Home security has always been important, but it hasn't always been accessible. Despite the fact that one burglary is said to occur every 15 seconds and 74 per cent of burglaries are claimed to be residential break-ins, traditional security systems are expensive and they come at a cost that not everyone can justify.

Luckily things have changed over the last couple of years and people can now keep an eye on their home without spending a fortune thanks to smarthome security cameras like Canary.

This feature explains how Canary is different to traditional security systems and DIY security systems and how you can monitor what is happening in your home when you aren't there, without spending a fortune.

Canary vs traditional security systems: How do they work?

Traditional home security systems and DIY home security systems tend to use sensors mounted to doors, windows and walls. They offer access to alarms and home monitoring but they focus on the perimeter of your home, rather than what is happening inside.

It is said that they have between a 94 per cent and 99 per cent false alarm rate, which consequently means people are said to stop turning their systems on at all. Apparently, two thirds of people with security systems leave them off.

Canary takes a different approach. It doesn't focus on what is happening around your home, but instead looks at what is happening inside your home. A wide-angle HD video monitoring camera with high-quality audio, motion detection and temperature, humidity and air quality sensors keeps an eye out from the inside.

Rather than automatically call the authorities when something unusual occurs, Canary notifies you instead via your smartphone, providing you with all the information you need wherever you are to choose the right response, whether that be sound the built-in siren or call the police yourself.

Canary vs traditional security systems: Features

As we mentioned, Canary offers video monitoring with audio and it even keeps an eye on the temperature, humidity and air quality within your home. You will be alerted when Canary believes anything of note has happened, which Canary will record and hold onto for 12 hours. It is possible to take out a monthly plan that will increase the length of time the recordings are available for though.

When the alert comes through, you have the ability to watch live on your smartphone through the app and this is where you can sound the siren if the motion detected is an unwelcome visitor for example. Canary also learns over time so if it detects something wrong, it will remember this for the future leading to less false alarms.

Traditional security systems don't offer video monitoring, they don't learn over time and as we highlighted previously, they have been known to send false alarms. They are also not easy to take with you so if you move home, you'll probably need to reinstall a new system. The one thing they do do, if they get it right, is help stop someone entering your home in the first place.

Canary is very easy to move and it can also be moved around your home, as well as brought with you to a different house. It also is quick to setup, while a traditional security system or even a DIY system can take a lot longer.

Canary vs traditional security systems: The cost

Aside from the fact that Canary is all about showing you what is happening inside your home, while traditional security systems tend to be a little more interested in deterring people from getting into it in the first place, Canary is significantly cheaper.

The average initial cost of a traditional security system is said to be $1450, which isn't cheap. The price for a DIY security system drops down to between $200 and $1200, which means if you do it properly, you're still looking at big bucks.

Canary however, has an upfront cost of $199 and up to four can be connected to the system. This means even if you bought four in order to monitor different areas of your home, or perhaps every entry point, you'd still be looking at almost half the price of a traditional security system.


Canary is the all-in-one home security system that you control from your phone. It has HD video and audio, a built-in siren, and sensors for temperature, humidity and air quality. Canary lets you see what's happening at home and take action.

A new approach to security, Canary combines innovative hardware, elegant software and meaningful services to meet modern-day home security needs. Canary launched in the UK in September, following a hugely successful Indiegogo campaign in the United States, and is available on Amazon.co.uk, Apple stores, Curry's PC World, John Lewis, and Maplin. For more information, please visit canary.is.