You already use Ring in a small flat
Pack M matches two doors if you accept Ring-only sensors. The box adds an indoor camera and an outdoor siren at about £229.99. No star line was captured, and one review reported European plugs.
The best alarm systems with camera, compared.
Top pick: SimpliSafe 13-piece home security camera and alarm system with entry sensor, motion detector and outdoor siren – Highest score in this set: 4.3 from 154 reviews, with glass break, a panic button and a 105 dB siren in the box. Best value: SimpliSafe 7-piece – About £184.99, 4.1 from 144 reviews, and 4G stated on the listing, ahead of the cheaper XNY kit at 3.6 from 67. Updated October 2026.
An alarm system with a camera is a kit that arms and disarms, senses a door or a person, sounds a siren, and includes a camera. On amazon.co.uk the kept set is two Alarm packs, two kits and an touchscreen host. A CCTV recorder and a video doorbell answer a different question. You separate the five listings by how many openings they cover, whether the hub still has a path when Wi-Fi fails, and which app features need a monthly plan. A typical listing does not state a PD 6662 grade or a police unique reference number, so a siren is not a promise that the police will attend. The [alarm system with camera buying guide](/hub/electronic-surveillance/alarm-system-with-camera/sub/alarm-system-with-camera-buying-guide) sets the order: response, openings, backup, then the plan. You use it when you want an alarm you can set yourself and a view you can check in an app. You still have to read what happens if the broadband drops, and which features sit behind a monthly plan.
An alarm system with a camera is a kit that arms and disarms, senses a door or a person, sounds a siren, and includes a camera. On amazon.co.uk the kept set is two Alarm packs, two kits and an touchscreen host.
Swipe for more
1-2 of 5Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What do you need if the Wi-Fi drops?
The SimpliSafe 13-piece kit is £304.99 and rates 4.3 from 154 amazon.co.uk reviews, with 41 UK review texts in the capture. The box lists a base station, keypad, 1080p SimpliCam, three entry sensors, two motion sensors, a glass-break sensor, a 105 dB siren, a panic button and two key fobs. Reviewers often describe a DIY fit in under an hour, hardware they called well made, and phone support that sorted pairing or a missing sensor. The motion sensors carry a manufacturer claim for pets up to 27 kg, which is not a lab result. The limits show up in the same reviews: adhesive pads let sensors fall, two orders arrived with parts missing, and recorded camera images sit behind a paid plan. The camera is mains powered, which one buyer had not expected from a wireless kit. This listing does not state 4G backup, unlike the 7-piece listing, and it does not state a police unique reference number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You will pay for SimpliSafe’s higher monitoring tier and you want glass break and a panic button in the box.
Less suitable: You want 4G stated on this listing, or you need screws from day one because pads have already failed in the reviews.
Specifications
Common questions
Can you use it without a subscription?
The listing says recorded footage needs a paid plan. After the stated 60-day trial you can stay on a paid plan or use free self-monitoring. UK reviews say several app features are limited without a plan.
Is it suitable for pets?
The listing says the motion sensors are designed so cats and dogs up to 27 kg can move around. That is the manufacturer claim on the listing, not a lab result. Ring and XNY do not state the same claim.
What is in the 13-piece box?
The listing names a base station, keypad, 1080p SimpliCam, three entry sensors, two motion sensors, a glass-break sensor, a 105 dB siren, a panic button, two key fobs and a window decal.
The SimpliSafe 7-piece kit is £184.99 and rates 4.1 from 144 amazon.co.uk reviews, with 46 UK review texts in the capture. The listing states a 1080p indoor camera, 4G data backup, a 24-hour backup battery and a 95 dB figure, and the title includes an entry sensor and a motion sensor without giving the counts. Reviewers often put the install at 20 to 30 minutes, and several mention Home mode for when you are in the house. Support fixed a plan-upgrade glitch for some buyers, and one silent base station started after a reset and an overnight update. The same reviews say app arming, notifications, recorded clips and Alexa sit behind a monthly plan. Quoted fees in those reviews, including about £15.99 and £24.99, are not the current SimpliSafe list. The pet line is the manufacturer’s 27 kg claim, not a lab test, and the listing does not state a police unique reference number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lower SimpliSafe shelf price and a listing that states 4G backup.
Less suitable: You need a glass-break sensor, a panic button, or a box list that names every part.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the 7-piece kit include a camera?
Yes. The listing describes a 1080p indoor camera with live view in the app. It does not itemise every one of the seven parts. The title includes an entry sensor and a motion sensor without giving the counts.
What happens if the Wi-Fi fails?
The listing states 4G data backup and a 24-hour backup battery. It does not state a police unique reference number. The 13-piece listing in this set does not state 4G.
Do you need a monthly plan?
The listing includes a two-month Pro Premium trial stated as worth £29.99 a month. UK reviews say arming from the app, recorded clips and Alexa need a paid plan. Older fees in those reviews are not the current list.
The XNY kit is the £149.99 listing: a 4.3 inch touchscreen host, a PE-513 siren listed at more than 120 dB, three PIR detectors, six door sensors, two remotes, an SOS button and a 1080p pan/tilt camera. It sits at 3.6 from 67 amazon.co.uk reviews. Six UK texts include a buyer who liked the sensor count for a house and a garage, and one who found the first install easy. The same sample describes a set-up loop in which the alarm appeared in the app but the set-up would not finish, tried in two places. Another panel stopped after a few months, and that buyer found a repair return hard to arrange. The sounder lead is short, and one reviewer put the USB-C power lead at about 500 mm. A 2G, 3G or 4G SIM can dial up to five number groups if Wi-Fi drops, which is not a named UK monitoring centre, and the listing does not state a police unique reference number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest shelf price and a SIM that dials numbers you choose, and you can accept a 3.6 score.
Less suitable: You want a finished set-up in the reviews, or a staffed UK plan with a named response.
Specifications
Common questions
Does it work without a SIM card?
The listing says it uses 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and that a 2G, 3G or 4G SIM lets it keep working and dial preset numbers if Wi-Fi drops. It does not support a 5G SIM or 5 GHz Wi-Fi.
How many sensors are included?
Included components list three PIR motion detectors and six door or window sensors, plus the host, a PE-513 siren, two RFID cards, two remotes and an SOS button.
How loud is the siren?
The listing states more than 120 dB. UK reviews also describe the sounder as loud, and one reviewer said the sounder lead is short.
The Ring Alarm Pack M covers a small UK flat at £229.99 with a base station, a keypad, two contact sensors, two motion detectors, a range extender, an outdoor siren and a Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen). Ten UK review texts describe set-up in the Ring app, with separate access codes and entry and exit delays you can change. Reviewers arm and disarm from the keypad or the app, and they mention instant notifications. Adhesive pads meant the indoor sensors did not need drilling, and one reviewer still had sensor batteries working after 11 months. Another linked the kit to a Ring doorbell they already owned. No star line was captured, so those ten texts are not an amazon.co.uk average. The same reviews also report Ring-only sensors, Alexa routines that lagged by several seconds, and one box that contained European plugs. Optional Assisted Monitoring and cellular backup are listed at £8 a month, and the listing does not state a police unique reference number.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already use Ring in a small flat with two openings and you want the siren and indoor camera in one box.
Less suitable: You need six door contacts, a stated police unique reference number, or a listing that confirms a BS 1363 plug.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this kit include a camera?
Yes. The listing includes a Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen), with a base station, keypad, two contact sensors, two motion detectors, a range extender and an outdoor siren. Night vision is not stated.
Is monitoring included in the price?
The shelf price is £229.99. The listing offers optional Assisted Monitoring and cellular backup for £8 a month. It does not state a police unique reference number. Ring’s plan page lists different Solo and Multi prices.
Do you have to drill to fit it?
UK reviews describe adhesive tabs and say the indoor sensors did not need drilling. The listing itself does not state a drill-free claim. One box contained European plugs.
The Ring Alarm Pack XL is the £329.99 kit, with six contact sensors and three motion detectors alongside the same base station, keypad, range extender, outdoor siren and Indoor Cam (2nd Gen). Three UK review texts call the install straightforward and mention extra devices, a useful entry and exit delay, and battery life they described as very good. One reviewer powered the external siren and the motion detectors from an old wired alarm and said that arrangement worked. No star summary was captured, so those three texts are not an average. That reviewer also said a US retrofit kit for an existing wired layout was not sold in the UK, and that Ring’s explanation of the radio frequencies was unconvincing. The listing does not state a night-vision range, and optional Assisted Monitoring with cellular backup is still the £8 a month line. You pay £100 more than the M pack for four extra contacts and one extra motion sensor, on a much thinner review sample.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want six Ring door contacts and you already live in the Ring app.
Less suitable: You want a captured star rating, a lower shelf price, or a staffed guard described on a UK plan page.
Specifications
Common questions
How many sensors are in the XL pack?
The listing says six contact sensors and three motion detectors, plus a keypad, range extender, outdoor siren and a Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen). That is four more contacts and one more motion sensor than Pack M.
Does the listing confirm night vision?
The listing asks whether the camera has night vision, but it does not state a night-vision mode or range. Do not treat a missing line as a yes.
Is professional monitoring included?
The listing offers optional Assisted Monitoring and cellular backup for £8 a month. A police unique reference number is not stated. The shelf price is £329.99.
Five amazon.co.uk listings stay in this comparison. There is no laboratory test. Stars and review volume count only where a Customer Reviews line was captured. The box has to name a camera, a siren, contacts and a backup path. A lower shelf price helps only when UK reviews describe a set-up you can finish. No listing states a PD 6662 grade or a police unique reference number, so those are not score points.
Review evidence
30%Stars and the review count come from the amazon.co.uk line when it was captured. SimpliSafe is 4.3 from 154 and 4.1 from 144. XNY is 3.6 from 67. Both Ring packs have no captured star line, so those texts are not an average.
What the box names
30%The score uses the camera, the siren, the contacts and any backup path printed on that listing. Glass break and a panic button on the 13-piece kit count here. A box that is not fully itemised does not get the same credit.
A set-up you can finish
25%UK review texts are read for a fit you can complete. Points come off for failing adhesive pads, incomplete shipments, a set-up that would not finish, a panel that later died, Ring-only sensors, European plugs and plan-gated app control.
Shelf price
15%The amazon.co.uk shelf price is weighed against that box. A cheaper kit only helps if the reviews describe a set-up you can finish. The XNY price is the lowest, and the 3.6 score limits how far that price can carry it.
Separate these kits by the response you actually get, the openings in the box, and the path that remains when Wi-Fi fails. A lower sticker only helps if UK reviews describe a set-up you can finish. The top pick is the SimpliSafe 13-piece. The best value is the SimpliSafe 7-piece, because the listing states 4G at about £184.99. The XNY kit is cheaper and scores 3.6 from 67. None of this is a laboratory test, and none of the listings states a police unique reference number.
An alarm system with a camera is a kit that arms and disarms, senses a door or a person, sounds a siren, and includes a camera. On amazon.co.uk this comparison keeps two Ring Alarm packs, two SimpliSafe kits and one XNY touchscreen host. It does not treat a CCTV recorder or a video doorbell as the same product. You use it when you want an alarm you can set yourself and a view you can check in an app.

A video doorbell and a CCTV recorder do not replace door contacts and a siren. This set is two Ring Alarm packs, two SimpliSafe kits and the XNY host. If the picture is the whole job, that is a camera comparison, not this one.
None of these listings states a police unique reference number. Ask the Police says most domestic audible-only alarms are not attended under NPCC policy. Call 999 if a crime is in progress. Ring Alarm Calls and a SimpliSafe guard are not a police response.
SimpliSafe reviews say app arming and recorded clips need a paid plan. Ring’s cellular backup sits on the paid option. Adhesive pads fail on heavier SimpliSafe sensors. A pan/tilt camera pointed out of the window films past your boundary, which the ICO treats as your responsibility.
Start with who is actually called. A local siren and a phone alert are not the same as calls to people you name, and neither is a staffed centre. Police attendance is an installer-and-URN question. Ask the Police says most domestic audible-only alarms do not get a police response. None of these five listings states a PD 6662 grade or a police unique reference number. Then count openings.
Ask what remains when broadband fails. Ring lists cellular backup as part of the paid option, at £8 a month on the amazon bullets. Ring’s plan page lists Solo at £4.99 and Multi at £7.99. The SimpliSafe 7-piece states 4G data backup and a 24-hour backup battery. The 13-piece fields do not state 4G. XNY states a 2G, 3G or 4G SIM, not 5G, and that path dials stored numbers. It is not a named UK monitoring centre. SimpliSafe UK support, dated 29 June 2026, lists £12.99, £19.99 and £29.99 a month.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
Pack M matches two doors if you accept Ring-only sensors. The box adds an indoor camera and an outdoor siren at about £229.99. No star line was captured, and one review reported European plugs.
SimpliSafe’s top tier describes a guard, which is not a police response. The 13-piece box adds glass break and a panic button at about £304.99, with 4.3 from 154 reviews. This listing does not state 4G.
The XNY kit is about £149.99, with six door sensors and a SIM path if Wi-Fi drops. The caution is 3.6 from 67 reviews, including a set-up that would not finish and a panel that later died.
The top pick is the SimpliSafe 13-piece at about £304.99. It is the highest score in this set, with 4.3 from 154 reviews, a glass-break sensor, a panic button and a 105 dB siren. Adhesive pads fail in the reviews, two orders arrived short, and recorded footage needs a paid plan. The best value is the SimpliSafe 7-piece at about £184.99, with 4.1 from 144 reviews and 4G stated on the listing. That shelf price and the stated 4G path outweigh the cheaper XNY kit at 3.6 from 67. Neither result is a laboratory test, and neither listing states a police unique reference number.

SimpliSafe 13-piece home security camera and alarm system with entry sensor, motion detector and outdoor siren
Highest score in this set: 4.3 from 154 reviews, with glass break, a panic button and a 105 dB siren in the box.

SimpliSafe 7-piece
About £184.99, 4.1 from 144 reviews, and 4G stated on the listing, ahead of the cheaper XNY kit at 3.6 from 67.
Editorial

Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public sources listed for this comparison, October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in that set. We did not run a lab test.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines in this comparison. We did not run a lab test.