The only major burglar alarm brands in the UK without monthly subscription fees for full functionality are Yale commercial link and Ring commercial link. At least three smart home providers including SimpliSafe, Abode, and Somfy also offer subscription-free options. However, these providers limit some functionality around push notifications and video alerts on the free plans.
Features like mobile alerts and video streaming can be accessed for free with some systems, including Eufy and SimpliSafe commercial link. Adding cloud storage for video requires a fee across all video-capable brands surveyed, although Yale does offer 24 hours of event storage for their video doorbell products in 2026.
| Alarm brand | Equipment cost range | Install type | Monitoring options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ring | £219.99–509.99 | Self-installation | Self-monitor only |
| Simplisafe | £158.38–518.88 | Self-installation | Optional professional monitoring |
| Yale smart home security system | £190–499.99 | Professional installation (optional) | Self-monitor only |
Customers may reduce or eliminate video storage costs by opting for on-premise video storage or choosing brands like Arlo that integrate with iCloud storage.
Professional monitoring combined with police alerts are only offered by brands with monthly fees, such as Verisure and ADT.
Best Home Security Systems Without Monthly Fees in the UK
- Best for low price: Ring commercial link
- Best for range of subscription options: SimpliSafe UK commercial link
- Best for offline service: Yale commercial link
The best overall subscription-free security system without monthly fees is Ring at £219.99 for a base system. The benefit of Ring is that they stream video and push notifications to customer devices without charging a subscription for it. They do charge a fee for recording video events, but it’s not required.
The brand with the best range of subscription options between free and professional monitoring is SimpliSafe UK, with systems starting at £158.38 for a four-piece kit. SimpliSafe is highly extendable and unlike Ring, they offer professional monitoring as an upgrade option. However, they offer less than Ring and Yale when it comes to free plan features.
The best brand among offline bell-only burglar alarms is Yale, which offers both extremely low prices and a variety of configuration options for both online (IoT) and offline devices. Yale competes directly with budget brand alarms in hardware stores, but unlike small brands, Yale offers 24/7 support and professional installation options.
Using Ring Without Monthly Subscription Fees
Ring offers the lowest pricing among alarm systems with no monthly fee.
While Ring doesn’t offer professionally monitored security service, they’re otherwise one of the most full-featured plans on the market that don’t require a monthly plan or long contract to operate.
Comparing Ring and Verisure, you can see how the tradeoff for professional monitoring nets you as much as £600 per year in savings.
| Feature | Ring Free plan |
|---|---|
| Event notifications | Included |
| Video streaming | Included |
| Video recording | Not included |
Ring Free vs Paid Plans
Event notifications are the key feature offered by Ring that isn’t included by other brands. This allows you to react and stream live video during events.
Like most companies on the market, they require a monthly fee if you want to upgrade and get video storage during events. But while SimpliSafe charges almost £20 per month for this feature, Ring only costs £3.49 per month (£8 per month if you have multiple devices and want cellular backup when the Wi-Fi is down).
| Ring plan tiers | Monthly fee | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| No plan | Free | Event notifications. |
| Basic | £3.49 | Video storage. |
| Plus | £8 | Cellular backup. |
Ring permits annual payment for both paid plans, which adds up to £6.89–16 annual savings depending on the plan chosen.
What Is Ring “Assisted Monitoring?”
When comparing security providers, keep in mind that the “assisted monitoring” service offered by Ring is not a professional monitoring service. Assisted monitoring means that they automatically alert customer emergency contacts in the event of an alarm trigger.
Professional monitoring and police response integration is only offered by premium paid providers like Verisure and ADT — with the notable exception of our runner-up pick, SimpliSafe:
Using SimpliSafe Without Monthly Subscription Fees
SimpliSafe offers the most flexible range of plans from free to premium among all alarm systems offered in the UK.
SimpliSafe is by far the most extensible among fee-free security providers in the UK market. Customers can operate SimpliSafe as a free bell-only alarm, a full-featured professionally monitored police response system, and hybrid options in between.
The key feature is professional monitoring for lower fees than what’s offered by Verisure and ADT.
| Feature | Simplisafe Free plan |
|---|---|
| Event notifications | Not included |
| Video streaming | Included |
| Video recording | Not included |
However, they have notable drawbacks on the free plan that make it a no-go for customers with high expectations — the most notable being a lack of push notifications, even on the basic paid plan.
SimpliSafe UK Free vs Paid Plans
Video storage and push notifications are only available on the SimpliSafe “Pro Premium” plan, their most expensive offering at £19.99.
| Simplisafe plan tiers | Monthly fee | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| No plan | Free | Video streaming. |
| Pro | £12.99 | Live monitoring, cellular backup. |
| Pro Premium | £19.99 | Video storage, event notifications. |
I’ve personally operated a SimpliSafe system for my SimpliSafe UK review, which I picked up shortly after their Europe launch. While I liked it for the versatility and ease of setup as a bell-only alarm with camera streaming, I ultimately switched to Ring for one reason: push notifications on the free plan.
Who Should Get SimpliSafe Without Subscribing to a Monthly Plan?
SimpliSafe is a strong contender for customers who want to trial a security system that’s easy to upgrade to professional monitoring. Comparing a premium system like Verisure and SimpliSafe, SimpliSafe offers similar outcomes for about half the monthly cost.
SimpliSafe is also worth considering for vacation homes and other part-time residences, including short-term rental properties. In this case, there’s a benefit to their monthly plans, which — unlike the big brands — do not require annual contracts.
Using Yale Without Monthly Subscription Fees
Yale is the go-to alarm option that operates well in places with no Wi-Fi or phone line.
There are dozens of brands offering offline bell-only alarms in the UK. As they’re offline, naturally, there are no subscription fees.
Among all these brands, Yale is the only one that offers a mix of offline and Wi-Fi-enabled products; and the only one with 24/7 support and maintenance plans including installation.
| Feature | Yale Free plan |
|---|---|
| Event notifications | Included |
| Video streaming | Included, requires DVR setup |
| Video recording | Not included, DVR offered |
Notably, Yale is the only major security brand in the UK that offers basic video storage for free with all their cameras. While limited to 24 hours, this is a killer feature that has won the brand a top spot in the UK security market.
Yale Free vs Paid Plans
Yale gets high marks for free plan users because they offer push notifications, video streaming, and video recording. The only feature that requires a plan is their video storage service, which can be extended from 24 hours to 15–30 days for just a few quid a month.
| Yale plan tiers | Monthly fee | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Event video storage: 24 hours. |
| Premium | £2.99 | Event video storage: 15 days. |
| Premium Plus | £4.99 | Event video storage: 30 days. |
The main drawback with Yale is that they’re a bit less “techy” than the smart home brands like Ring (Amazon) and SimpliSafe. While the video options are more flexible than what’s offered by Ring and SimpliSafe, it does assume you’re going to be comfortable setting up a DVR for onsite storage.
Their equipment is well-regarded and commonly integrated with premium providers. For example, Verisure plans with smart locks generally utilize Yale equipment.
Security System Installation Costs
Our survey of burglar alarm costs across the UK market found an average cost of £562 in 2026. The cost for self-install systems was found to be lower, at an average of £269 for starter kits offering 3–6 pieces of equipment.
Systems that offer security without monthly plans are, in most cases, self-installed. Among brands included in our market survey, Yale was the only one offering documented installation offers and a free plan with video streaming.
| Alarm brand | Install type | Install cost |
|---|---|---|
| Yale smart home security system | Professional installation (optional) | £280 |
| Ring | Self-installation | Free |
| Simplisafe | Self-installation | Free |
| Abode | Self-installation | Free |
| Minut | Self-installation | Free |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get push notifications when my alarm is triggered without paying?
Home security brands that offer push notifications when alarms are triggered include Ring and Yale. Most home security brands in the UK market require monthly fees to access real-time push notifications, although some smart home providers like Simplisafe offer real-time streaming of video without charge.
Can I get police response to a burglar alarm without paying a subscription?
Police response can only be provided by private security verification of alarm triggers. In order to stay compliant with police force requirements, professional monitoring of the alarm system is required to get a police response. All home security companies offering this service charge a monthly fee for it, to cover staff and 24/7 support.
How much should video storage cost for home security cameras?
Video storage costs for home security cameras range from £2.99 for 15-day event storage on a Yale security camera up to £19.99 with Simplisafe. Premium security companies with professional monitoring typically charge £24–50 per month for plans that include unlimited video recording.
Can I get an insurance discount for a free alarm system?
Home insurance and renters insurance companies sometimes offer discounts for customers with alarm systems. However, these discounts are typically offered only for professionally-monitored security systems that have certifications from trade organizations like NSI (National Security Inspectorate). Verisure is an example of a company that complies with this requirement; unmonitored systems with no monthly fees, such as Ring or Simplisafe, typically do not qualify for insurance discounts.