The Bottom Line
Canary Home Security offers a simple, easy home security system for customers looking for video monitoring throughout their homes. Compared to other large providers, Canary’s pricing is cost-effective, and you won’t be spending more than a couple hundred dollars per year with the company’s equipment and services. If you’re looking for more hands-on monitoring and security devices, Canary won’t have what you need, but the cameras are high-quality and offer an immediate way to self-monitor and get in touch with emergency personnel.
Canary’s Response to COVID-19: As of December 2020, Canary hasn’t released a formal statement about COVID-19. However, the company has published a helpful summer road trip blog about how to keep yourself and your home secure if you’re traveling during the pandemic.
Is Canary Security Right for You?
Costs: Overall, Canary offers a cheaper alternative to more well-known security companies. Even if you chose the most expensive camera and premium service, you’ll pay $300 for one year. Other companies with alarm systems and professional monitoring can cost closer to $500-600 for equipment and $50 per month for monitoring.
Contract: Canary doesn’t offer contracts with its basic plan, but its premium subscription is essentially a contract. The subscription lasts for one or two years, depending on what you choose, and you may be subject to late fees if you terminate the service before the subscription terms are up. Though there isn’t an early termination fee, you’ll be charged for the amount of service you would have paid for if you would have kept the subscription.
Wired or Wireless: Each of Canary’s cameras work wireless through WiFi or ethernet connection to provide a live monitoring stream that you can access through the Canary app. Each camera just needs to plug into a 100v-240v power supply and it’s ready to go.
Monitoring: Canary doesn’t offer traditional monitoring like most other security companies. There’s no call center that’s notified since the devices don’t come with alarms. The closest thing that Canary offers to third-party monitoring is its one-touch access to first responders, which comes with both its basic and premium subscriptions.
With the basic and premium service, users have the ability to monitor their homes and receive live notifications when there’s motion or suspicious activity. With the premium subscription, users have access to an incident report team that can offer professional help in the event of a break-in or security incident.
Installation: All of Canary’s cameras are designed for DIY installation. The cameras themselves just need power and internet access. If you choose to purchase an additional camera stand, you may need to spend more time setting it up, though all the instructions are easy and posted online.
Equipment: Canary only offers three types of security cameras and camera mounts. If you’re looking for home alarms and entryway sensors, the company won’t have what you need.
Canary Pricing
Canary offers three main cameras along with accessories and a premium subscription plan. The cameras range from $99 to $199 with Canary’s basic service, which includes 24/7 live video feeds, motion-activated video clips, person detection and 24-hour video history.
You can choose to add on Canary’s premium monitoring subscription at $99 for one year or $89 for two years. With the premium plan, you’ll get motion-activated full-length videos, 30-day video history, unlimited video downloads, two-way communication and more. With the premium plan, you’ll need to pay an additional $49 per year or $4.99 per month for each additional camera if you have more than five devices.
Canary Security Camera Installation
Canary doesn’t offer professional installation, but it isn’t required for any of its products. Each camera is simple to set up: All you have to do is establish an internet connection. Canary also offers camera mounts for an additional price that you can set up on your own, and the instructions are available online as well with each package.
Canary Security Equipment
Canary offers a collection of cameras with built-in home security features to keep your home safe using one device. With Canary, you can control all of your cameras’ features and monitor your home 24/7 using the mobile app. Their cameras include AI-powered Person Detection, Canary Talk and emergency alerts to give you an all-in-one home security device.
Regardless of what Canary camera you choose, you’re guaranteed to have a few features. You’ll have access to the mobile app, free AI-powered Person Detection, 24/7 surveillance and anytime access to emergency responders. You’ll also get HD video and audio.
In addition to its security cameras, Canary also offers accessories like camera mounts. Customers can choose from a secure mount, twist mount and stake mount depending on where you’d like to place the camera.
Pros
- Professional installation not required
- Camera includes home security modes
- Home temperature monitor, air quality monitor, and humidity control
Cons
- Continuous video recording not available
- Only offers cameras, no other equipment
- Additional $49/year for service plans with more than five cameras
Canary Security Cameras
Our take
A unique camera, the Canary Pro is capable of detecting motion as well as monitoring your home’s temperature and air quality. It features AI-powered person detection so you can receive smart alerts. The Canary Pro is also compatible for use with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant.
Stand-out features include
- Works with Alexa and Google Assistant
- 147-degree field of view
- 1080p HD video quality with two-way audio
- Includes a 90-decibel alarm
Our take
The Canary View sends intelligent motion detection alerts to your smartphone when there’s suspicious activity in your home. It’s equipped with Canary Talk to see and speak to your guests using your smartphone and the Canary security camera. The camera includes a Wi-Fi antenna to stay connected to the Internet for easy home security monitoring. It includes a one-press button to call for emergency help as needed.
Stand-out features include
- One-press button for police, fire and emergency medical help
- Intelligent motion detection alerts
- Canary Talk to see and speak to guests
Our take
The Canary Flex doubles as an indoor and outdoor camera. It’s weatherproof and is designed to be wireless or plug into a standard outlet. The camera also comes with lithium-ion rechargeable batteries if you choose a wireless set-up. It also comes with Canary Talk for two-way chatting with guests. It comes with a 360-degree magnetic base to show all angles of your home from the camera’s view. The Canary Flex is equipped with automatic night vision, AI-powered Person Detection and a one-press button for emergency assistance.
Stand-out features include
- Weatherproof indoor and outdoor camera
- Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries
- 360-degree magnetic swivel base
Compare Canary Cameras
 Canary Flex |  Canary View |  Canary Pro (All-in-One) | |
|---|---|---|---|
Cost | $199 | $99 | $169 |
Indoor or outdoor cameras | Indoor and outdoor | Indoor | Indoor |
Works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Wide-view angle lens | 116 degrees | 147 degrees | 147 degrees |
Temperature, humidity and air quality monitoring | No | No | Yes |
Weatherproof | Yes | No | No |
Rechargeable batteries | Yes | No | No |
Canary Service Plans
Canary offers two service plans to record and store camera activity. The Canary Free Access and Premium Plan both come with a few features including:
- 24/7 live surveillance
- AI-powered Person Detection
- Advanced detection, including automatic arming and disarming
- One-touch access to emergency responders
But there are a few key differences between the free and premium plans. Here’s a breakdown of the differences.
Canary Free Access | Canary Premium Service | |
|---|---|---|
Cost | Free | $9.99/mo. |
Maximum number of devices | Up to 4 | 5 for one plan |
Motion-activated recorded videos | Video clips | Full-length videos |
Video history storage | 1 day | 30 days |
Safety button | No | Yes |
Unlimited video downloads | No | Yes |
Two-way Canary Talk | No | Yes |
Custom system modes | No | Yes |
Warranty | 1 year | 2 years |
Canary Warranty and Guarantees
Most Canary cameras come with a limited lifetime warranty for up to one year. You’ll get up to 2 years on your camera’s warranty with the Premium Service plan. Keep in mind that the camera is only valid if your device comes from a Canary authorized retailer.
Canary also offers a 60-day money-back guarantee for a full refund if you’re not satisfied with your purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions about Canary
The Canary home security system is easy to get started with and use. Here’s the step by step of how the system works:
- Purchase your desired Canary camera or cameras
- Choose between the basic or premium membership
- Install your Canary security cameras yourself
- Get an alert any time one of your camera’s sensors is triggered.
No, at this time Canary doesn’t require a contract. A month-to-month service plan is available for video recording and storage.
No, at this time Canary products are only DIY for self-installation.
Canary doesn’t offer professional monitoring services to alert and send emergency responders if your camera’s sensors are triggered. Instead, you’ll receive an alert to check out the activity and press the ‘Safe Button’ to call for help.
At this time continuous video recording is not available for Canary devices, but you can check on your home anytime with Canary’s mobile app for 24/7 video surveillance.
The Canary camera records sound when it is set to Armed or Disarmed. When you have your camera set to the Privacy setting, the camera won’t record picture or sound.
Yes, you can connect multiple Canary cameras to your Canary mobile app for all-in-one control.
Canary doesn’t require a monthly or annual membership for its cameras. You can choose to pay for the premium membership, but all basic features are available for free.
One of the downsides of wireless security cameras is that they are more vulnerable to hacking. That said, there are steps you can take to prevent your camera from being hacked.
