Property Monitoring Comparison: Monnit vs Sensaphone vs Swift Sensors
Three names come up when Canadian property owners search for remote monitoring: Monnit, Sensaphone, and Swift Sensors. Each takes a different approach to the same job, watching a property when nobody's there. Here's how they compare, including the rows where they don't win.
| Compare | Monnit | Sensaphone | Swift Sensors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track Record | Founded 2010. 90,000+ customers, 130+ countries. | Founded 1985. 400,000+ systems, longest history here. | Founded 2015. Newest of the three. |
| Sensor Design | Individually wireless, battery powered. | Wired probes to a central unit. | Individually wireless, BLE5 Bluetooth. |
| Wireless Range | 1,200+ ft through 12+ walls, non line of sight. XL model pushes past 2,000 ft through 18+ walls. | Not applicable, wired architecture. | Generally 500 ft depending on facility infrastructure. BLE5 transmits through ordinary walls, not limited to line of sight. |
| Gateway Capacity | Up to 100 sensors per standard ALTA gateway. | Not applicable, fixed input count per unit (5 or 12 zones). | Up to 150 sensors per gateway, the highest single-gateway capacity here. |
| Cellular Carriers (Canada) | LTE Cat-M1/NB-IoT, broad band set. Carrier and service confirmed per postal code before shipping. | Rogers, AT&T, Verizon confirmed. Broad multi carrier support. | Optional cellular connectivity available; specific Canadian carrier support not identified in the published material reviewed. |
| Sensor Variety | 80+ wireless sensor types across its monitoring platform. | Broad wired sensor and input support: temperature, humidity, water, power, dry contact, thermistors, 4-20mA, and equipment status monitoring (tank level, flow rate, pump status). | 30+ sensor types. |
| Software Cost | Free iMonnit Basic subscription available. Premiere (shorter Heartbeat intervals, advanced configuration, longer history) from $45 USD/year (up to 6 sensors) to $325 USD/year (up to 100). | $14.95 USD/month (Sentry) to $24.95 USD/month (Sentinel), flat regardless of sensor count. | Priced according to the number of sensors deployed.Confirm current rate directly with Swift |
| Expandability | Add sensors to existing gateway anytime, no rewiring. | Fixed to unit's input count (5 or 12 zones) and cable reach. | Add sensors within Bluetooth range, high per-gateway ceiling. |
| Best Fit | Multi-building properties, and industrial/commercial facilities. | Concentrated monitoring points around a mechanical room, equipment area, or remote facility. | A single room or building with a high sensor count. |
Wireless vs wired: the real difference
Monnit and Swift Sensors both use individually wireless, battery powered sensors placed anywhere within range of a gateway.
Sensaphone's units use wired probes running back to a central box, a proven approach where monitoring points concentrate in one place.
For a property with a shop, well house, and main residence, wireless sensors can reach locations without requiring cable runs between them and the central unit.
A closer look at monitoring cost
Monnit offers a free iMonnit Basic subscription, with Premiere plans starting at $45 USD a year for up to 6 sensors.
Sensaphone charges a flat monthly fee, $14.95 to $24.95 USD, regardless of sensor count.
Swift Sensors bases its monitoring fee on sensor count, so recurring cost increases as sensors are added.
Which costs less depends on your sensor count and which features you need, worth a direct quote from each before deciding on price alone.
Built for the property, not just the building
A property rarely stays the same size. Add a sensor in the shop next spring, or extend coverage to a second building later,
without rewiring or replacing hardware. That's the case for Monnit's wireless network over a fixed, wired panel,
though a single high-density building may be well served by Swift Sensors' larger per-gateway capacity.
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