Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
ecobee vs Surety Home
ecobee vs Surety Home: the differences
| Compare |  ecobee |  Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $139.99 | $11Lower |
| Hub required | No | YesHas it |
| Subscription per month | $5Lower | $11 to $60 |
| Markets | US, CACovers more | US |
| Warranty | 3 years | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Energy reporting (Yes).
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Key differences
- Surety Home scores higher overall: 9.1 vs 8.8.
- Price from is lower at Surety Home: $11 vs $139.99.
- Hub required: only Surety Home.
- Subscription per month is lower at ecobee: $5 vs $11 to $60.
- Support channels: only ecobee offers Phone.
- Support channels: only Surety Home offers Email, Chat, Community.
- Founded is lower at ecobee: 2007 vs 2011.
- ecobee is available in 1 more country.
- Device types: only Surety Home offers Lighting, Plug, Hub.
- Ecosystems: only ecobee offers Homekit, Smartthings.
Our verdict on each
ecobee
ecobee suits homeowners who want heating handled properly and security added on the side, rather than a full alarm shop. Entry pricing starts at $139.99, close to the site entry median, and the thermostat warranty runs 3 years, with sales limited to US and CA.
Surety Home
Surety Home suits US homeowners who want cameras, alarms, locks and doorbells from one vendor, with professional monitoring optional and nothing tying them in. Hardware starts at $129, cloud storage adds $3 a month, and the DIY route tops this group on contract length.
Score breakdown
| Area | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 8.4Entry price of $139.99 ranks 41 of 54 brands, so cost sits mid field. | 8.8HigherEntry hardware of $129 with cloud storage at $3 a month keeps the running cost low. |
| Offer | 8.9Free Core plan covers detection and door or window alerts; the paid tier at $5 a month adds monitoring. | 9.5HigherProfessional monitoring plus local storage, with alarm, camera and smart lock spanning alarm, camera, smart lock, video doorbell and smoke alarm. |
| Trust | 9.5HigherLegal entity ecobee Technologies ULC in CA, founded 2007, support on phone and help centre, monitoring in US and CA. | 9.0Founded in 2011, backed by SuretyCAM, LLC and a 30 day money back window. |
Availability and regulation
| Country | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Canada | United States |
Available in 1 country for both. Additional countries for ecobee: 1.
How they place
| Ranking | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 18 of 83 | 47 of 83 |
| Video doorbells | 18 of 54 | 29 of 54 |
| Home alarm systems | 11 of 35 | 19 of 35 |
| Smart thermostats | 6 of 24 | 15 of 24 |
Also worth a look
GHome Smart has price from at $9.99, against $139.99 for ecobee and $11 for Surety Home.
GHome Smart reviewEvery fact side by side
| Fact | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Thermostat, Sensor | Thermostat, Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, BlindsCovers more |
| Protocols | Not confirmed | Thread, Z wave, Wi fi |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, SmartthingsCovers more | Alexa, Google |
| Legal entity | ecobee Technologies ULC | SuretyCAM, LLC |
| Headquarters | Canada | United States |
| Founded | 2007Lower | 2011 |
| Support channels | Phone, Help centre | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Home security
| Fact | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $99.99Lower | $129 |
| Monitoring per month | $5Lower | $19 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 months |
| Products | Alarm, Camera, Video doorbell | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Professional monitoring | Yes | Yes |
| Local storage | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Pricing model | Diy, Monitored | Diy, Monitored |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Cloud plan per month | $5 | $3Lower |
| Free features | Free Core plan with security devices: motion and person detection, door or window open/close alerts | Not confirmed |
| Top resolution | Not confirmed | 2k |
| Power source | Wired | Battery, Poe |
| Recording retention | 30 days | Not confirmed |
| Two-factor sign-in | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Installation required | No | No |
| Monitoring countries | United States, CanadaCovers more | United States |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | ecobee | Surety Home | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $139.99above the median | $11lowest quarter | $99.99 |
| Subscription per month | $5highest quarter | $11 to $60highest quarter | $0 |
| Warranty | 3 yearsabove the median | Not confirmed | 2 years |
Median across 34 listed brands.
Pros and cons
ecobee
Pros
- Entry pricing from $139.99 sits close to the site entry median of €127.49, so heating control is not a premium bet.
- No hub is required, so there is no extra box to buy, and energy reporting comes with the smart thermostats.
- The thermostat warranty runs 3 years, with a 30 day money back period behind the purchase.
Cons
- The security side is a running cost: the paid plan is $5 a month, and professional monitoring only sits on that tier.
- The video doorbell is wired, so it needs a cable run at the front door rather than a battery you swap yourself.
- Recorded video is kept for 30 days, a short window for reviewing anything older.
Surety Home
Pros
- Contract length of 0 months ranks 1 of 60 brands on that measure, so a monitored alarm can be tested without a long tie in.
- Cloud storage at $3 a month keeps the recurring line small, with the monitored plan at $19 a month above it.
- alarm, camera and smart lock all sit in a single account, so an alarm, camera, smart lock, video doorbell and smoke alarm can come from the same vendor.
Cons
- US covers a single market and US names the US alone, so the setup does not travel with a move abroad.
- Support runs on email, chat and help centre only, with no phone line among the listed channels.
- Monthly monitoring is a middling showing, at rank 44 of 51 brands.
Who each suits
ecobee
Who it suits
- Buyers who want a thermostat as the anchor and a camera, video doorbell or alarm sensor added to the same brand later.
- Homes that already run alexa, google and homekit and want heating data in the same place as everything else.
- People who want professional monitoring without a long agreement, since the contract length is 0 months.
Who should look elsewhere
- Full home device shoppers, since Aqara's range covers hub, sensor and lighting while ecobee's device types are thermostat and sensor.
- Buyers chasing lighting and blinds control as the main event: Lutron's device list runs lighting, blinds and thermostat, well beyond a heating brand.
- Budget builders who want a hub, heating valve and blinds under one roof, which is what SONOFF lists in thermostat, trv and lighting.
Surety Home
Who it suits
- US homeowners building one system from a single vendor, covering alarm, camera, smart lock, video doorbell and smoke alarm in a single account.
- Renters and owners who will not sign a long monitoring contract, since 0 months of commitment are required.
- People who want professional monitoring as an added step rather than the default, with DIY and monitored routes offered on the same hardware.
Who should look elsewhere
- Price first, gear second: entry hardware of $129 sits above The Home Security Superstore at $13.95 and Annke at $19.99.
- Anyone shopping outside the US, since US covers a single market, should weigh Aqara, listed at £36.98, before assuming local cover.
- Single camera buyers who do not want a hub, since a hub is required and adds cost that a camera only purchase avoids.
Current offers
ecobee
Current offer
Discount code
$20 off your next purchase with newsletter signup: $20 USD
New customers only; promotional code sent by email after form submit; cannot be combined with other offers; cannot apply to prior purchases
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Free trial
1 month free Smart Security + Professional Monitoring: 1 month
Offered during system setup; no contracts, no credit card required; 24/7 pro monitoring not available in Calgary, AB
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | ecobee | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Yes | No |
| United States | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
ecobee
How much does it cost to get started with ecobee?+
Hardware starts at $139.99, which puts ecobee close to the site entry median of €127.49. That covers the equipment. Anything on the security side, monitoring included, is billed separately each month. A 30 day money back period covers the hardware purchase if the fit turns out wrong.
Do I have to pay a subscription to use the security devices?+
There is a free Core plan that covers motion and person detection along with door or window open and close alerts, so the basics cost nothing to run. Paying $5 a month moves you onto the plan that adds professional monitoring and stored video history. The choice is how much of the security side you want switched on.
Surety Home
What does Surety Home cost to run each month?+
Entry hardware on the DIY route is $129. Cloud storage for recorded video runs at $3 a month, and the monitored plan, which adds professional response, is $19 a month. Because 0 months of contract are required, those recurring figures read the same at renewal as at entry.
Is there a minimum contract on the monitoring plan?+
No minimum term is needed, since the contract is 0 months. That result ranks 1 of 60 brands on contract length, the strongest of the ranked measures here. The trade off sits on the service side, where monitoring holds a middling rank of 44 of 51.