Best alarm system with camera for a UK home
Updated: 22 October 2026
You want one kit for a stated job, and a reason to leave the others on the shelf. Press round-ups name many brands. This page only uses the kits on the [alarm system with camera comparison](/hub/electronic-surveillance/alarm-system-with-camera): Ring M, Ring XL, SimpliSafe 7-piece, SimpliSafe 13-piece and XNY. Each pick names who should skip it. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk lines in this set, not a lab score. This page is from Peter F., editor for DIY & tools.
You want one kit for a stated job, and a reason to leave the others on the shelf. Press round-ups name many brands.
You want one kit for a stated job, and a reason to leave the others on the shelf. Press round-ups name many brands. This page only uses the kits on the alarm system with camera comparison: Ring M, Ring XL, SimpliSafe 7-piece, SimpliSafe 13-piece and XNY. Each pick names who should skip it. Prices and stars are the amazon.co.uk lines in this set, not a lab score. This page is from Peter F., editor for DIY & tools.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Buy it for | Contacts | Backup on the listing | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 13-piece camera and alarm | Glass break and the staffed tier | 3 plus glass break | 4G not stated | 9.0 | about £304.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  SimpliSafe SimpliSafe 7-piece camera and alarm | Lower price with 4G stated | Not itemised | 4G and a 24-hour battery | 8.6 | about £184.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Ring Ring Alarm Pack M with indoor camera | A two-door flat already on Ring | 2 | On the £8 plan | 7.4 | about £229.99 | View offer |
On this page
Best for a small flat if you already use Ring
The Ring Alarm Pack M at £229.99 is the flat kit if you already live in the Ring app. Eight pieces: a base, a keypad, two contacts, two motion detectors, a range extender, an outdoor siren and a Ring Indoor Cam (2nd Gen). Skip it when you need sensors from another brand. One long-term user could not add third-party sensors, and one box contained European plugs, so check for a BS 1363 plug.
The Ring XL at £329.99 is the same hub with six contacts. Three UK texts is a thin sample, and one reviewer could not buy a UK retrofit kit for an old wired layout.
Best if you want the staffed path
The SimpliSafe 13-piece at £304.99 rates 4.3 from 154. The box names a 1080p SimpliCam, three entry sensors, two motion sensors, a glass-break sensor, a 105 dB siren, a panic button and two key fobs. The Ring or SimpliSafe page sets the brand choice.
A year of Pro Premium at £29.99 is about £360, more than the shelf price. This listing does not state 4G. UK reviews say pads fail, two orders arrived short, and the camera is mains powered. Skip it if you need 4G printed on this listing.
Best lower hardware price with 4G on the listing
The SimpliSafe 7-piece at £184.99 states a 1080p indoor camera, 4G data backup, a 24-hour backup battery and 95 dB. UK texts often put the install at 20 to 30 minutes and mention Home mode. One silent base station started after a reset and an overnight update. The 27 kg line is a manufacturer claim, not a lab result. Pads and Wi-Fi are the next read on the set-up guide.
The £149.99 kit, and when to skip it
The XNY at £149.99 lists six door sensors, three PIRs, a siren and a 1080p pan/tilt camera, and it can dial up to five number groups. One UK text was happy with that sensor count for a house and a garage. The sounder lead is short. Buy it only if SIM dial-out outranks the set-up reviews. The police reference these listings do not state is on the monitoring page.
Common questions
Which kit is enough for a flat?
The Ring M pack, if you already use Ring and you have two openings, at £229.99 with an indoor camera. There is no captured star line. The SimpliSafe 7-piece is the alternative when you want 4G stated and a 4.1 rating from 144, with an incomplete parts list. Six contacts are spare hardware on a two-door flat unless you are covering windows.
Which kit is the one to buy if you will pay for a staffed response?
The SimpliSafe 13-piece, together with Pro Premium at £29.99 a month on SimpliSafe's UK page of 29 June 2026. The box adds glass break and a panic button. The tier describes a Securitas guard after verification. It does not state a police URN, and the guard is not a police officer. If you will not pay that tier, the extra sensors are still useful, and the staffed path is not what you bought.
Is the cheaper SimpliSafe missing too much?
It is missing a full parts list, and it is missing glass break and a panic button that the 13-piece names. It is not missing a stated 4G path, which the dearer listing does not print. At £184.99 and 4.1 from 144, it is the better hardware buy when those named extras do not matter and you accept a paid plan for clips and app arming. It is the wrong buy when you need every sensor written down before you pay.
Is the Ring XL worth £100 more than the M pack?
Only if you need six contacts rather than two, and you are staying with Ring sensors. The XL is £329.99 against £229.99 for the M pack. Both include the indoor camera and the outdoor siren. Neither has a captured star line, and the XL sample is three UK texts. Four extra contacts and one extra motion sensor are the whole of the £100. If you have two doors, they are not worth it.
Why is the cheapest kit not the default pick?
Because 3.6 from 67 is a real average, and UK texts include a set-up that would not finish and a panel that died. SIM dial-out does not repair a host you cannot complete. The 7-piece costs about £35 more here and has a higher rating and a stated 4G line.
What should you skip if you need a police URN?
All five of these listings. None states a police unique reference number or a PD 6662 grade. Ask the Police says most domestic audible-only alarms are not attended under the NPCC policy. A Ring contact call, a SimpliSafe guard and an XNY SIM dial are different products from a URN. Use an NSI or SSAIB installer if the insurer has asked for that reference.
Related pages
Sources
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.
- Ask the Police Q75, alarm attendance (retrieved October 2026)
- NSI, intruder alarm systems (retrieved October 2026)
- BIBA, intruder alarms guidance for purchasers (retrieved October 2026)
- NPCC police requirements for security systems, August 2022 (retrieved October 2026)
- ICO, home CCTV systems (retrieved October 2026)
- GOV.UK, domestic CCTV (retrieved October 2026)
- Ring plans, UK (retrieved October 2026)
- SimpliSafe UK service plans, 29 June 2026 (retrieved October 2026)