Best Home Security System Without a Subscription (2026)

The short answer

A security system that works "without a subscription" still has to do three jobs with no paid plan: sound a siren when a sensor trips, send an alert to your phone, and let you arm and disarm from the app. Going by each maker's own pages, not every well-known system does all three for free.

• Best overall: eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit. $159.99 on eufy.com for a HomeBase 2 hub, a keypad, a motion sensor and two entry sensors. eufy lists app alerts and arming from your phone, with no monthly fees.
• Best for smart homes: Abode Security Kit. $150 on goabode.com for a hub, one door or window sensor and a key fob. With no plan, Abode still gives you app control, push notifications, live video and its smart home integrations.
• Best if you may add professional monitoring later: SimpliSafe. With no plan you can arm and disarm in the app and watch live camera feeds, but SimpliSafe's support site says push notifications need an active monitoring subscription.
• Cheapest phone alerts: Wyze Sense Hub. The hub is $55.98 on wyze.com and sensors are sold separately. Wyze says the sensors keep sending push notifications with no subscription, but its keypad needs a plan, and Wyze describes the sensors as standalone devices without one.
• Only worth it with a plan: Ring Alarm. Ring says that without a subscription you can arm and disarm from the keypad only, and you get no phone notifications.

All prices are from each maker's own US site as of October 2026. One thing is the same everywhere: with no paid plan, nobody calls the police or fire department for you.

Home security systems without a subscription compared

"Not listed" or "not stated" means the maker's page did not say, not that the feature is missing.

eufy 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit: best overall

Who it's for: Anyone who wants a complete starter alarm (hub, keypad, door sensors and a motion sensor) with phone alerts and no bill afterward.

Key facts

• $159.99 on eufy.com as of October 2026.
• In the box: HomeBase 2, a keypad, a motion sensor and two entry sensors.
• eufy describes its security products as one-time purchases with no monthly fees.
• The eufy Security app notifies you as soon as motion or a breach is detected, and you can arm and disarm from the keypad or from your phone.
• The motion sensor covers 100° at up to 30 feet, and its sensitivity can be adjusted for homes with pets.
• eufy claims 2 years of battery life for the motion and contact sensors and 6 months for the keypad.
• Extra sensors on the same page: Entry Sensor $29.99 and Motion Sensor $29.99.
• Optional professional monitoring: eufy lists a Basic plan at $4.99 a month ($49.99 a year) and a Plus plan at $9.99 a month ($99.99 a year). With Plus, eufy says its team is alerted when your alarm system detects a security issue. eufy partners with Noonlight for monitoring and dispatch.

Trade-offs: eufy's kit page does not list a siren volume for the HomeBase 2, and it does not say what happens when your internet goes down. The "Instant Alerts" line on that page carries an asterisk with no footnote we could find. On its LocalSecure page, eufy notes that optional or premium features may be available with a monthly subscription.

Abode Security Kit: best for smart homes

Who it's for: People who want free phone alerts now with the option to switch on professional monitoring later, and homes that use Alexa or Google Assistant.

Key facts

• $150 on goabode.com as of October 2026. The page shows $75 if you check out with a monthly Pro plan, and removing the plan removes the discount.
• In the box: a Security Hub, one Mini Door/Window Sensor and a key fob. There is no motion sensor in this kit.
• The hub has a built-in 93 dB siren, connects by Ethernet or 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and has a backup battery with an expected life of up to 12 hours.
• With no plan, Abode's help center says you can control and self-monitor the system, view live video, use integrations and receive generic push notifications.
• Abode says all integrations, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, are free without a plan. The Security Kit hub does not support Apple HomeKit; Abode points HomeKit users to its Smart Security Kit or Iota Kit.
• The Smart Security Kit is $240 with no plan and adds a motion sensor plus HomeKit, Zigbee and Z-Wave support. It connects directly to your router, not over Wi-Fi.
• Paid plans: Standard is $8.49 a month or $79.99 a year. Pro, with 24/7 professional monitoring and cellular backup, is $26.99 a month or $245.99 a year. Abode says there is no contract or cancellation fee.

Trade-offs: The free tier leaves out the event timeline, stored video clips and rich notifications that name the device. You can build automations, but Abode says they will not run without a Standard or Pro plan. Cellular backup is Pro only, according to the help center. The Security Kit hub does not support Z-Wave or Zigbee devices directly.

SimpliSafe: best if you may add professional monitoring later

Who it's for: People who mainly want a loud local alarm and app control today, and expect to turn on professional monitoring at some point.

Key facts

• The Starter package includes a Base Station, a keypad, three entry sensors and a motion sensor. SimpliSafe loads package prices in the browser, so we could not read a fixed price on October 5, 2026.
• With no plan, SimpliSafe's support site says you can still arm and disarm the system remotely in the app and watch a live video feed from your cameras. Both need an internet connection.
• The same support site says push notifications are only available with an active monitoring subscription.
• The Base Station page lists a 100 dB siren and a 24-hour backup battery. The Starter package page describes the siren as 95 dB.
• Paid plans, from a SimpliSafe support article updated June 29, 2026: Self-Monitoring with Camera Recordings at $9.99 a month (no professional monitoring), Standard at $22.99 a month (24/7 dispatch, no camera recordings), Core at $32.99, Pro at $49.99 and Pro Plus at $79.99. Plans are paid monthly with no contracts. SimpliSafe's plan comparison page prices the same plans per day: 33 cents for Self Monitoring, 76 cents for Standard and $1.10 for Core.
• SimpliSafe offers Core or Standard monitoring free for one month, and a full refund if you return the system within 60 days.

Trade-offs: Without a professionally monitored plan, SimpliSafe says you lose 24/7 emergency dispatch, the built-in network backup, camera recordings and the subscription lifetime warranty. If phone alerts are the reason you want a system, an unmonitored SimpliSafe is the wrong pick. For how its paid plans compare with Ring's, see SimpliSafe vs Ring Alarm, and for more on the hardware, see our SimpliSafe home security system page.

Wyze Sense Hub: cheapest phone alerts

Who it's for: Anyone who wants door and motion alerts on a phone for the least money and can live without a keypad.

Key facts

• Wyze Sense Hub: $55.98 on wyze.com as of October 2026. Sensors are sold separately: an Entry Sensor 3-pack is $49.98 and a Motion Sensor is $24.98.
• The hub has an 88 dB siren (measured at 2 feet), supports up to 100 sensors at a range of up to 500 feet, and has a backup battery rated for 10 hours.
• Wyze's support site says that without a subscription the sensors still work as standalone devices. They keep sending push notifications when a sensor opens or closes or when motion is detected.
• The Wyze Sense Keypad ($39.98) needs an active Wyze Home Monitoring plan to function.
• Wyze Home Monitoring, with 24/7 professional monitoring provided by Noonlight, is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. wyze.com shows the yearly price as a deal against a $119.88 regular price, which equals 12 months at $9.99.

Trade-offs: Wyze's support article says that with no subscription the sensors work as standalone devices. Its Sense Hub page says the Wyze app experience outside Home Monitoring is not built for home monitoring and security and will not sound alarms, and it describes the siren and PIN disarming as part of Home Monitoring. Neither page says plainly whether the hub's siren sounds, or whether you can arm and disarm in the app, with no plan, so count on door and motion alerts on your phone and nothing more. Wyze does not support cellular backup. The Home Monitoring Core Starter Kit, which bundles the hub with sensors and a keypad, was sold out on wyze.com on October 5, 2026.

Ring Alarm: only worth it with a plan

Who it's for: Ring doorbell and camera owners who are willing to pay for a Ring plan.

Key facts

• Alarm Security Kit, 5-Piece (2nd Generation): $199.99 on ring.com as of October 2026. That is a sale price, marked down from $244.95. It includes a Base Station, a keypad, one contact sensor, one motion detector and a range extender.
• The Base Station has a 104 dB siren (measured at 1 foot) and a backup battery that lasts up to 24 hours.
• Ring's US help article says that without a subscription you can arm or disarm from the Ring Keypad only. If the alarm is triggered, the siren sounds, but you and your shared users do not receive digital notifications and emergency response is not requested.
• Ring says a compatible subscription is required for arming and disarming in the app. Its plans page lists remote arming of Ring Alarm under Device Modes for the Solo and Multi plans. Solo ($4.99 a month) covers one doorbell or camera. Multi ($9.99 a month or $99.99 a year) covers all devices at one location.
• 24/7 professional monitoring comes with Ring Pro at $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year.
• A free 30-day Ring Protect trial starts when you first set up the alarm, so expect the app features to stop when the trial ends unless you subscribe.

Trade-offs: Some comparisons, including a March 2026 post on Abode's blog, list Ring Alarm as offering app arming and push alerts for free. Ring's own help article says otherwise. If you will not pay for a plan, pick a different system.

What you give up without a plan

• Emergency dispatch. Self-monitoring means you call for help yourself. Ring puts it plainly: the siren will go off, but you will need to call for emergency responders yourself.
• A backup connection. Abode's cellular backup is part of its Pro plan. SimpliSafe's built-in network backup comes with its professionally monitored plans. Ring's cellular backup needs a compatible subscription, and Wyze does not offer one. With no backup, app features depend on your home internet staying up.
• Camera recordings. SimpliSafe, Abode and Ring all let you watch live video for free and tie recorded clips to a paid plan. If cameras matter more to you than door sensors, see our guide to security cameras without a subscription. For the front door, see doorbells with no subscription.
• Fire response. With no plan, nobody requests the fire department for you. If that is the gap you care about, read our best smart smoke detector guide.

What the optional plans cost

Prices from each maker's own site as of October 2026.

eufy's Basic plan lets you request dispatch from the app. Its Plus plan is the one where the monitoring team is alerted automatically. Wyze's $99.99 yearly price is shown on wyze.com as a deal against a $119.88 regular price.

How to choose

1. Decide whether you need alerts when you are away. If you do, look at eufy, Abode or Wyze. SimpliSafe and Ring, by their own support pages, do not send phone alerts with no plan.
2. Count your doors and windows. eufy's kit includes two entry sensors and a motion sensor. Abode's base kit has one sensor, and the Wyze hub comes with none. Price the sensors you need, not just the kit.
3. Check your smart home. Abode's integrations are free, but HomeKit needs its Smart Security Kit or Iota Kit. Ring says arming by voice with Alexa needs a Ring Protect plan. SimpliSafe lists arming with Alexa or Google Assistant among the features of its Core, Pro and Pro Plus plans.
4. Think about who answers the alert. Self-monitoring only works if someone sees the phone. If nobody will, budget for monitoring: eufy Plus and Wyze Home Monitoring are the lowest listed prices at $99.99 a year.
5. Use the free trials with care. Ring starts a 30-day trial at setup, SimpliSafe offers a free month of monitoring, and Abode's monthly plans are free for the first month when you buy a hub. Abode says its Pro trial renews as a paid subscription if you do not cancel.

For monitored systems, cameras and video doorbells in one place, see our best home security systems guide. If you are leaving SimpliSafe, we also list SimpliSafe alternatives.

What we could not verify

• SimpliSafe package prices. SimpliSafe loads prices in the browser, and they did not appear in the page source on October 5, 2026.
• SimpliSafe alerts with no plan. SimpliSafe's support pages are not fully consistent. Its troubleshooting article says push notifications are only available with an active monitoring subscription. Its setup article says only that Secret Alerts and Activity notifications need a plan. Its plans article lists no notifications at all for unmonitored systems. We followed the troubleshooting article.
• eufy's siren and offline behavior. The 5-Piece Home Alarm Kit page does not list a siren volume for the HomeBase 2 or say what the kit does when the internet is down.
• Which eufy hubs the Protection Plans cover. eufy's monitoring page does not list eligible hubs.
• Abode cellular backup. A March 2026 post on Abode's blog says cellular backup is included on the free tier. Abode's help center (June 2026), its plans page and its Security Kit page all say cellular backup needs a plan. We followed the help center.
• Wyze with no plan. Wyze confirms sensor push notifications. Its Sense Hub page says the Wyze app experience outside Home Monitoring will not sound alarms, but no Wyze page we read says plainly whether the hub siren sounds or whether app arming works with no plan.
• Which Ring plans restore Ring Alarm's phone alerts. Ring's help pages say a "compatible Ring subscription" is required without naming the plan.
• Real-world reliability. We found no independent data comparing how reliably each system's alerts arrive or how often each one false alarms.

How this page was put together

HomeGearLab does not test products in a lab or at home. This page compares each maker's product pages, plan pages and support articles, checked on October 5, 2026. Picks are based on what each maker says works with no paid plan. Prices and plan features change often, and Ring's kit price was a sale price that day, so confirm before you buy.