Nest vs SimpliSafe Home Security App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Nest
Control your smart home devices, including thermostats, security systems, cameras, and smoke detectors, all from a single app. Receive alerts, manage schedules, and automate actions based on your presence.
- Remote thermostat control
- Arm/disarm security system
- Live camera feeds
- Smoke/CO alerts
- Automated actions
- Visitor notifications
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At Google Nest, we make products that are beautiful, helpful and easy to use. The Nest app is no exception. Control your Nest thermostat, arm and disarm your Nest Secure alarm system, see your home with Nest Cam, and get an alert if Nest Protect goes off – all in one place. And receive notifications on your iPhone or iPad. Nest uses sensors, algorithms and the location of your phone to do the right thing automatically, turning off the heat and turning on the camera when you leave. Forget to set the alarm? It will notice, and send you a Remind Me alert. Nest Learning Thermostat and Nest Thermostat E Thermostats that program themselves to help you save energy. - Change the temperature from the subway or the sofa using your phone. - See how much energy you used, and why. - View and edit your schedule. - Get extreme temperature alerts before your home gets too cold. Nest Secure alarm system - Arm and disarm your home remotely from the app. - Receive a Remind Me alert if you leave home and forget to set the alarm. - Receive a security alert on your phone telling you what triggered the alarm – a door or window opening, or someone entering a room. Nest Protect The smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that thinks, speaks, and alerts your phone. - Get an alert if Nest Protect senses smoke or carbon monoxide. (Requires Wi-Fi and a working internet connection.) - Silence an alarm from your phone with App Silence. (Nest Protect 2nd gen only.) - See the status of your batteries, sensors, and Wi-Fi connection. - Run a Safety Checkup to test all your alarms at once. (Nest Protect 2nd gen only.) - See your Safety History so you know when alerts happened and why. Nest Cam IQ Indoor and Outdoor, Nest Cam Indoor, Nest Cam Outdoor, and Dropcam The security cameras that let you see your home on your phone, inside and out. - Get alerts when there’s activity, and talk back to get someone’s attention. - See what you missed with snapshots of the last three hours. - Check in 24/7 with crisp 1080p HD video (Nest Cam and Dropcam Pro only). - Get person alerts (or familiar face alerts with Nest Cam IQ) and up to 30 days of video history when you subscribe to Nest Aware. (Subscription service sold separately.) Nest Hello Know who’s knocking. - 24/7 video streaming means you’ll never miss a moment. - Designed to show you everything at your doorstep – people head to toe, or packages on the ground. - Knows the difference between a person and a thing. - Notifies you about visitors, even if they don’t ring the bell. - HD Talk and Listen lets you have a seamless conversation with someone at your door. - When you can’t answer the door, quick responses let you reply to visitors with prerecorded audio messages. Nest x Yale Lock The lock for a more secure connected home. - Instead of sharing keys, assign passcodes to people you trust in the Nest app. - Get an alert when someone locks or unlocks the door. - With Home/Away Assist and Auto-Lock, your door can lock itself when you leave. Some features require a working internet connection, Wi-Fi, and/or Bluetooth.
SimpliSafe Home Security App
Control your home security system remotely from your iPhone or iPad. Arm or disarm your system, receive instant alerts, and view a detailed timeline of events. Live video streaming is also available with compatible cameras.
- Remote arm/disarm
- Instant notifications
- Event timeline
- Live video streaming
- System control
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The SimpliSafe Home Security iPhone and iPad app lets you control your SimpliSafe security system from anywhere in the world. Arm and disarm the system, set instant notifications and keep track of everything in an up to the minute timeline. You can even watch and capture live video if you have a SimpliSafe camera.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SimpliSafe Home Security App at weekly against Nest's every 2 months. SimpliSafe Home Security App also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). Nest's advantage is ratings volume (2.6M vs 323K) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SimpliSafe Home Security App holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nest has 2.6M ratings behind it against 323K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 24% and 24% positive.
Nest ships an update every 2 months, SimpliSafe Home Security App weekly. Both last shipped on October 28, 2026.
| Parameter | Nest | SimpliSafe Home Security App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (2.6M ratings) | 4.8 (323K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.4% of reviews — better | 23.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2.6M — better | 323K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #96 — better | #207 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 240 MB | 437 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nest Labs | SimpliSafe Inc |
Customer experience
Nest
SimpliSafe Home Security App
User reviews
Nest
From 2.6M App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Reliable security features
- 📽️ Good video quality
- 🔔 Useful alerts and notifications
- 🌐 Convenient remote access
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- ⏱️ Slow app performance
- 🔒 Overly complex setup and login process
- 💰 Expensive subscription required for full functionality
- 🔋 Battery life issues with cameras
SimpliSafe Home Security App
From 323K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to install
- 🔒 Reliable security system
- 👍 Customizable settings
- 🔒 Prompt monitoring response
- 👍 Helpful customer service
Room to improve
- 🐛 App connectivity issues
- 🔋 Battery life concerns
- 💰 Expensive subscription costs
- 🔍 Limited camera functionality
- 🔍 Lack of integration with smart home devices
Bugs and requests
Nest
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inconsistent home/away detection
- Thermostat schedule resets unexpectedly
- Smoke detector false alarms
- Camera feed freezes or fails to load
Requested features
4 requests- Improved scheduling and automation options
- Better integration with other smart home devices
- More customization options for alerts and notifications
- Offline viewing and recording capabilities
SimpliSafe Home Security App
Reported bugs
3 issues- Frequent app crashes and login issues
- Sensors going offline or malfunctioning
- Inconsistent camera performance and connectivity
Requested features
4 requests- Option to delete camera recordings
- Geofencing for automatic arming/disarming
- Integration with Apple HomeKit and Google Home
- Customizable sensor settings and zones
In-app purchases
Nest
No in-app purchases
SimpliSafe Home Security App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Nest free?
Is SimpliSafe Home Security App free?
Which has better reviews, Nest or SimpliSafe Home Security App?
Do Nest or SimpliSafe Home Security App have ads?
Which is updated more often, Nest or SimpliSafe Home Security App?
Which is more popular, Nest or SimpliSafe Home Security App?
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