Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Shelly vs Surety Home
Shelly vs Surety Home: the differences
| Compare |  Shelly |  Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €12.90 | $11 |
| Hub required | No | YesHas it |
| Subscription per month | €3.99 | $11 to $60 |
| Markets | AT, AU, BE, CH, CY, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU, NL, NZ, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, SK | US |
| Matter certified | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Local control | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Warranty | 2 to 5 years | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Energy reporting (Yes).
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Key differences
- Hub required: only Surety Home.
- Support channels: only Shelly offers Phone.
- Shelly is available in 28 more countries.
- Protocols: only Shelly offers Matter, Zigbee.
- Protocols: only Surety Home offers Thread.
- Ecosystems: only Shelly offers Homekit, Matter.
- Markets: only Shelly offers AT, AU, BE.
- Markets: only Surety Home offers US.
Our verdict on each
Shelly
Shelly suits homeowners and renters who want broad smart home kit with no hub to buy first. Device prices start at €12.90, the range covers thermostat, lighting, plug, hub, sensor and blinds work over matter, zigbee and z wave, and local control keeps routines running when the internet drops.
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 | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1HigherEntry price €12.90 sits under the €15.36 median for smart thermostat brands here. | 8.8Entry hardware of $129 with cloud storage at $3 a month keeps the running cost low. |
| Offer | 9.2No hub required, local control, energy reporting, and cloud extras left to an optional €3.99 plan. | 9.5HigherProfessional monitoring plus local storage, with alarm, camera and smart lock spanning alarm, camera, smart lock, video doorbell and smoke alarm. |
| Trust | 9.1HigherMatter certification, 2 to 5 years cover and 14 days returns, all under Shelly Europe Ltd. | 9.0Founded in 2011, backed by SuretyCAM, LLC and a 30 day money back window. |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Bulgaria | United States |
Additional countries for Shelly: 29. Additional countries for Surety Home: 1.
How they place
| Ranking | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 33 of 75 | 35 of 75 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 23 of 53 | 25 of 53 |
| Smart locks | 17 of 42 | 18 of 42 |
| Smart thermostats | 12 of 24 | 13 of 24 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Thermostat, Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, Blinds | Thermostat, Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, Blinds |
| Protocols | Matter, Zigbee, Z wave, Wi fi | Thread, Z wave, Wi fi |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, MatterCovers more | Alexa, Google |
| Legal entity | Shelly Europe Ltd | SuretyCAM, LLC |
| Headquarters | Bulgaria | United States |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 2011 |
| Support channels | Email, Chat, Phone, Help centre, CommunityCovers more | Email, Chat, Help centre, Community |
Home security
| Fact | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €39.90 | $129 |
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $19 |
| Minimum contract | 0 months | 0 months |
| Products | Camera, Smart lock | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Professional monitoring | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Local storage | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Diy | Diy, MonitoredCovers more |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Cloud plan per month | €3.99 | $3 |
| End-to-end encryption | Yes | Not confirmed |
| Free features | Camera live streaming, 5 events of event history, motion events with recordings, smart notifications (Shelly Smart Control standard plan) | Not confirmed |
| Top resolution | 1080p | 2k |
| Power source | Battery, Wired | Battery, Poe |
| Recording retention | 30 days | Not confirmed |
| Installation required | Not confirmed | No |
| Monitoring countries | Not confirmed | United States |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Shelly | Surety Home | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warranty | 2 to 5 yearshighest quarter | Not confirmed | 2 |
Median across 34 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Shelly
Pros
- A hub is not required, so plugs, sensors and switches start working without bridge hardware.
- Local control is supported and energy reporting comes as standard, so offline routines and consumption figures arrive together.
- Entry price €12.90 sits below the €15.36 median for smart thermostat brands.
Cons
- Camera video tops out at 1080p, below the higher resolutions common on other security cameras.
- Cloud retention of 30 days needs the Shelly Smart Control premium plan at €3.99 a month.
- The camera runs on battery and wired, so placement decides between wiring and battery changes.
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
Shelly
Who it suits
- Renters and new buyers who want a hub-free start and automations that keep working offline.
- Households already running Alexa, Google or HomeKit, or planning to settle on Matter later.
- Anyone tracking energy use, since energy reporting is standard across the range.
Who should look elsewhere
- SONOFF, if you want thermostatic radiator valves, since thermostat, trv and lighting includes trv and the Shelly range leaves it out.
- Aqara or Lutron, if the same device mix suits you better from another brand, since hub, sensor and lighting and lighting, blinds and thermostat cover the same categories.
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
Shelly
Current offer
Free trial
3 months free on Shelly Smart Control Premium: 3 months free
Free for 3 months, then EUR 3.99/month (monthly plan) or EUR 35.99/year (yearly plan); offer only available if you have not tried Premium before; cancel anytime
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | Shelly | Surety Home |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Yes | No |
| Austria | Yes | No |
| Belgium | Yes | No |
| Croatia | Yes | No |
| Cyprus | Yes | No |
| Czechia | Yes | No |
| Denmark | Yes | No |
| Estonia | Yes | No |
8 of 30 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
Shelly
What does Shelly hardware cost to start with?+
Entry price is €12.90, which covers the cheapest device in the range rather than a bundle. The camera sits higher at €39.90, and the catalogue spans camera and smart lock. Budget for hardware first, then decide whether the cloud extras earn their monthly fee.
Is there a monthly fee or a contract?+
The Shelly Smart Control premium plan costs €3.99 a month, and it is optional rather than required. There is no minimum term, since the contract length is 0 months. The Shelly Smart Control standard plan keeps live streaming, motion event recordings and smart notifications at no cost.
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.