How Bellpull compares
There are three common ways for someone who lives alone to call for help: a monitored alarm that goes to a call centre, an SOS feature or app on a mobile phone, or Bellpull, an alarm the family runs themselves. They suit different families. This page sets out how they differ so you can choose.
The figures for call centre alarms come from a review of UK providers' published prices in October 2026. They include Careline365, Telecare24, Taking Care, Tunstall, SureSafe and Careium.
| Bellpull | Call centre alarm | Phone SOS app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is alerted | Family, friends and neighbours, directly | An operator, who then calls family or keyholders | The person's contacts, if they notice it |
| Staff on duty 24 hours | No. Your responders answer | Yes | No |
| Someone can speak to the person through the alarm | No. The button sends an alert only | Yes, through the base unit's speaker | Yes, if they can use the phone |
| Physical button | Yes, on a wrist strap or clip-on holder | Yes, a pendant or wristband | No. The phone has to be at hand and unlocked |
| Needs a landline | No. The hub uses your broadband | Varies. Many now have a built-in mobile connection | No |
| Alert sounds on a phone set to silent | Yes, in the Bellpull app | Not applicable. The operator phones | Varies by app |
| Phone call if the alert is missed | Yes, after 45 seconds and then in repeated rounds | Yes, from the operator | Usually not |
| Family alerted in turn until one accepts | Yes, included | Some providers offer a family app as an extra | Some apps |
| Others told who is responding | Yes | Depends on the provider | Usually not |
| Family can check it is working | Yes. Responders, battery, hub and last test in the app | Rarely | No |
| Equipment | £99 | Free to £195 | Usually free |
| Monthly cost | £7.99 per person | £15 to £31 | Free to about £3.50 |
| Who owns the equipment | You do. The kit is yours to keep if you cancel | Often rented, and sent back when you cancel | Your own phone |
| Yearly cost after the first year | £79 | About £180 to £380 | Free to about £20 |
| Covering a second person at the same address | An extra button (£35) and £3.99 a month | Usually a second subscription | A second phone set up |
| Contract | None | Often 12 months | Usually none |
On a narrow screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
Which one suits you
A call centre alarm makes sense if there is no family or neighbour nearby who could respond, or if you want trained staff to answer every call and speak to the person through the alarm. You pay more for that, and some providers tie you into a contract.
A phone SOS app works well for someone who always carries a smartphone and is comfortable using it. It is less reliable for someone who leaves the phone in another room or finds it hard to unlock in a hurry.
Bellpull is for families who are already the response: they live close enough to go round, they have a key, and they want to be called straight away. The person only has to hold a button. The alert goes to the people who know them and the house, and it keeps going until one of them responds. In the first year it costs about the same as the cheapest monitored alarm we found. From the second year it costs less than half as much, at £79 a year against about £180.
None of these options replace calling 999 in an emergency. Bellpull never calls 999 itself. The person who responds decides whether emergency services are needed.