When comparing Simplicam vs Kuna, the Slant community recommends Kuna for most people. In the question“What are the best home-security cameras?” Kuna is ranked 5th while Simplicam is ranked 6th. The most important reason people chose Kuna is:
There is alarm functionality built-into the Kuna. The alarm is very loud at 100dB (similar to the volume of sound produced by a motorcycle or snowmobile), which should be sufficient to scare off most intruders.
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Pros
Pro Very configurable
If you are getting false alarms often, you can configure the sensitivity and even choose which parts of the frame to watch and which to ignore (the app can divide the picture into 25 different zones, and you can select zone by zone which to watch and which to ignore).
Pro Facial recognition support
When you get notified of movement, the Simplicam will be able to tell you who it is so you know if you can ignore the notification or not without needing to open the app.
This feature requires the subscription.
Pro Android and iOS support + web app
Some cameras only support Android or iOS, but that is very inconvenient for families that have members using both major mobile operating systems (you're still out of luck with Windows Phone unless you use its browser). Lucky, this camera has support for both Android and iOS. There is also a web app that can be accessed through any computer with internet access.
Pro Night vision
There are built-in infra-red LEDs that let you see through the camera even when its pitch black. They illuminate the center of the picture well, but the edges of the frame remain very dark, effectively reducing the field of view further at night.
Pro Scheduling available
You can configure your camera to turn on and off depending on a schedule you create. If the house is typically empty from 9am-3pm, you can set it to turn on then and when you go to bed. This cuts down on notifications, because if its on all the time it will constantly be sending you notifications and could feel like its invading your privacy if its always recording you when you're at home.
Subscription required for this feature
Pro 2 way audio
This camera has both a speaker and microphone, which allows you to have conversations with whoever is in/around your house at the time.
Pro Convenient installation
This camera comes with a wall/ceiling mount, and the stem is flexible allowing you to change the direction the camera is pointing even after installation.
Pro Works over Wi-Fi
Pro Built-in alarm
There is alarm functionality built-into the Kuna. The alarm is very loud at 100dB (similar to the volume of sound produced by a motorcycle or snowmobile), which should be sufficient to scare off most intruders.
Pro Stealthy design
From a distance, the Kuna looks like an ordinary outdoor light. Only when you get up close do you realize there's a camera hidden just beneath the light. This approach has a couple advantages - first it isn't an eyesore and acts as a functional outdoor light, and second is that intruders won't know they are being watched.
Pro Speak and listen
There is both a mic and a speaker on the Kuna, which lets you have a conversation with whoever is on your property whether it be a delivery man, maid, dog walker, or anybody else. With just a few taps you could also play one of three messages: "I'm busy right now", "Can I help you?", and "Sorry, not interested".
Pro Highly configurable Android & iOS apps
The app is easy to use, and gives quick access to important features. You can control the light manually through the app, set it to turn on or off based on a schedule, or whenever it detects motion. You can also adjust the motion sensitivity, which is useful if you are receiving false alarms from cars on the road or other distant or small movements. You can also adjust the speaker volume from within the app.
Cons
Con Low resolution video capture
At 720p, the video is usable, however it isn't crisp and depending on the distance of the movement you may not be able to make out exactly what is happening.
Con Relatively small field of vision
While the 107 degree field of vision should provide enough sight for most installations, other cameras offer up to 180 degrees of vision which covers a lot more ground. With this camera, there may be blind spots depending on where you install it and which way its facing.
Con Face detection could use some work
Face detection is technically a beta product, and doesn't work very well yet. It can confuse people for each other sometimes, and can have a hard time distinguishing between known faces and unknown people. This feature is getting worked on, and is promised to get better with time. At this point though, it's correct most of the time - but you won't want to leave your home security to be mostly secure.
Con Subscription required to access all features
$5/month ($50/yr) keeps videos for a single day, and allows you to save 1 hour of video.
$14/month ($140/yr) keeps recordings for 11 days, and you can save 3 hours of video.
$23/month ($230/yr) is the highest plan, and will keep videos for 21 days and allows for 5 hours of saved clips.
Con No local storage
Everything is uploaded directly to the cloud, and there is no local storage on the Simplicam.
Con Spotty Wi-Fi performance
Even when placed reasonably close to the Wi-Fi router (~15 feet), the Kuna can lose connection for a few seconds from time to time.
Con Subscription enables basic features
Without the subscription, your videos will only be held online for 2 hours. Subscriptions start at $5/month as seen below:
$7.49/month (or $60 annually) retains videos for 7 days, unlimited video downloads, theft protection, and 5% discount off future devices. This price is charged per device.
$15/month (or $120 annually) keeps videos online for 14 days, has unlimited video downloads, theft protection, and 10% off future devices. This subscription can be used between up to 4 devices.
$30/month (or $240 annually) allows video storage for 30 days, still has theft protection and unlimited video downloads, and receives a 15% discount off future devices. This subscription can be split between up to 8 devices.