Video Doorbells / SimpliSafe
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro (VPD301)
Buy it for the alarm integration, not the camera — it is still 1080p widescreen at $169.
Overall score 4.4/10
Pros
- + The only doorbell here that arms, disarms and triggers alongside a full professionally-monitored alarm system
- + 8-24VAC is one of the most forgiving power ranges in the group, so it installs where the Nest and Wyze will not
- + Runs standalone without a SimpliSafe base station if you only want the doorbell
- + A qualifying subscription extends the hardware warranty from 1 year to as much as 3
Cons
- − 1080p and 16:9 in 2026, for $169 — a $39.99 Blink has more pixels and a better-shaped frame
- − The cheapest plan that records anything is $9.99/mo, more than double Ring's $4.99 entry tier
- − Digital chimes are unsupported, which quietly disqualifies a lot of newer homes
- − SafeWise's testing found audio lag that makes real conversation hard and night vision that fades past roughly six feet
- − No local storage, no Apple Home, no Matter, and a design that has not changed since 2019
SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro (VPD301) review: what the specs say
Buy it for the alarm integration, not the camera — it is still 1080p widescreen at $169. At $169, SimpliSafe's 2019 model sits in the middle of the range — the video Doorbells we compare run from $39.99 to $249.99. It scores 4.4/10 overall, calculated from published specifications across 8 categories rather than from a subjective impression.
Its strongest showing is Battery & Power at 5.5/10 — runtime between charges for battery models, and how easy the power arrangement is to live with on wired ones. The weakest is Subscription Freedom at 2.5/10, which is the trade-off to weigh before buying: if that is the specification you care about most, one of the alternatives below will serve you better.
Worth knowing before you buy: 1080p and 16:9 in 2026, for $169 — a $39.99 Blink has more pixels and a better-shaped frame; and the cheapest plan that records anything is $9.99/mo, more than double Ring's $4.99 entry tier. Every specification on this page comes from SimpliSafe's own documentation or a verified retail listing — where a figure is not published, the table says so rather than estimating it.
Specifications and price last verified . Report an error
Full Specifications
| Resolution (actual pixels) | 1080p — the only sub-2K doorbell in this comparison, at a $169 price |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 widescreen. There is no head-to-toe framing, so a parcel set against the door can fall below the frame |
| Field of View | 162° field of view |
| Power Source | Hardwired only — no battery, no battery backup |
| Wiring / Transformer Requirement | 8-24 VAC, 30VA maximum. SimpliSafe supports mechanical chimes only and states that digital chimes are not supported |
| Battery Life (claimed) | Not applicable — wired only |
| Wi-Fi Bands | 2.4GHz only |
| Local Storage | None. No card slot and no local recorder option |
| Works Without a Subscription | Live view in the app, real-time motion alerts and a 7-day activity timeline. Nothing is recorded |
| Behind the Paywall | Every saved recording. The cheapest qualifying plan is Self Monitoring with Camera Recordings at $9.99/mo for up to 10 cameras with 30 days of rolling footage; professional monitoring costs more |
| Smart Home / HomeKit / Matter | Alexa and Google Assistant, plus deep integration with the SimpliSafe alarm system. No Apple Home, no Matter |
| Indoor Chime | No — it uses your existing mechanical chime, and digital chimes are explicitly unsupported |
| Connectivity | 2.4GHz Wi-Fi |
| Material | Polycarbonate with a brushed faceplate |
| Warranty | 12 months |
Compare SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro (VPD301) With
Cheaper Alternative
Ring Battery Doorbell 2K (2nd gen, 2026) — $99.99
Premium Alternative
Google Nest Doorbell (Wired, 3rd gen, 2025) — $179.99