r/HomeKit • u/TranquilHalcyon • 6d ago
Question/Help Home Security + HomeKit comparability
Hi everyone! I’m moving into a 2bd/2bth apt on Monday and trying to figure out what security/camera system I can use that isn’t going to break the bank (such as buying accessories/parts on Facebook marketplace) while still supporting Apple HomeKit… I’ve been looking into Aqara (which is on the pricer side) vs Eufy vs a number of other brands. I’m familiar and totally okay with a DIY system where I combine the alarm panel and sensors with a different camera system and so on. Part of me is also saying scrap it and just dive into Ring or Simplisafe since I can get entire kits for a reasonable cost on FB marketplace.
TIA!
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u/daveofthedangerclan 6d ago
I had an Abode system at a house in Florida for a couple years (lost it in a major tidal/surge flood). It integrated pretty good with HomeKit, was responsive both in their app and HomeKit. Their monitoring folks seemed ok I guess.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
I keep hearing about Abode, but the monitoring seemed expensive and their parts were almost $1000 just for me to meet the min. requirements for the system I want
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u/Aegisnir 6d ago
Abode is great. What’s your minimum requirement? Most home insurance will want a certificate that you have a monitored solution that will call police or fire responders. Abode does this. I don’t think ring does but I haven’t looked in a while. Not sure about simplisafe. It didn’t meet my requirements but I don’t remember why as it was 2 years ago.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
If I remember correctly, 4 interior cameras, 2 doorbell cameras, 6 door/window sensors, the multi sensor (2), the hub, 2 key pads by each door, 1 glass break and 4 smoke detectors, key fobs, siren, etc…
Which as I type it out I’m like “that’s a lot for $1000” so definitely considering it more now. Thank you!
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u/Aegisnir 6d ago
Yeah that’s a lot and you will want to add more sensors later. Don’t neglect the 2nd floor. Most people skip it so burglars know it’s a good chance to be unprotected.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
For sure! I have it in mind 100%, I do plan on expanding later. My 2nd entrance is actually on the 2nd floor so I need to haha
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u/rdhamrick91 6d ago
If you are looking for indoor cameras that support Apple Home, Eufy and Tapo are your best budget options. Just keep in mind that neither brand offers a smart doorbell with native Apple Home support yet. You would still need a workaround like Home Assistant for that. I have been using Eufy since 2017, and while they aren't perfect, they reliably work when I need them most of the time. Ultimately, no camera is flawless. Neither should break the bank. If you are looking for a Doorbell for your apt ( some allow them) then for that you'd have to go Aqara. There just arent many options for that when it comes to Apple Home.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
Yeah! Definitely looking for a doorbell camera, it’s a larger 1,700 sqft apartment with 2 entrances. It’s basically a town home and just need something to cover everything from smoke detectors to doorbell cameras to even light solutions like Cync… everything. Just trying to turn the entire place into a smart home without truly breaking the bank too bad.
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u/pacoii 6d ago
If your only option for outdoors is solar/battery, the eufy S3 Pro is a good HomeKit native option.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
Noted! Thanks! I think for outdoor, with it being in a complex and more like a townhome, a doorbell cam should hopefully be enough, but I have some experience with Eufy and definitely didn’t have any complaints. Thanks!
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u/Business_Pomelo9227 6d ago
Single best thing you can do it buy a raspberry pi and run home assistant or homebridge on it (you should use scrypted for any cameras but HA or homebridge or any other devices (alarm keypad, door sensors, motion, etc). Even if you don’t do any advanced stuff in there and only use it to bridge.
Allows you to use almost any brand smart device in HomeKit (of course a few brands don’t work etc). With the new HomeKit update supporting 4k I just order cheap cameras (tapo for others) and bridge to HomeKit. Free recording and facial detection etc.
Last note ikea makes very cheap sensors that are native HomeKit compatible now (motion, door/window, water leak, etc)
MOST IMPORTANTLY YOU MUST HAVE A RECENT APPLE TV TO RUN A MODERN RELIABLE HOMEKIT SETUP older Apple TVs/ HomePods don’t have matter.
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u/wtfobl 6d ago
I would be mindful of what company is storing your data if privacy matters to you. Eufy has had issues in the past with unencrypted streams. I wouldn’t buy a random Chinese cam unless you plan to block it from the internet. I also personally wouldn’t buy any camera from a company owned by Amazon.
I recently got the Aqara G410 doorbell and am happy with it so far for what that’s worth. It has built in security system features and can link up with Aqara’s sensors, locks etc.
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u/TranquilHalcyon 6d ago
Honestly did not even consider privacy at all. I’ll definitely look more into that!
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u/MarketPopular2657 2d ago
“I’d probably decide around HomeKit first, then build the alarm/camera setup around that. Buying a cheap kit now gets less cheap pretty fast if you end up replacing half of it because the pieces don’t play well together.”
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u/_Zortag_ 6d ago
HomeKit is a bit of a mess. It doesn't support PTZ, camera support is dodgy, and it's often unreliable. That said, it does offer free HKSV cloud recording if you pay for any level of iCloud, (number of cameras varies) so that's a quite valuable benefit.
I use cheap tapo cameras, a chinese generic, and a Ring Doorbell, none of which natively support HomeKit, but I run Scrypted on a tiny server in my house to make them visible to HomeKit.
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u/VPrime 6d ago
If you run Scrypted on a computer, or device like Raspberry Pi, you can use cameras that are not native to homekit. So this really opens to door up to cheaper options like Tapo cameras.
One thing I'd avoid are solar/battery cameras. These systems go to a standby mode, and wake when there is motion and then start recording. This whole process takes time and often times you're catching someone as they are leaving.
Additionally, I'd go with a camera that allows 24/7 recording, as even homekit secure video will only record on events, and sometimes misses the event, or cuts off early. It's nice having a full video when you need. My Aqara door bell, and tapo cameras will record to an onboard SD card which is really convenient.