overall | ★★★★ |
Read our full Eufy home security review.
Key specifications
| Cost | £284.96 |
| Components | 1 base station, 1 keypad, 1 indoor camera and 1 entry sensor |
| Power source | Batteries (for the base station) and mains (for the indoor camera) |
| Connectivity | Wifi; cellular backup available with professional monitoring |
| Maximum volume | 95dB |
| Smart home support | Amazon Alexa, Apple Watch and Google Home |
| Battery backup | Yes |
| Monitoring | Self-monitored or professional monitoring, both for a fee |
SimpliSafe offers several packages, from those designed specifically for small homes and flats to more comprehensive bundles for larger homes. You can choose to monitor the system yourself, but to make the most of the features on offer, there are two professional monitoring subscriptions: Pro and Pro Premium. These additional features include cellular backup for the system if your wifi goes down, which is available with both plans, and police and fire dispatch with the Pro Premium subscription.
You might not want professional monitoring if you’re on a budget or only going to be in the property temporarily. But there’s still lots to enjoy with this system, including a backup battery, motion alerts for the indoor camera and a hidden panic button on the keypad. The keypad also has a button for “home” and “away” modes, and it will send an alert to the monitoring system if an intruder tries to destroy the device. Plus, the peel-and-stick installation of the SimpliSafe components is ideal if you’re a renter who’s worried about causing damage to the property or you’re just looking for a very simple DIY process.
The base station is wireless, meaning you can place it anywhere you like in your home. It has the capacity to connect to up to 100 motion sensors, which makes upgrading your system easy in the future. With the Pro Premium monitoring plan, you also receive a discount on future add-on devices, such as sensors, though we do think The Foundation is already a comprehensive bundle, especially at such a reasonable price.
| Reputation | ★★★★ |
| Security and performance | ★★★1/2 |
| Features | ★★★★ |
| Plans and pricing | ★★★★ |
| Customer experience | ★★ |
| Overall | ★★★★ |
Read our full SimpliSafe home security review.
Key specifications
| Cost | £219.99 |
| Components | 1 base station, 1 alarm keypad (2nd gen), 1 alarm contact sensor (2nd gen), 1 alarm motion detector (2nd gen) and 1 alarm range extender (2nd gen) |
| Power source | Batteries |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, wifi and Z-wave; cellular backup available with Protect Plus |
| Maximum volume | 104dB |
| Smart home support | Amazon Alexa and Google Home |
| Battery backup | Yes |
| Monitoring | Self-monitored or professional monitoring, both for a fee |
If you live in a smaller home or flat, you might not require a camera to monitor your property, but you can still protect it with alarms and motion sensors. This basic package by Ring features a built-in siren, 24-hour backup battery and the benefits of the Ring app, which include arming and disarming of the alarm as well as real-time notifications triggered by the sensors.
If you do want to add a monitoring plan, Ring Protect Plus is your best bet, as it will unlock features such as cellular backup and call your emergency contacts if your alarm is triggered and you’re uncontactable. The Protect Plus plan also gives you an extended warranty for extra peace of mind as well as discounts on future products. While the Basic plan costs £4.99 per month, the Plus plan is more expensive at £8 per month. But we found this to match the costs of plans offered by other companies, and the included features make it great value for money.
While the small Alarm Pack is ideal for smaller properties, the included alarm range extender (which plugs into a socket) will also ensure that your whole property is protected. The contact sensor can easily be mounted to a door or window to detect potential intruders.
Ring score breakdown
| Reputation | ★★★ |
| Security and performance | ★★1/2 |
| Features | ★★★ |
| Plans and pricing | ★★★★ |
| Customer experience | ★★★ |
| Overall | ★★★1/2 |
Read our full Ring home security review.
| Cost | £197.99 |
| Components | 1 security hub, 1 mini sensor and 1 key fob |
| Power source | Batteries |
| Connectivity | Wifi and Z-wave; cellular backup available with Pro Plan |
| Maximum volume | 93dB |
| Smart home support | Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Philips Hue, LifX, Yale, ecobee, FirstAlert, IFTTT and Google Home |
| Battery backup | Yes |
| Monitoring | Self-monitored or professional monitoring, both for a fee |
If you know you want to include a monitoring plan and are prepared to pay a monthly fee for this, the Abode Security Kit comes with two options: the Standard Plan, which is self-monitoring, and the Pro Plan, which offers professional monitoring. Neither has a contract involved, so you can switch between the two as you require. The Standard Plan offers many of the same features as its more expensive counterpart, including unlimited users on the system, integration with Apple HomeKit and the ability to view a “timeline” of activity in the app.
This inexpensive kit comes with just one mini sensor, but it has a battery life of up to four years and can be mounted to whichever window, door or wall you like. The sensor pairs with the hub of the system, which is where the siren lives to deter possible intruders. There’s also the key fob, which allows you to arm and disarm the entire security system from up to 100 feet away, such as from your car. On the key fob, you’ll also find a panic button, which discreetly notifies the Abode monitoring centre when pressed.
Another bonus of this kit is that it integrates with the most smart home systems we’ve seen. The company’s website states that Abode is the only security system in the UK to integrate with Apple HomeKit, but it also connects to Nest, Philips Hue lightbulbs, Amazon Alexa, IFTTT and more. While it’s a fairly simple bundle with only three components involved, we think the various features you can get with the monitoring plans, as well as the ease of installation, single this system out from the rest.
Abode scoring breakdown
| Reputation | ★★★1/2 |
| Security and performance | ★★ |
| Features | ★★★★1/2 |
| Plans and pricing | ★★★★ |
| Customer experience | ★★★1/2 |
| Overall | ★★★★ |
Read our full Abode home security review.
Home security systems don’t have to be expensive. As well as ensuring you’re getting the best value-for-money package, here are some other ways to cut costs:
Some companies, such as Ring and Eufy, offer stand-alone indoor and outdoor cameras that allow you to view the footage and get real-time notifications with the accompanying app.
However, if you only purchase a camera, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to use the full range of features that come with a full home security system. In a comprehensive home security package, for example, the camera(s) will generally “speak” to the base station, which connects to all components of the system and can control them.
Yes, if you’d like access to all of your chosen brand’s monitoring features. If you’re concerned about the financial commitment, choose a brand that allows you to cancel your subscription at any time. You’ll still be able to use all the components of your home security system, just without the professional monitoring aspects.
Our pick for the best cheap home security system overall on this list is the Ring Alarm + Camera Pack. It offers a free monitoring plan as well as two reasonably priced professionally monitored plans. Ring offers a variety of price points for its monitoring plans – each comes with a different level of protection – and it’s one of the few providers to offer a completely free monitoring plan with scaled-back features.
