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Is a Roku Smart Home Subscription worth it?

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Roku has started branching out into the smart home market, offering a variety of cameras, sensors, and other gadgets to help keep your home safe. The products are usable without a subscription, but opting for one of two Roku Smart Home Subscriptions will get you a few premium security features.

However, not every home needs to sign up for the plan, and the free plans might be more than adequate for most households. Here’s a closer look at the Roku Smart Home Subscriptions to see if you should sign up.

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What is the Roku Smart Home Subscription?

The Roku Home Monitoring System SE starter pack.
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The Roku Smart Home Subscription unlocks every feature available on your smart home device. Two paid subscriptions are available — the Roku Camera Subscription and the Pro Monitoring Subscription. Both are budget-conscious yet still serve up tons of useful features. Here’s a closer look.

Roku Camera Subscription

A Roku Camera Subscription costs $4 per month or $40 per year. If you want to activate the service on multiple cameras, that jumps to $10 per month or $100 per year. All cameras (with or without a plan) benefit from live streaming, motion alerts, sound alerts, and smoke and CO alarm detection, but springing for a subscription will get you the following:

  • Cloud recording for video clips
  • Person detection
  • Package detection
  • Vehicle detection
  • Pet detection
  • Event filtering
  • No delay between events

Keep in mind that this plan is designed specifically for cameras. If you have additional gear, you’ll need to look at the Pro Monitoring Subscription.

Pro Monitoring Subscription

A Pro Monitoring Subscription costs $10 per month or $100 per year. All Roku home security stems offer push notifications, the ability to remotely arm or disarm the system, and 14 days of storage for triggered events. If you opt for the paid Pro Monitoring plan, you’ll also get the following:

  • Possible home insurance discount
  • 24/7 professional home monitoring
  • One-tap emergency dispatch
  • Live U.S. agents
  • No long-term contracts

Is a Roku Smart Home Subscription worth it?

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Both the Roku Camera Subscription and Pro Monitoring Subscription are more than worth the investment. The Camera Subscription is competitively priced, making it a solid alternative to Ring or Arlo.

The Pro Monitoring Subscription, meanwhile, is a perfect option for homeowners looking for an affordable security plan. Its big selling point is 24/7 professional monitoring — which is a feature that often carries much higher monthly fees. It’s unfortunate that you’ll only get access to triggered events for 14 days (many plans offer much longer video histories), but that’s a minor knock on an otherwise well-priced service.

If you’re in the market for a reliable, affordable, home security system, be sure to give Roku a closer look. The starter kit is perfect for small houses and condos, and you have the option to expand your coverage and add additional hardware if needed.

You’ll also want to look at our roundup of the best home security systems of 2023, which gives you a handful of other options to consider — including products from Ring, Honeywell, SimpliSafe, and more.

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Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner
Jon Bitner is a writer covering consumer electronics, technology, and gaming. His work has been published on various websites…
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