TELUS vs. Bell Home Security Systems

We compare the best home security system in Canada, TELUS, with Bell, another home security company that should be on your radar.

We like how TELUS has six plans to choose from to fit your budget and needs, and we also like that Bell offers home security at half the price if you bundle it with internet and mobile (two services that are a must).

We don’t like how both home security companies require you to sign at least a three-year contract, but that might not bother you because you’re already planning to keep home security for longer.

Let’s dive into the details to see which home security system is best for you.

For either company, you don’t need to budget for two separate payments for monitoring and the equipment. Both TELUS and Bell include everything in one nice, monthly price.

We believe you're guaranteed to find a home security plan that works for you among the 10 packages these home security companies offer.

For example, TELUS’s and  ’s basic self-monitoring plans include a camera of your choice. But TELUS’s plan is $5 cheaper than Bell’s, but Bell throws in a smart light bulb and smart plug.

We’ll start by saying that we recommend the Control + Video plan. We know it’s TELUS’s most expensive plan, but it comes with everything you need in a secure security system: smart home, video surveillance, and professional monitoring.

But if you need less features, the table below compares TELUS’s offerings to help you decide on a plan. And check out the equipment section to see what each plan includes.

And if none of these plans fit you and your home, TELUS also offers customized packages.

All TELUS plans grant you access to its mobile app, but only three TELUS plans include smart home integrations.

If you want to increase the heat on your smart thermostat before you get home, grab either the Smart Automation Plus, Control, or Control + Video plan.

View TELUS SmartHome Security Plans | Read the TELUS Home Security Review

With Bell, you'll receive more home security equipment as you upgrade from one plan to the next (more on that in the next section).

We recommend Bell’s Best plan because it offers home automation. So, you'll be able to turn on the kitchen lights wherever you might be with the Bell mobile app.

Bell offers home security at half the price listed for 36 months if you bundle it with internet and mobility . Bell’s fiber internet plans range from $55 to $150 per month for download speeds of 10 Mbps to 8 Gbps . And mobile plans range from $55–$105 for up to four phone lines.

If you don’t already have a reliable internet provider, you’ll want to consider ordering internet because your cameras will need Wi-Fi to function (like we need nanaimo bars to function).

PS: all plans have a three-year contract, and make sure to budget for installation, which is $200. But Bell waives your installation fee if you choose to bundle.

View Bell Home Security Plans

For TELUS and Bell, the security equipment you receive depends on which plan you go for.

TELUS has pieces from reliable brands like Alarm.com, Skybell (doorbells), and Weiser. So you’re guaranteed to receive some quality equipment to feel secure in your home.

Check out our thorough review on TELUS to find out more information on the equipment that it offers.

Bell, on the other hand, provides quantity. Bell’s $50 plan includes eight pieces of equipment; not even TELUS’s most expensive package offers that number. And with the Best $60 plan, you can get two cameras.

TELUS and Bell tied on the pricing and plans section and the equipment. But Bell doesn’t specify if its cameras have motion detection capabilities, so we have to give the camera award to TELUS.

Other than that, TELUS and Bell have features in their cameras that the other doesn’t—but they’re just minor differences.

A few features that stand out to us that TELUS has are the following:

• The indoor camera has two-way talk.
• The doorbell camera has a zoom feature
• Each camera has motion detection.

Consider an indoor camera if you’d like to keep tabs on what’s happening in your home. A doorbell camera is great for seeing who’s at your door. And an outdoor camera catches video of any funny business in front of or behind your home.

View TELUS Plans | Read the TELUS SmartHome Security Review

We tried asking an agent if Bell’s cameras have motion detection, but they didn’t want to disclose that information before they got our information.

Soooo, even though we’re not sure if Bell’s cameras have an essential home security camera feature, Bell’s indoor camera does have two features we think you could get behind:

• 1080p resolution
• Night vision

The indoor camera is excellent for seeing your kids arrive home from school. An outdoor camera has great night vision, so you’ll be able to view clear video of any intruders. And the doorbell camera comes in handy when catching proof of package stealers.

View Bell Plans

TELUS takes the championship belt in the smart home integration arena.

Why does this matter? If you’d like to turn on the AC on your smart thermostat or turn on the porch lights from your smartphone, your choice of plans is easily narrowed down.

TELUS offers home automation in three of the six home security packages:

• Smart Automation Plus (self-monitored for $33 per month)
• Control (professionally monitored for $57 per month)
• Control + Video (the plan we like with professional monitoring for $60 per month)

Bell offers smart home integration with only one of its plans: Best for $60 per month.

TELUS and Bell tied on pricing and equipment, but TELUS came out on top with its cameras and smart home integration offerings.

• Prices and monitoring plans: Tie. TELUS SmartHome Security offers six plans ranging from $15 to $60, and Bell's four packages range from $20 to $60. Both offer self-monitored and professionally-monitored plans. TELUS provides discounts if you sign a 5-year contract, and Bell applies discounts if you bundle with internet and mobility.
• Security equipment: Tie. TELUS gives you 1–8 pieces of equipment from reliable brands, like Alarm.com, Skybell, and Weiser. Bell home security gives you 3–9 pieces made by Bell themselves. The equipment from either company includes video doorbells, indoor and outdoor cameras, and motion detectors.
• Cameras: TELUS. TELUS’s cameras win because TELUS specifies on its website that all of its cameras have motion detection, while Bell’s website does not. The other differences are that TELUS’s indoor camera has two-way talk and its doorbell camera has a zoom feature. Bell’s indoor camera gives you 1080p resolution and night vision.
• Smart home integrations: TELUS. TELUS offers home automation in three of its six home security packages: Smart Automation Plus, Control, and Control + Video (the plan we recommend). Bell provides home integrations with its Best plan, which is also the package we suggest ordering from this home security company.

Read the TELUS Review

To find out if TELUS or Bell was the better home security system, we looked at the following:

• Pricing and discounts
• Equipment (quality and quantity)
• Camera features
• Home automation

When possible, we like to test all home security systems we review so we have hands-on experience to relay to you.

In this case, we don't live in Canada, so we did hours of thorough research based on our expertise to avoid leading you astray.

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