Does Ecobee Require a Subscription? (2026)

What’s Free and What Smart Security Costs

Checked against ecobee’s US security plans page and its support articles on October 3, 2026. ecobee lists no contracts on these plans.

The Thermostat Itself Is Free to Use

Everything you’d buy a smart thermostat for runs without a paid plan: control from the app, schedules, and ecobee’s energy features. ecobee’s support site answers the question directly: residential users “can use our ecobee app with a free ecobee account.” The only paid option it mentions there is SmartBuildings, which is for people managing more than 16 thermostats or a commercial building.

ecobee’s eco+ energy-saving suite is part of the free setup too. According to ecobee’s eco+ FAQ, you’re guided through eco+ when you register the thermostat, and its features include humidity-based temperature adjustment, Time of Use, Community Energy Savings, Smart Home & Away, and Schedule Assistant. Time of Use and Community Energy Savings depend on your local utility, so they aren’t available everywhere.

The Two Places a Subscription Actually Appears

1. One eco+ feature needs Smart Security. Pause When Open turns off heating or cooling when a door or window is left open. The eco+ FAQ says it “requires an active ecobee Smart Security subscription or trial” plus ecobee’s door and window SmartSensors. That’s the one thermostat-side feature behind the paid plan, and it needs extra hardware anyway.

2. Cameras and security sensors. If you add an ecobee Smart Doorbell Camera, SmartCamera, or door and window sensors, Smart Security decides what you get. On the free Core tier, you still get live view, two-way talk, motion and person detection, door and window open/close alerts, and a manual siren. What you don’t get is any recorded video history, event snapshots, package detection, or the automatic siren. Plus ($5 a month or $50 a year) covers one camera with 30 days of history; Advanced ($10 a month or $100 a year) covers unlimited cameras.

Professional monitoring is billed on top of either paid plan: Smoke Alarm Detection is another $5 a month or $50 a year, and Total Protection, which covers break-ins and smoke alarms, is another $10 a month or $100 a year.

The Free Trial Doesn’t Start From the Thermostat

ecobee offers a one-month free trial of Smart Security Advanced with Total Protection monitoring, but the plans page’s fine print says registering a standalone thermostat “does not automatically start a free trial.” You have to register a supported security device, such as the Smart Doorbell Camera (wired), the SmartCamera with voice control, or door and window SmartSensors paired with an ecobee hub like the thermostat. Once a trial starts, it’s a trial of the top tier, so check what it rolls into before it ends.

The Air Filter Subscription Is Optional

The other “ecobee subscription” that shows up in searches is a filter delivery service. ecobee sells HVAC air filters on a schedule, starting from $13 per delivery with free shipping, in Basic, Deluxe, and Premium grades. You don’t need it for the thermostat to work. Any filter that fits your HVAC system does the same job, and you can buy them wherever you like.

Which ecobee to Buy If You Want Zero Ongoing Cost

Every current ecobee thermostat works without a subscription, so the choice is about features. The Smart Thermostat Enhanced is the middle of the range, and ecobee’s plans page names it, along with the Premium, as occupancy-enabled on its own.

If you want the lowest upfront price, the Smart Thermostat Essential costs less. It isn’t on ecobee’s list of occupancy-enabled models, so occupancy-based features need a paired SmartSensor.

Room sensors are a one-time purchase too. ecobee’s SmartSensors report temperature and occupancy from other rooms, with no plan required for that job.

Amazon prices change often, so confirm the current price and the exact model before buying.

Who Should NOT Expect ecobee Security to Be Free

If your main reason for an ecobee setup is to review what happened on your porch yesterday, the free Core tier won’t do it. It shows live video and sends alerts, but it keeps no recorded history at all, so every recording needs at least the $5-a-month Plus plan. If free recorded video is the priority, look at cameras that record to local storage instead. Our security cameras without a subscription guide and Arlo without a subscription guide cover those options.

FAQ

Does ecobee require a subscription? No. ecobee thermostats work with a free ecobee account and the free app. The paid Smart Security plans only add recorded video, package detection, and other security features for ecobee cameras and sensors.

How much is the ecobee subscription? Smart Security Plus is $5 a month or $50 a year, and Advanced is $10 a month or $100 a year. Professional monitoring add-ons cost another $5 or $10 a month.

What happens if I don’t pay for ecobee Smart Security? You stay on the free Core tier. Thermostat features keep working, and ecobee cameras still give you live view, two-way talk, person detection, and alerts. You lose recorded video history, event snapshots, package detection, and the automatic siren.

Does the ecobee doorbell need a subscription? Not to work. On the free tier it gives you live view, two-way talk, and person detection. Recording video history and package detection need a Plus or Advanced plan.

Does ecobee have a free trial? Yes, one month of Smart Security Advanced with Total Protection monitoring. It starts when you register an eligible security device. Registering a thermostat on its own doesn’t start it.

Bottom Line

• Buying an ecobee thermostat: there’s no subscription to pay. App control, schedules, and most eco+ energy features are free.
• Adding ecobee cameras: budget $5 a month for one camera or $10 a month for several if you want recorded video.
• Seeing an air filter subscription offer: it’s optional. Any filter that fits your system works.

For other smart-home devices where the free and paid line matters, see our myQ subscription guide and Rachio subscription guide.