Life Alert vs CheckIn More: Key Differences (2026)
A quick, honest comparison of Life Alert vs CheckIn More — pricing, hardware, daily check-ins, who gets notified, and which one is right for your situation.
Life Alert and CheckIn More both help people who live alone stay safer. But they're built around very different ideas of what safety means. Here's how they compare.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | CheckIn More (Email) (Coming Soon) | CheckIn More (SMS) | CheckIn More (Voice) (Coming Soon) | Life Alert (Basic) | Life Alert (GPS Bundle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price | Free | $6.99 | $19.99 | ~$69.95 | ~$89.95 |
| Requires Hardware | No | No | No | Yes | Yes (mobile GPS) |
| Requires Smartphone | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Email Notifications to Contacts | Yes | Yes | Yes | Dispatch only | Dispatch only |
| SMS Notifications to Contacts | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Phone Call to Contacts | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Professional 24/7 Monitoring | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Scheduled Daily Check-ins | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Custom Check-in Schedule | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Mood Status Check-in | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Assistance Request | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (wearable) | Yes (wearable) |
| Fall Detection | No | No | No | No | No |
| GPS Tracking | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Free Trial | 14 days | 14 days | 14 days | No | No |
| Activation/Installation Fee | None | None | None | ~$197 | ~$197 |
| Long-Term Contract | No | No | No | 3 years | 3 years |
| Prices Published Online | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Founder-Led Support | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
The Key Differences
Price
Life Alert starts at around $69.95/month for the basic in-home plan, plus a ~$197 activation fee due upfront — before you've used the service for a single day. The GPS bundle runs $89.95/month. Prices aren't published online; you have to call to find out what you'll pay. And all plans require a 3-year contract.
CheckIn More offers three plans: a free email plan (Coming Soon), an SMS plan at $6.99/month (available now), and a voice call plan at $19.99/month (Coming Soon). Plans are cumulative — the SMS plan includes email, and the Voice plan includes email and SMS. All plans include a 14-day free trial. No activation fee. No contract.
Hardware vs. App
Life Alert requires a base station installed in your home and a wearable help button. Some plans include a mobile GPS device. It works independently of your phone — which matters if you're physically unable to reach your phone.
CheckIn More runs on the smartphone you already own. No hardware, no installation, no device to remember to charge or wear.
Reactive vs. Proactive
Life Alert responds when you press the button. It's reactive: designed for emergencies that have already happened. Notably, Life Alert does not offer automatic fall detection on any plan — if you can't press the button yourself, help won't be called.
CheckIn More is proactive: you set scheduled check-ins, and your contacts get a daily signal that you're okay. If the check-in doesn't happen, your contacts are alerted automatically — without you having to press anything.
Who Gets Notified
When you press a Life Alert button, you reach a professional dispatcher at a monitoring center. They'll call you, and if they can't reach you, they may request an emergency wellness check from local services.
When you miss a CheckIn More check-in, your family and friends get notified directly — via email, SMS text, or phone call. The people who actually know you.
Daily Wellness vs. Emergency Response
Life Alert doesn't give your family a daily "I'm okay" signal. It's silent unless something goes wrong.
CheckIn More gives your family that signal every day. Completed check-in → your contacts get a text. Missed check-in → they get an alert. Mood update → they know how you're actually doing. Assistance request → they get an immediate alert, no button required.
When Life Alert Has a Clear Advantage
If the person you're worried about could fall and be physically unable to reach their phone, a wearable device is the right tool. Life Alert's wearable button works even if you're on the floor and your phone is across the room. CheckIn More can't help in that scenario.
Which One Is Right for You?
Choose CheckIn More if the person is independent and mobile, can use a smartphone, wants to keep family directly informed, and doesn't need professional dispatch. Start now with the SMS plan, or wait for the free email plan (Coming Soon).
Choose Life Alert if the person has limited mobility, a history of falls, or may not be able to reach their phone in an emergency — and professional emergency dispatch is essential.
Use both if you want the daily family connection of CheckIn More alongside the emergency hardware of Life Alert. They serve different purposes and can work together.
All Life Alert pricing based on independent research and testing as of February 2026. Life Alert does not publish prices on its website — you must call for a quote. Pricing and features may change — check their website for the latest.
