Piper nv vs Canary Home Security System – A Head To Head Comparison

In this full comparison of Piper nv vs Canary you have 2 new home monitoring systems going up against each other, to determine how they differ and whether the price difference is really justified by better functionality, more quality and easier to use.

They both look modern and stylish. To a certain extent they have a similar approach to security with them both putting a lot of functionality in to one device and using the internet to get notifications .

But there are some big differences that may determine which one you want to buy to protect your family, home and valuables.

This in depth comparison has been prepared by looking at both of these systems in great detail using specifications, manuals, questions of the suppliers and checking online customer reviews.
Before moving on to how they differ and which one you may want to buy here is brief overview of each of the systems.

Piper nv

This is the second generation release from Piper where they added night vision to the system.

It has 1080p resolution camera with widest angle view of 180 degrees on the market reducing blind spots especially when placed next to a wall. It does have a fish eye view to get that wide an angle.

As well as a camera it has motion detection, 2 way audio, environmental sensors and it is a z-wave home automation controller. It has 6 hour battery backup in case there is a power outage,

You control and monitor the Piper nv with your smart phone (iOS or Android) anywhere you can connect to internet. When it detects motion or sound it can send you a notification and others by push notification, email, text or phone.

It is simple and quick to set up. It is wireless so can be put anywhere that it can be plugged into the power.
Read my full review here.

Canary Home Security System

This is described as an all in one device designed to bring affordable home security to apartments. It is a camera, siren, temperature, humidity, microphone, motion sensor and air quality sensors included.

It has HD resolution and 147 degree viewing angle providing good coverage of the room and entrance way you set it to record. It can be quickly set up in your home and is controlled by a free app for iOS and Android devices.

It gives you the ability to monitor your home from anywhere you can get the internet access on your phone.

It is wireless so can be placed in the best location for you and moved as required (it does require access to power).

You can review recorded clips or view a live stream on your smart phone or device. When it detects motion it can be set to record a clip and send you and others a push notification.

Read the full review here.
Motion Sensor. The angled view of the Canary sensor is 147 degrees and it detect using changes in pixels between frames whereas the piper nv uses Passive infra red that uses changes in heat to detect motion and has a range of 120 degrees (which is narrower than the camera view). Both are effective at detecting motion although the Canary is seen as too sensitive at this stage and can’t be changed.

Motion Recording. Both cameras record on detection of motion. The piper nv records a 35 second clip which records 5 seconds before and 30 seconds after motion. The Canary records from detection of motion for as long as you set up.

Storage. The piper nv stores up 1000 video clips to the cloud before it starts recording over the earliest recording. The canary stores clips for up to 12 hours for free before they are deleted, you can have 5 permanently recorded for safe keeping.

Fees. There are no fees with Piper nv and no upgrades.

For Canary you can upgrade the time you can store and the number of clips saved you can pay a monthly fee. For $4.99 month you get 2 days and 25 clips saved permanently, $9.99 month you get 7 days and 100 clips saved permanently, $29.99 month you get 30 days and unlimited clips saved permanently.

Camera Viewing Angle. The Piper Nv has the widest angle at 180 degrees, although the edges have a fish eye effect. Within that you can break it in 4 quadrants and as with the Canary you can digitally pan tilt and zoom with in the area.

Back Up. The Piper nv has an up to 6 hour backup batter yin the event of a power outage. Both systems can be set to notify you when they lose contact with the internet.

Pets and Motion Sensitivity. The sensitivity of the Piper nv can be adjusted to prevent false alerts from pets moving around. It is on a sliding scale that you adjust using the App. The Canary at some stage will use its learning algorithm to learn what is a pet but at the moment it isn’t switched on.

Entry Sensors. To Piper nv you can add entry sensor to control your entry points without having a camera pointed at them giving the scope to secure a larger home with multiple entry points.

Siren. The Piper nv at 105 db is 15 db louder (than Canary) which will disorient an intruder more and can result scaring off an intruder. The Canary siren is sounded when you make that decision after reviewing the situation.

Privacy. The Canary can be set to privacy mode when you don’t want anyone to access the camera such as when you are at home.

Home Automation. The Piper NV is compatible with some other manufacturers devices as it support the z-wave protocol giving you the option to use it in conjunction with dimmers and on/off and lights (this may expand later giving further functionality). It can control up to 232 devices. The Canary doesn’t have any of this at the moment

Audio. The Piper nv has 2 way audio giving you the ability to listen and speak to people in your home from where ever you are in the world and have access to the system. The Canary only allows you to listen in.

Alarm Arming/Disarming. The Canary has a geolocation function (which can be temperamental) where the system arm/disarm when it detects your phone and/or others phones move away from the home or are at home.

Notification. The Piper can notify you by email, text, push notification or phone. The Canary does this by push notification to your App only.

What About The Price

The Piper NV can cost around $80 (when I checked) more than the Canary. For this you get a system that is a home automation controller, security system as well as a camera with the ability to control up to 232 devices in total. It has a wider view at 180 degrees however both cameras do have 1080 p resolution. It has a louder siren

Which One Should You Buy

If home automation is not something you are concerned about (or you want to keep it separate) and you’ve a small home, without too many entry points then the Canary Home Security System is a cost effective solution. However, like all these new systems there are quirks and bugs that you need to get used to, like the learning algorithm not working yet. It has been designed with apartment dwellers in mind and will help in protecting it at a reasonable cost.

If you have a larger home the Piper nv provides you with more options to protect it – with entry sensors to detect entry over multiple entry points and the ability to work with home automation devices for switching other smart devices on and off to provide a more comprehensive detection and deterrent.

The Comparison – Side By Side

The chart below gives the detail of the functions and features next to each other so oyu can quickly see where they are alike and where the differ.

After looking at this information on these two systems, did one look like the right one for you? I hope you’ve got to the position to make a decision on the one to buy. Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Filed under: Buying Advice

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