Best Home Security Systems – 2024

The number of prominent home security companies has skyrocketed over the last few years. As a prospective buyer, who knows what to look for? So we've put together this guide (after exhaustive research) to help you understand what many of the top suppliers have to offer, where they fall short, and what the average home security system costs.

To start, we'll highlight our top 3 picks for both monitored and self-monitored systems. Please note we may receive compensation for some of these clicks, but our reviewers are completely unaware of these relationships.

All the systems we reviewed

We examined more than 15 home security systems during our research. After culling a few as a result of poor customer reviews and flimsy equipment, the following made the cut:

• Simplisafe – The all-rounder ticking every box.
• Ring – Impressive quality, great price.
• Vivint – Brilliant, but you're paying for it.
• Frontpoint – Does everything well, but nothing exceptional.
• Abode – Smart, interconnected, and secure.
• ADT – Strong reputation but no longer competitive.
• Brinks – All information is now hidden without calling.
• Cove – New and impressive, but room to grow.
• Link Interactive – An all-rounder—but not quite SimpliSafe.

Is Professional Monitoring Worth It?

The best home security system for you will depend heavily on whether you want professional monitoring. Many new homeowners will jump straight for the option that allows them no monthly contract, especially if you're renting or move frequently. However, think carefully before you choose the cheap option. Do you want to be tied to your phone and responsible for checking notifications all day?

The primary advantage of self-monitored systems is that you save money. The downside is that real alarms need to be acted on by you, whether you're driving, in a meeting, or otherwise busy. Missing a real alarm could result in tragic delays. Missing false alarms can also upset pets and annoy neighbors.

Most people are happier WITH a monitoring package most of the time. But, of course, the choice is yours. We've done a thorough review of each system for both types of buyers and made recommendations for both. Ring made both top lists, making it a good choice for people who may want to add monitoring later.

Rating Factors and Ranking Criteria

A lot goes into creating an affordable, attractive, and effective home security system.

We’ve listed our main rating factors below, briefly describing what we were really looking for. For example, we’ve put Ring Alarm as best for equipment cost since, relative to their quality, their devices are top value. On the other hand, ADT is worst for ‘pricing transparency’ since they’ll only share prices after a physical inspection of your home.

These are just quick summaries; full reviews are further down the page.

In our reviews, you’ll find supplementary information on equipment appearance, the variety of ‘packages’ available, common customer complaints, and individual points of interest for each brand.

Let's go ahead and dive into each brand. To skip to a specific brand name, just click on it below.

Home Security in Major Cities

We've also complied more customized recommendations for home security systems based on your city, see top cities below.

SimpliSafe

Source: SimpliSafe.com

What You Get With SimpliSafe

Let's start with what SimpliSafe is not. It's not an automate-your-entire-life smart home system. It's not designed to WOW instead of protect. And it doesn't use its quality technology to justify exorbitant prices.

SimpliSafe has found a middle ground—world-leading home security with high-performance, attractive, and affordable tech—and stands out among all the other systems we've looked at.
SimpliSafe is a full-home security system. You can purchase one of five packages upfront, each offering more or less coverage depending on your needs and the size of your property. ‘The Foundation' is a bargain at $244.96, and many customers start here and build up with any number of extra devices:

• Sensors – Entry ($14.99), Motion ($34.99) and Glassbreak ($39.99), Temperature ($29.99), Water ($19.99), Smoke ($34.99)
• Cameras – Wired Indoor ($99.00), Wireless Indoor ($139.99), Wireless Outdoor ($189.99), Video Doorbell Pro ($169.00)
• Other – Key Fob ($24.99), 105 dB Siren ($59.99), Panic Button ($19.99), Keypad ($69.99)

These prices (as of 1/23/2024) are incredibly competitive compared to brands like ADT or Vivint. You'll also save 20% on your package by signing up for professional monitoring and can buy a refurbished system at 25% off the stock price. Every package comes with a free camera, and the base station can support added equipment if you need to expand.

SimpliSafe now offers the Smart Alarm Wireless Indoor Camera in addition to it's SimpliCam. It's a competitive offering with 1536p HD video, a wide 125 degree field of view, a motion sensor, and two way microphone.

The outdoor camera upgrades you to 1080p and a wider field of view. Appropriately it's also weather resistant and is battery operated for easy installation.

For $10 a month, you can get their minimalistic monitoring option to view your cameras on their app and save recordings for 30 days. Their full-featured monitoring costs $28 per month and is comparable to competitors. It includes professional monitoring with 24/7 dispatch and a video alarm verification feature where you can allow their monitoring center access to your cameras to make sure it's a real alarm.

All prices as of 81/2022

Setup and Performance

SimpliSafe is a true DIY system: setup doesn't require any expertise, just the ability to read and follow instructions. If you have a keypad, use its 2.5-inch LCD screen to set up, pair, and name devices; if not, use the app.

Essentially, you hit the ‘pair' button on a device; it pops up on-screen, give it a name, peel off the adhesive tape and stick it in place. If it's not sticking (you might struggle on natural brick or painted drywall), use the included screws. To install cameras, scan the QR code using the app and connect them to the wifi.

If you are experienced with this kind of system and its setup, the full Haven plan (including setting a PIN, naming each device, getting them in place, and testing the system) will take around 45 minutes. If you're less experienced or very cautious, maybe an hour. The Essentials package will take half that. Plus, you have the option to spend $124.99 for pro installation if you're worried.

Any keypads must be within 100ft of the base station and sensors within 400ft. These have CR2032 coin cell batteries (which should last 5 years), so you don't need to worry about a short lifespan.

How are the sensors? SimpliSafe's motion sensors use smart heat signature analysis to distinguish pet and human movement, limiting false alarms. SimpliSafe has also pioneered ‘Heartbeats,' a periodic diagnostic feature that checks sensor battery levels, range issues, and tampering. They're neat and powerful and – at their price – can't really be faulted.

What about smart home automation? SimpliSafe's modus operandi is essentially to provide affordable, effective home security—they've got no interest in joining the fight for home automation dominance. Customers can arm/disarm the system using Alexa, Google Assistant, or the SimpliSafe app on the Apple Watch. The only other hardware integration available with SimpliSafe is August Locks.

What about the app? SimpliSafe's app is understated and effective—as long as you get a monitoring plan. You can arm/disarm the system, set temporary passcodes for guests, and tweak several settings (like siren volume and delay time) on the go. Fortunately, you can do all this on the keypad touchscreen as well. There's a system event log (so you can see what sensors were triggered and when), and the app never seems to get buggy or laggy.

Best-in-Class Monitoring

Monitoring is the crux of any home security system, and SimpliSafe's is top quality. Here's a rundown of our favorite features:

• Responsiveness – SimpliSafe always calls within 30 seconds of any alarm and gets straight to the point. They're fast, effective, and friendly.
• Safeword – To get help and confirm a false alarm, you'll need to provide a safe word. Wrong word? The police are en route.
• False PIN – Under duress to silence your system? Enter your false PIN, and the system will quiet down; however, the police will be sent immediately to your home.
• Guest Codes– SimpliSafe allows you to set up guest codes so you can control who has access to your home, whether it's family or a house cleaner.

You'll have to subscribe to the Interactive monitoring plan for $28 per month to get most of these features. This all comes in at roughly half the cost of ADT (and with no contract) Frontpoint, and only Ring is cheaper at $20 per month. For $18 per month, you can save even more but you lose the unlimited camera recordings and video verification.

The default arming delay is 30 seconds but can be extended to 250. Be careful, however, because even if it's convenient, 250 seconds is enough time for someone to break in, rummage around several rooms, and disappear.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

There’s a full breakdown of what all this means on the SimpliSafe website. But the upshot is that SimpliSafe’s monitoring is competitively priced, extremely reliable and comprehensive, and possibly the most impressive all-around monitoring service we’ve encountered.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Getting a full-scale home security system is a big investment, even at an attractive price point. SimpliSafe allays your fears with a 60-day money-back guarantee from the moment of purchase, plus a 3-year warranty on all hardware. It’s no-questions-asked returns, and SimpliSafe pays for shipping.

And since there’s no contract tying you into years of monitoring, there’s no risk. In addition, there is both cell coverage and a battery backup (which lasts 24 hours), so the system will work in case of a wifi/power outage.

If you’re committed to establishing a smart home and integrating your home security into your routines, SimpliSafe isn’t for you. It offers very limited smart capability and has no plans to join the fray. However, if you’re looking for the best home security option, at the best price, with no contract obligations, then SimpliSafe beats the competition hands-down.

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Ring

Image source: Ring.com

What You Get With Ring

Ring is best known as the innovator behind modern video doorbells. But we’re looking at Ring Alarm—the company’s whole-home security system.

Ring Alarm was, and remains, a huge disrupter to the industry. Ring’s device packages start at $199 with free self-monitoring, and full professional monitoring for $20 per month: no contracts, surprise fees, and obligations. Ring recently released a new generation of equipment, and the sensors feel more streamlined and premium out of the box. The equipment looks much better than the prior generation, and wireless encryption is now standard. (Fixing a mistake in the first and second generation that left systems vulnerable to hacking.)

Building a custom order and buying extra devices is a cinch, as they’re all clearly listed on the website, but most most customers start with a package:

All prices as of 1/23/2024

While the base station and keypad still look clunky, the performance is all there, and the 103-dB siren will blow your head off. In addition, the keypad has a built-in panic button and 3 innovative buttons connected to the emergency services: fire, police, and medical.

Sensors need to be within 250 feet (or less, if you've got stout stone walls) of the base station, so the range extender is there to give you 250 extra feet, which is good to have, even if you don't need it right now.

What about cameras? Ring currently has 10 different cameras in 4 categories:

1. Stick Up Cam – Used indoors and outdoors with battery, mains, and solar-powered options.
2. Spotlight Cam – Battery-powered with LED spotlights, motion detection, and siren.
3. Floodlight Cam – Hardwired, motion-activated camera with two-way talk, floodlights, Alexa voice control, and siren.
4. Ring Indoor Cam – Ring's most affordable, plug-in indoor security camera.

While lacking an Arlo camera's aesthetic and performance quality, Ring still punches above its price point. Ring's camera offering is really good for those who don't want to lock themselves into a Google-only system (though Nest Cams integrate with Abode and Vivint).

A video doorbell is a great addition to any home security system if you want that ‘always home' feeling. Ring is a market leader in this technology, but with 12 varieties of doorbell to choose from, you'll need to do your own research to find the best one!

What smart smart home and automation? Ring does now offer integration with a variety of 3rd-party devices (see below), but it's not clear how much the company will develop this. If you're looking to build a smart home, we recommend trying Vivint or Abode, as these two offer the most impressive home automation capabilities right now. You can also control your system using Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands.

Setup and Performance

Once you download the Always Home mobile app, installation is effortless and fairly idiot-proof. You remove the film from the back of each device and stick them in place, then follow the in-app instructions to register and name them. All devices in your package come pre-paired, which is a nice touch.

Freshly installed, everything worked just as advertised. The base station chimes cheerfully whenever sensors are triggered in ‘home' mode (to alert you without triggering the 103-dB siren), and, when deliberately triggered while armed, the siren blared instantly. We unplugged the base station to simulate cut power, and it seamlessly transitioned to battery power and sent an alert.

Ring also sells slim ‘Magnets,’ which allow users to keep doors and windows an inch ajar, even while the system is armed. This is the kind of quiet innovation many of Ring’s competitors aren’t making. 

Ring’s ‘Always Home’ app is another lesson in quality. There are no bells and whistles—everything just works. You can:

• View live feeds of all your cameras
• Monitor all sensors
• Arm or disarm your system
• Adjust delay timers
• View neighborhood posts
• Access user permissions and much more.

Where most apps overpromise and under-deliver, Always Home just delivers…

…Until we get to Neighbors. Neighbors is a bespoke feature designed "to provide every neighbor with real-time, local crime and safety information," and it’s a little controversial.

You automatically sign up by buying Ring Alarm, and you can’t opt out or remove the Neighbors timeline from your home screen—that’s controversy one, but really not a big problem. The downside is that within Ring’s T&Cs, it’s stated that law enforcement can request any of your footage to aid investigations. In fact, many police units are reported to have provided free Ring advertising in exchange for access to this content, potentially irrespective of owners’ privacy rights.

This unorthodox partnership with law enforcement and potential data security issues have alienated many potential Ring buyers.

Industry-Upsetting Monitoring Costs

Ring’s monitoring costs are very low. You’ve got 3 plans to choose from: Basic, Plus, and Pro

All prices as of 1/23/2024

For context, SimpliSafe’s attractively-priced monitoring starts at $10/month, while ADT’s cash-grabbing prices are $50-60 per month and come with 3-year contracts. Ring customers can sign a contract ($100 per year instead of $120), but most don’t bother. You can upgrade to Pro while you’re on holiday and cancel once you’re home. Bear in mind you get built-in battery backup (quoted at 24 hours) and a cellular connection, though some users have reported weaker cell reception than other brands.

Ring’s dedicated monitoring team will call within 30 seconds of any alarm. If they can’t reach you, they’ll send the cops. If you answer the call, you can take the time to check your cameras before any police action. Despite the low price, the service is near-impeccable with very positive reviews among customers.

This is the crux of Ring’s success. A company like ADT’s entire business model is built on reputation, product quality, and world-class monitoring. But if Ring’s monitoring and equipment is equally good and miles cheaper, and their reputation is trending upwards…they become very hard to ignore.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Ring isn’t immune to criticism. Their customer support team has a nasty habit of ignoring email requests (definitely call up if you really need help), and we’ve already mentioned the potential data problems.

But then we bring it back to the value. We found all of Ring’s products to be of great quality. As impressive as Vivint or SimpliSafe? No. Cheaper than both and close on performance? Absolutely.

Ring offers quality products at an exceptional price, and that’s why—despite its issues—it sits cozily at #2 on our list for both self-monitoring and professional monitoring.

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Vivint

Image source: Vivint.com

What You Get With Vivint

Buying home security from Vivint is like buying a car from Tesla. You don't need it to protect your home, but it does transform the whole experience.

Cost is a huge factor when it comes to home security, but it's a relative one. Compared to Ring or Simplisafe, Vivint is expensive. The upfront equipment cost starts at $600 (the minimum Vivint will consider), and that's the bare bones for a small home. The reality is probably one to several thousand bucks if you're serious about security. Compared to ADT, the equipment + installation cost is still advantageous because of the device quality. Monitoring is a similar story.

Vivint doesn't list prices online. Instead, they survey the home, make recommendations as part of an active discussion, then share the bill afterward. With the installation at $100-200 and sensors + cameras at the pricy end of the scale, with smart add-ons ranging from $50-250+ each, this system will set you back.

But remember, you're getting a Tesla. Vivint's proprietary home security equipment is top of the range. They have developed everything from your standard contact, motion, and smoke sensors right through to flood/freeze sensors, panic buttons (‘panic pendants'), glass break sensors, and smart devices. Their 7″ HD touchscreen control panel has two-way audio, an elegant UI, battery, and cell backup, and controls your entire system.

Unlike many providers whose gear comes from the same 3rd parties, Vivint has built every aspect of its system from scratch, which gives it a platform for constant innovation. And while a lack of durability has become a symptom of modern devices, Vivint's products stand the tests of time.

One area where Vivint is certifiably performant is its cameras. The Outdoor Camera Pro is first-class, with a siren extender (so if your system trips, it starts an extra wail for attention) and ‘lurker detection' to identify strangers. The 4K image sensor provides lossless zoom and superb image quality. There's also person detection, so you're not getting alarms when your dog runs around the garden.

The Indoor Camera is also excellent. Its Callout feature was pioneered by Vivint and lets you hit a button to ring your smartphone, an awesome way for younger kids to contact you. Unfortunately, this camera doesn't yet have person detection, making it less suitable for pet owners. The Doorbell Camera Pro is an elite product, with crystal clear 1080p video, person detection, and storage via Vivint Smart Drive. It can run on battery for 3-5 years, or you can hardwire it. Got a package sitting at the door? Vivint will recognize it and tell you.

What is Vivint Smart Drive? You can pay $5 per month per camera to integrate your live feeds into your security system and record 30-second video clips triggered by motion. However, Vivint Smart Drive (the company's cloud storage system) lets you record continuously for 30 days on any number of cameras. It costs $250 and stores 1TB of footage. In addition, event markers make it easy to review the most important footage parts, even on your smart hub.

Setup and Performance

Installation is one of Vivint's few potential weaknesses. The company performs a full in-house inspection before professionally installing each component and configuring the system. However, the ability of your system to work seamlessly from day one depends almost entirely on the installer—and it seems like a total lottery.

If you get a switched-on, proactive installer who wants to do a good job, check everything, and make it look good, you're investing in a truly world-class system. On the other hand, if you get someone less knowledgeable who's not that invested, you could end up paying for years of headaches, bugs, and breaks.

It's also commonly reported that despite Vivint's excellent reputation for home automation, many customer service agents have a weak grasp of the technology, especially integrations like Nest or Alexa. This has improved in recent years, but it's still a risk. If Vivint could guarantee a quality install, they'd be our cast-iron 1st choice for pro-installed security.

What about monitoring? The actual monitoring side of monitoring (you know, aid during an emergency) plays second fiddle to home automation features and video access. There are 3 tiers (outlined below) that include 24-7 monitoring, where Vivint will call within ‘a few seconds' of any un-disarmed alarm. Vivint can reach you via phone or control panel, but if you're unavailable, they'll send the police or fire department, depending on what sensor is triggered.

This costs $20/month, which is a decent price, but if you want extra features for the smart, integrated side of your system, that costs extra:

All prices as of 1/23/2024

The Smart Home Video package only includes your first two cameras—integrating extra cameras costs $5 a month. However, Vivint does make app access available on the cheapest tier, which is a pleasant change.

The app does its job superbly. Combined with Vivint's amazing Central Control Hub, the app does everything you'd hope it would:

• Arm and disarm your system remotely
• Control connected smart devices
• View live camera feeds or review old footage
• Receive activity notifications
• Speak through any two-way audio devices in the house

And it does everything without bugs, without resorting to online forums for help, and without constant uninstalls. The 4.5* ratings on Google Play and the Apple Store are well merited and show that by building their platform, Vivint doesn't have to deal with the same problems as everyone else.

The Smartest Home Security System

The home security is great, but many invest in Vivint for its smart home and automation capability. That's where you find the real mouthwatering stuff.

The first thing to note when combining Vivint's security devices with its smart home features and proprietary products is that it all just works. There's no messing around or troubleshooting different 3rd party compatibility issues… it's perfect out of the box.

You can use keyless entry to let your kids in safely after school or bolt the door if you've forgotten in your rush to work. The Element Smart Thermostat would give Nest a run for its money, helping you save money and run your home like clockwork. Haven't disarmed the system? It won't bother putting the heating on! Control the garage door, lighting, smart plugs, cameras, and more. Can't find your phone? Tell your Google Assistant or Alexa what to do instead—got Fire TV? Stream your camera recordings straight to the big screen.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Vivint no longer ties customers into long-term monitoring contracts unless you leverage interest-free financing to get your equipment. Then you're tied in for 42 or 60 months, so we recommend saving up the cash if you can.

A lot of Vivint's bad press has stemmed from its ‘unreasonable' long-term contracts and cancellation policies, but that's all in the past. Also, as we covered in installation, customer support is hit-and-miss: some agents are extremely helpful, others less so.

On balance, we still think Vivint is one of the best home security systems out there. Vivint does offer the most cutting-edge, performant system—with a price tag to match. If you want the best, consider Vivint.

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Frontpoint

Source: Frontpoint.com

What You Get With Frontpoint

Frontpoint seems to be struggling with a bit of an identity crisis. They’ve got top-tier pricing but want to capture a wider audience. Their technology is good but not groundbreaking. Product costs are yo-yo-ing up and down, with flash sales making it hard to track the actual RRP.

So what do you get? Frontpoint offers 4 pre-built home security packages catering to different sizes of homes. While you can build your package from scratch, it’s cheaper using one of the following as a base:

All prices as of 1/23/2024

Notice the price of the Safe Home Starter—$99! This massively undercuts every competitor (including Ring, by $100!) and is a huge attraction for customers. The hope for Frontpoint must be that customers invest in more kit + monitoring to make up the cost. This price has been fixed for a while, and it’s unclear when Frontpoint will pull this back up, if ever.

While you can’t currently link any old Z-Wave device to your system, there is a small list of compatible devices and a much larger list of proprietary ones. In addition, users can use Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands to instigate actions, but not IFTTT.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

What about Frontpoint cameras? Camera quality is a tricky subject in the home security space: finding the balance of good enough without going over the top isn’t easy. Frontpoint’s two indoor cameras feature 1080p video, two-way audio, and standard motion detection. The Premium camera has a larger field of view (180o vs 113o) and works as a Bluetooth speaker.

The outdoor camera performs similarly to the indoor equivalent (just more robust and lacking two-way comms), while the SkyBell doorbell is pretty average, available from numerous security providers.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

Honestly, these cameras disappointed us. Frontpoint has a big price tag and an excellent infrastructure for device management, but the video quality & features are just average. Unlike Nest Cam and Nest Hello (Google’s security camera and video doorbell), there’s nothing to shout about. No pet recognition, facial recognition, zoom, or 4K image sensor.

But at $75 for the basic camera, this is far from a deal breaker—they’ll still get the job (of deterring would-be thieves and giving you eyes and ears around the house) done just fine, without breaking the bank.

Setup and Performance

The Frontpoint app is your guide for setting everything up and puts this right up there with the easiest systems to put together. There’s absolutely no cause to pay for installation: you get detailed instructions, everything’s sticky-backed-strips, and connecting up devices is as easy as reading what’s on your phone.

Honestly the full Preferred setup should take under an hour.

First-Class Monitoring

Something to make immediately clear is that you can’t self-monitor with Frontpoint—you must purchase professional monitoring. So while the 3-year contracts are gone, the obligation remains unchanged.

Frontpoint’s monitoring service is excellent. Their dedicated teams are vigilant and responsive to all alarms (as extensively verified by customer false and true alarms), and the company seems to have enough clout with emergency services that they take alarms seriously. Frontpoint’s ‘crash and smash’ protection means the authorities will be alerted if someone caves in your system with a bat, while automated system checks ensure you never have unexpected downtime. And, of course, there is a powerful battery backup and cell connection for power outages.

However, this price is 4-5x more expensive than Ring and twice that of SimpliSafe’s Premium monitoring service. To stay competitive in the coming years, Frontpoint will have to bring these numbers down.

The powerful Frontpoint app gives you total control. You can easily set up location-based alerts (for example, if you leave your designated ‘local area’ without alarming the system, you’ll get a notification suggesting to arm it remotely) and all sorts of system activity alerts via push and email notifications. Temporary access codes are ideal for contractors or friends, though you can always disarm the system remotely if needed. This is all included with their only monitoring plan:

• Auto disarm – Once your phone’s within range of the house, the system automatically disarms (and can even unlock your door), so you waltz in hands-free.
• View live feeds – View your home on vacation, or check the kids are home safe, with full remote streaming of every camera.
• Control your smart home – Use Frontpoint as the basis for your smart home, controlling your alarm system, lights, locks, thermostats, appliances, and cameras.

Frontpoint’s home automation capability pales compared to the likes of Abode (with an endless stream of integrations) but offers ample flexibility for most users.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Frontpoint’s biggest problem is that its competition is now too good. With a mandatory minimum monitoring spend of $50/mo. (compared to Ring’s minimum of $4) and initial equipment cost in the high hundreds of dollars, Frontpoint would need stratospheric, never-before-seen technology to justify the price.

They may have eliminated the 3-year contracts, but you need to buy monitoring to use the system, so it doesn’t really make any difference. Nest justifies its price with groundbreaking innovation and gorgeous designs; Frontpoint’s technology is no better than SimpliSafe, ADT, or Ring.

Frontpoint will deliver you a reliable, impressive system—but you’ll need to decide if their good reputation justifies the bumper price.

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Abode

Source: abode

What You Get With Abode

Abode is home security for the DYI fanatic. You can integrate with Alexa, Google, Apple, Z-Wave, Zigbee, and many of the 3d party apps and devices you can think of. You’ll shell out about $300 in gear to get started, then $6.99/mo. for access to all the home automation controls. It’s $21.99/mo. for professional monitoring thrown on top.

abode offers two different base stations (or ‘Gateways’, as they call them):

• The Traditional Gateway – Looks like a Nintendo Wii and runs like a Maserati. Connects to and controls all security and smart home devices.
• The iota Gateway – More sleek and modern, black-on-white finish, contains built-in 1080p video, two-way talk, motion sensor, and can be wifi powered. Everything under the hood is identical to the traditional Gateway.

There’s a variety of device packages to get you started:

All prices as of 1/23/2024

The $249 starter kit is a nice price point, but only enough for a small house or apartment. At $55 per motion sensor and $39.99 for the mini closing sensors, the costs of securing even a modest apartment rise quickly. Some of these packages also lack keypads which, while not essential (plenty of people use only fobs and smartphones to arm/disarm), are still important to many customers.

What about cameras? Ah—well. A disproportionate number of abode customers invest in Nest cameras: they’re higher quality, have better features, and integrate easily with abode’s ubiquitous system. The abode Cam and ‘Wide Angle Motion Cam’ are useful tools, but they lack the punchy features many customers look for.

If you subscribe to Nest Aware, the cameras use advanced AI motion tracking to distinguish pets from humans and perform facial recognition. The Nest Cam IQ also throws in 4K lossless zooming, Google Assistant, and tons more. And, of course, for video doorbells, Nest Hello is a super attractive option since it integrates straight into the system and abode doesn’t make a doorbell of its own.

And monitoring? Like most trendy upstart security companies, abode has made monitoring completely optional and non-obligatory—kind of. The $7 subscription is basically mandatory since it enables all the home automation + geofencing trickery. Including the actual monitoring pushes this up to $22 a month. More expensive than Ring, a fraction of ADT. Their response time is generally well-reviewed, and you can basically pay-as-you-go (e.g. if you’re on holiday), which is helpful.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

Setup and Performance

Before we jump into performance, a word on installation, it’s not quite as easy or intuitive to install abode’s system as you would expect. For example, you need to push a small pairing button on the back of each sensor before it goes on the wall. But they don’t tell you that. It’s a minor thing, but it can be a hassle. That said, don’t fork out $100 for the pro installation: you should still get everything up within an hour or so.

The iota Gateway is very cool, if not entirely practical. You can’t hoist it up the wall like a normal camera or shove it off to one side like a normal base station, but its functionality is powerful if you’ve got the right space. With both Gateways, you can configure your entire smart home ecosystem and control it via the app. You can also store video recording locally, for free, on a microSD.

Abode’s motion sensors look a bit too bulky and indiscreet for our liking, especially compared to Ring equivalents, but the door/window sensors are so small it makes no difference. While security should be about performance, not aesthetics, the reality is that competitors are providing both.

Both Gateways come with battery backup (lasting 6 hours) and a cell connection, which is only active with professional monitoring.

Holy Home-Automation

This is the reason people buy Abode over SimpliSafe, Ring, or FrontPoint. The company’s smart home automation engine is called CUE, which basically lets you automate anything. Set up complex triggers (e.g. using geofencing, time of day) and actions all over the house, all through the Gateway (and via the app—no fancy touchscreen display for Abode, unfortunately.

Abode integrates with 100+ devices from a range of third-party developers and it’s adding more all the time. Zigbee, Z-Wave, Google, Alexa, Apple Homekit, IFTTT—it’s all possible. Abode maintains a full list of hundreds of compatible 3rd party systems and devices, and you can get links to specific products on the website.

And if you prefer stalwart brand loyalty, you can also buy a ton of products straight from Abode:

• Water leak sensors
• Smoke alarms
• Indoor and outdoor sirens
• System status indicator
• Panic button
• Multi sensor (motion, light, temperature, and humidity)
• Motion cameras
• The Abode Cam
• Acoustic and vibration glass break sensors

FrontPoint has a cool geofencing feature that pings you a notification if you’ve left your area without arming the system; abode simply arms it for you.

Source: abode

Like any smart system, Abode is only as powerful as the GUI used to control it. Fortunately, Abode has nailed both the smartphone app and desktop dashboard. Use these to view any live feeds, see the status of devices, build new routines, see your device history, and respond to alerts—the works.

And it’s impressively easy to use, even if you’re just dipping your toes into smart light bulbs and deadbolts for the first time! If you’ve got a basic grasp of smartphones and a YouTube account, you can make abode and CUE work for you.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Abode customers can choose to sign contracts for their subscriptions: instead of paying $7 or $22 a month, these drop to $66 or $220 a year. Otherwise, it’s a rolling monthly contract you can cancel at any time—exactly what you’d expect from a modern company.

Every package and device is listed very clearly on the Abode website. They make it easy to find exactly what you need and what it’ll cost without ridiculous home visits or hoop jumping. For that, we’re grateful.

The only real black mark against Abode is its customer support team. Granted, you shouldn’t need much support if you set things up right, but bugs do rise now and then. One customer nailed it by saying, "It feels like Abode has 5 people doing the work of 100. They’re doing their best but can’t really make it work."

Emails go unread, voicemails (that’s right, voicemails) go unanswered, and customers generally get annoyed. However, most do get their problems solved eventually. If you can bulldoze past a few support hiccups, then Abode is an excellent way to integrate robust security and life-changing automation within a single system.

ADT

Source: ADT

What You Get With ADT

The first thing that sets ADT apart from other companies is that they don't put any prices, packages, or product descriptions online. The majority of ADT's hardware is supplied by Honeywell (and historically DSC, Interlogix, and other big-name manufacturers), so you can dive deep into research and find prices online. However, you should expect ADT to mark things up. Plus, who has time for that?

You need to get on the phone with an ADT advisor who will arrange a site visit to get started. While you can get some detail over the phone, an in-person visit is the only way to get a real quote.

With a few upsells and adjustments (ADTs sales team always pushes hard for upsells), you can expect to pay up to several thousand bucks upfront PLUS the $40-60/month monitoring fee—for a minimum of 3 years.

Even before we get into the details, these numbers jump out. We've already seen high monitoring fees (Vivint, Frontpoint), but by not relenting on their 3-year minimum term, ADT is immediately fighting a huge uphill battle. Modern buyers are used to the incredible price transparency of modern brands, and ADT needs to re-think its business model to catch them. But, as we're sure they're learning, reputation only carries you so far.

What about cameras? ADT currently offers 3 cameras that follow a similar story to most security providers: they're good but nowhere near as good as Ring, Vivint, and other top-tier manufacturers. However, they have switched to offering the Nest Doorbell camera.

• Nest Doorbell Camera – Nest's doorbell camera has 1600×1200 video, which is taller vertically but less wide than 1080p, 160^o field of view, and night vision. It did require wired installation—if you don't already have an existing 8-24 VAC system, this could be messy and expensive.
• ADT Outdoor Camera – 1080p and only 95^o field of view. If you have any sizable space in your yard, this isn't going to cut it. Rival outdoor cameras at this price point tend to be far superior in terms of both features and video quality, though the camera's weather resistance is quite impressive.
• ADT Indoor Camera – Same 1080p resolution and 130^o field of view. If a motion sensor is triggered, the camera records for 30 seconds and waits 4 minutes between recordings. These can be accessed online, and the camera now features two-way audio.

Setup and Performance

Once you've paid your $100-200 installation fee, an engineer will perform the home inspection. They'll make a full suite of recommendations for every room and present you with a tallied inventory at the end. Be vigilant and wary of being upsold on products you don't really need; ADT is famously aggressive in these visits.

Sign on the dotted line, and your engineer gets to work. The installation is all carried out professionally, and since the equipment is high quality, you should be up and running within a few hours. You might buy a 3rd party device like the Ring Video Doorbell, but remember it won't integrate with ADT's system and can't be controlled by their app. It will be a totally separate system.

One of the things people rarely complain about with ADT is whether it all works—because it just does. Of course, other systems rarely have faults, but if your priority is on stuff that keeps working and best-in-class customer support, ADT is a strong choice. ADT is also very good for home automation since it's all fully integrated and installed for you: the chances of communication breakdowns between devices are lower.

What about the high cost? While ADT adds value by handling the installation and servicing for you, their equipment isn't actually any better than modern rivals since it's the same gear as used by Brinks and others. Their prices are higher, most likely, because they've got a huge physical infrastructure to pay for, which others don't.

What about the app? ADT customers can use their app to control their system—from arming the system and chatting through two-way audio to fine-tuning home automations—right from the app. You can view live camera footage and see sensor activity (i.e. what's open vs. closed) over the past month. Unfortunately, there's no panic button within the app which seems short-sighted, and the app also has ongoing issues with lagging. Customers regularly complain of getting notifications way after an event occurs, making them useless.

Monitoring Backed by 140 Years of Reputation

One thing you can find on ADTs website is the different monitoring plans available. The company boasts an impressive 12 interconnected monitoring centers with 300 local offices and a country-wide network of dealers. But their cheapest monitoring deal is $37 a month and doesn't include cellular backup, the app, home automation, or live video streaming. To get all this, you need to upgrade to a Smart Home Monitoring or Video & Home Monitoring plan for $53 or $63 per month.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

What about home automation? ATD Command (formerly Pulse) has a lovely touchscreen control panel that can control everything from the alarm to the garage door. ADT offers smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide detector, flood sensor, smart door locks, security cameras, smart plugs, video doorbells, thermostats, garage door controllers, and smart lights—essentially all the smart home equipment you could ask for. Unfortunately, while ADT does work with Alexa, Google Assistant, and Z-Wave, it doesn't integrate with Apple products.

You can even connect ADT with IoT devices like Kwikset, Liftmaster, and Sonos3, making it a well-rounded smart home hub. However, the caveat is that you need to pay ADT to install each of these devices since you can't access the appropriate settings yourself, and you have no idea how much they will cost in advance.

What about Blue by ADT? Recently ADT has launched its Blue product to compete with DIY no-contract companies. We haven't done our full review yet, but so far, it looks like their equipment pricing will be higher than competitors. Their professional monitoring options, though, start at $20 a month, which is reasonably competitive, and you get ADTs infrastructure.

The Small Print

There is a potential disconnect between ADT and younger audiences. Website content like “Even if you don't have a landline, we can keep you connected via cellular” speaks volumes about who they're targeting. While it's fine to have an older audience, it is also short-sighted—today's youngsters don't know what a landline is!

Honestly, ADT feels like a company stuck in the past. Blue by ADT is a smart attempt to re-brand as a DIY solution, but it's still taking time to become well-known. Besides its strong history and reputation, ADT faces tough competition from younger rivals with better technology, better prices, and no long-term commitments.

Brinks

Source: Brinks

What You Get With Brinks

Update – 1/23/2024
Brinks has gone completely consumer-unfriendly and has no transparency on its site anymore. The only way to get information from them is to fill out a form and deal with a salesperson.

Given this policy change, we've kept our old review intact but can no longer recommend them. You can assume the info will be fairly accurate, but now that they don't list pricing for anything or even product available / specs, we don't know what changes they're hiding.

Brinks is almost a hybrid between traditional security companies (like ADT and Vivint) and the ultra-modern upstarts Ring, SimpliSafe, and Nest.

Customers start by selecting 1 of 3 preset Brinks plans, or their integrated Nest Secure bundle. The proprietary offers are outlined below (the equipment is made by GE and and the app and monitoring services come from Alarm.com) but the non-unique devices aren’t hard to obtain elsewhere.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

With the Nest package, you get:

• Nest Guard (the control hub)
• 2x Nest Detect sensors
• 2x Nest Tags
• Yard signs and decals.

You can add Nest Cams, thermostats, and Nest Hello (their video doorbell) during checkout, as well as various other Nest products from their own store. Same thing with the Essential, Complete, and Ultimate packages: in theory, you can add any Brinks extras before checkout, though we found the whole buying experience convoluted and messy. When we tried to add a camera, we had to contact support to make it happen. You can also call an agent to talk through and build a bespoke order over the phone.

The products are functional and perform well, and should endure well over time. Two genuinely interesting pieces of kit were the Home Touch Display and the IQ 2.0 Control Panel.

While Brinks’ first control panel (the Home Touch) works as a smart home hub for up to 60 devices, controls your entire system, has two-way audio, and runs self-diagnostics…the IQ 2.0 does all this and much more. The 7″ touchscreen device includes a built-in camera, dual microphones (which can work as glass break sensors), can be wall-mounted, has two speakers, a microSD slot for local storage, and can be disarmed hands-free via bluetooth. Both offer battery backups lasting 24 hours and cell connectivity for monitoring, but the IQ costs $200 more.

Available Brinks devices:

All prices as of 1/23/2024

What about cameras? It’s a disappointing field. The outdoor camera only has an 88^o field of view which, if you have a reasonable area to cover outside, can be insufficient. Brinks' cameras also only work on wifi, so if your broadband is cut, so are your feeds. The indoor camera has motion detection (no facial or person recognition) as well as two-way audio for harassing your lazy kids and local video storage via MicroSD. Field of view was average (113^o) and at a comparable price to the standard Nest Cam (which has far superior performance and specs, including person detection) this is an expensively average product.

Brinks also sells a video doorbell, but you’ve seen it before: the SkyBell Slim Line HD doorbell:

• Resolution – 720p
• Field of vision – 180°
• Night vision – Up to 8 feet
• Motion sensor – 8-foot range
• Two-way talk – Yes

Setup and Performance

Brinks puts a lot of emphasis on ease-of-setup, and it should take no more than an hour or so to put together the Ultimate package. If you choose Nest Secure, it's also fast and easy—our review of Nest is further up the page. Since Brinks uses the easy sticky-backed-tape approach to mounting, each new device takes seconds to get in place; you can even pull them off when you move house and stick ‘em back up again.

Monitoring is mandatory with Brinks. The company is almost unique in offering zero choice when it comes to monitoring; most companies offer a minimum of 2-3 options, allowing users to omit certain features like video streaming or remote app access. Here, even if you’ve got NO cameras, you’re still forking out $39/month for bells-and-whistles monitoring with live streaming capability.

And it's a 3-year agreement without any month-to-month options. Cancellation means paying back most or all of your agreed fees. Surprisingly, if you use Nest Secure you get a rolling deal for $29/mo. ($10 cheaper) and can drop this to $19/month by signing a 3 year contract—where are these options for Brinks' direct customers?

Since the monitoring is expensive and the equipment is good but generic, many users will pick a cheaper supplier (like SimpliSafe or Ring) or purchase the equipment themselves and attempt a truly DIY solution. And sure Brinks is cheaper than ADT—but ADT's monitoring costs are borderline absurd.

Brinks will, however, call within 30s of an alarm being tripped and not disarmed. Once you give the safeword, they can provide advice over the phone for emergencies like flooding, fires, or break-ins. If you don’t answer, they’ll alert the relevant authorities straight away. The monitoring staff were extremely calm and adept at handling calls, which is exactly what you need during a real emergency. They're well-trained, and there's clearly a reason Nest Secure has partnered with them. For all the monitoring’s expensive, the operatives do seem to justify the cost.

Brinks Understands Smart Homes

Since Brinks uses Alarm.com's Google Assistant and Alexa skills, you’ve got extensive voice control options. You can make these little servants arm the system, control smart lights and locks, turn up the heating, and even open your garage door. You can launch your live security video feeds onto your TV via Chromecast, Fire TV, your Nest Hub, or even Apple TV. Alexa’s extra permissions also let you disarm the system using voice. Of course, all this can be done using the Brinks app, too.

Here are a few of the 3rd party smart systems that integrate flawlessly with Brinks:

• GE Z-Wave Light and Appliance Module
• GE Z-Wave In-Wall Dimmer
• Smart Switch
• GE Z-Wave Outdoor Module

Between them, these modules let you control virtually anything inside of, or around, your home. This is particularly powerful since Brinks doesn’t sell many proprietary smart devices, unlike Vivint or Nest. Your smart ecosystem is definitely bolstered by Brinks, while also keeping your home safe and protected. If you’re unsure whether a device will integrate, call Support to make sure before buying.

What about the app? While overall the Alarm.com app does a great job, it also causes a few complaints over notification delays. For example, the video doorbell notifications popping up after the visitor has given up and left. It’s not really clear if this is a product or internet issue, and it certainly doesn’t affect everyone.

Under normal circumstances, you can arm/disarm the system, do a health check, watch live video feeds, and control your smart home all through the app.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

One area Brinks genuinely excels is its customer service department. You’ve got LiveVoice Assist (where you can reach support directly through the control panel) and 24-7 help on the phone lines. There’s an online ticketing system but, from what we’ve seen, you’re better calling. You can text in your questions and get called back later, which is a pretty cool idea.

The bottom line with Brinks is that it’s a good system. Unfortunately for them, there are lots of good systems out there. Despite being a young company, their name goes back decades and they’ve got a good quality home automation aspect to the business. There are cheaper rivals whose systems are still good, and pricier rivals whose devices are superior; Brinks just needs to keep focusing on those in the middle ground.

Cove

Source: Cove

What You Get With Cove

Cove is positioning itself as the market's most affordable home security option. Their price point is way below the likes of ADT, Vivint, and Frontpoint and challenges Ring in the ‘jaw-dropping low prices' game. And they want to keep things as simple as possible.

For a start, rather than painstakingly rummaging through different packages, you do a simple quiz, and Cove generates a package for you—including any applicable discounts and offers, of which there are currently tons—and with totally transparent pricing. You can also shop device-by-device if you prefer, adding or removing anything from their store. You can get a basic setup for around $250-300, including a control panel, multiple sensors, yard decals, and, right now, a free indoor camera.

If you're in the market for the most advanced and beautiful gear possible, check out Vivint or Frontpoint. On the other hand, if you want a quality system without breaking the bank, Cove looks pretty hot.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

The prices are very competitive for the quality. The window and motion sensors set the system blaring almost instantly, just like you'd hope. And if a sensor breaks down (fingers crossed, it won't), Cove will send a replacement for free. The motion sensors can detect up to 15 feet away with variable sensitivity, allowing pets up to 45lbs to go unnoticed: simply remove the cover on the back of your motion sensor and adjust SENS pen from High to Low Sensitivity. The 90^o range of motion means it can cover the whole room if placed high in a corner.

What about the control panel? Even though it's not attractive (more old-fashioned ADT than cutting-edge Ring), Cove supplies a handy touchscreen control panel, which too few companies match. The touch screen is super helpful for those not glued to phones all day or who like to keep security separate from the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, Cove hasn't joined the smart home automation game yet, so there's no Z-Wave lower-the-curtains-with-sunset functionality.

Cove is currently running an insane sale where all your equipment is half-price. As a competitively-priced company under normal circumstances, this sale could be worth launching yourself at.

What about cameras? Cove's indoor camera comes with a variety of must-have features like HD video (1080p), cloud storage, and two-way talk. It's not a brilliant camera compared to Nest or Vivint's, but it's fine.

Setup and Performance

Setup couldn’t be much easier:

• Plug in the Touch Panel and hit ‘Get Started' to begin. Follow the on-screen instructions.
• You set a passcode (your arm/disarm PIN), connect to wifi if you want (there's full cell coverage as standard), and then move to devices.
• Push the side button on any sensor, and its name pops up on the control panel. Neat.
• Click the name, peel the adhesive and stick it where you need it.
• It's a similar process for all other devices, and, all told, you should be able to install a reasonably beefy Cove system in under an hour—around the industry average.

You can test the entire system comprehensively, using LiveAssist to run through everything with a Cove agent.

What about monitoring? Unfortunately, pro monitoring is mandatory with Cove, as it is with most home security providers. The Cove Plus plan is $28/mo. and includes 24-7 continuous video recording plus the ability to buy cloud storage for 7, 15, or 30 days of footage at a time. The cheaper Cove Basic plan at $18 has no camera integration but still has 24/7 professional monitoring, alarm verification, and cell connection.

Unfortunately, you also need the Plus plan to use the mobile app—which almost everyone will. However, since it also gets you $5 credit per month towards new equipment, plus a lifetime warranty on all gear, the extra $10/month is probably worth it.

In terms of performance, Cove has 6 secure monitoring centers across the US with 24-7 eyes on your property in case of an emergency. Their Triple-Touch Alarm Response gives you room to handle false alarms without a mad panic:

1. First, you're contacted through two-way audio in the control panel,
2. Simultaneously you'll get a text, to which you can reply to disarm or call the police,
3. If unsuccessful, you'll be called on your smartphone. If you can't be reached at all, the cops are sent.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

All Cove home security packages come with:

• 60-day money-back guarantee
• DIY installation
• No-contract options

As with many companies, you can get a better warranty (in this case, a lifetime warranty) on all equipment by subscribing to the premium monitoring plan.

The overall feedback for Cove's customer support is outstanding. They seem to really listen to questions and proactively solve them, not just provide cookie-cutter answers. Of course, getting a direct line through your control panel is helpful, too.

Cove doesn't do much poorly. At all. We've expressed annoyance at ADT's price-less website, Ring's customer service, and Frontpoint's unexpectedly pricey monitoring, but Cove doesn't suffer any of those problems. But compared to a top pick like SimpliSafe, they fall noticeably short.

No jaw-dropping x-factor makes the difference, but it's the culmination of small wins that leaves us thinking of Cove as a very decent and very affordable pick—but not one that's topping our list.

Link Interactive

Source: Link Interactive

What You Get With Link Interactive

We hope you like making decisions because Link Interactive doesn’t offer pre-compiled device packages. Instead, you browse the store (or call a sales agent) and pick every item from scratch. So what’s available?

Link has two control panels:

• 2GIG Go!Control
• Qolsys IQ Panel 2

Both have interactive touch screens, built-in sirens, cellular and wifi connectivity, and of course, allow you to arm/disarm/diagnose the system. However, the 7" screen on the IQ Panel 2 is much larger and has impressive features like an integrated camera and proximity disarm through Bluetooth. In addition, the camera can take snapshots whenever the alarm is armed/disarmed, so you know exactly who is using your system. And both models support home automation and can be used to manage your entire smart home. In addition to compatible Z-Wave smart home devices, you can buy a host of tech with Link:

As well as several pretty niche devices like the ‘Grill Guard,’ which checks your stove isn’t left on, and the ‘Gun Lock,’ which secures your firearms with a tilt sensor and numerical lock.

The quality of Link Interactive’s products is pretty good since they’re made by GE and Honeywell. However, a very minimalist system of a control panel, motion sensor, 2x door sensors, and the basic outdoor camera will set you back a fraction over $540. Realistically, you’ll be spending even more than this on enough sensors, cameras, a video doorbell, smart devices, or extra security accessories for your home.

At $325 you can also buy the Stream Video Recorder which allows continuous recording and cloud storage for up to 8 cameras. Built-in HDMI and USB ports allow streaming to your TV or monitor locally, or you can cast remotely from the app. The system includes 1TB of video storage and requires the elite monitoring package.

What about cameras? Like Frontpoint and others, Link Interactive's cameras are made by Alarm.com. They're known as fairly good equipment, but their price bracket puts them very close to a far superior kit like Nest and Vivint cameras. Advanced features like person detection, Google Assistant integration, facial recognition, and lossless zoom are nowhere to be found within Link's camera repertoire. So while they're fine, if you're serious about home surveillance, we recommend shopping 3rd party.

Both video doorbells are from SkyBell, which also has a reputation for being fine, but not as good as Nest or Ring equivalents.

Setup and Performance

Link Interactive's system is fully DIY, so installation is on you. Luckily it's as straightforward as most competitors: plug in the control panel, follow instructions, occasionally peel the tape off components and stick them on the wall. If you're experiencing any problems, you can contact customer support for help. Unfortunately, they're not available 24-7, but they're a responsive and helpful group when around.

When buying your gear, you also name each component so that it arrives ‘labeled' and connected to the control panel, ready to start…sensing.

What about monitoring? Props to Link Interactive here. They do a great job of telling people exactly what's available with each plan. They all come with professional monitoring, two-way comms (via the control panel), 100% cellular monitoring, intrusion, fire, and Crash & Smash alarms. But there are clear advantages to choosing a more expensive plan.

All prices as of 1/23/2024

Link Interactive's biggest strengths are its smart home and automation integrations. Without investing in $40/month monitoring, you'll miss that entirely, and the ability to view your video feeds or record footage.

Video analytics and virtual tripwires are both enticing features. The first part of analytics is person, vehicle, and animal detection. Users can also create virtual ‘zones' and ‘tripwires,' specific areas outside your home (based on your camera's exact field of view) where you monitor specific activity. For example, be alerted by someone lingering near your door unless the analytics identify a mail delivery. It's a powerful and useful security feature if you're using high-quality cameras.

Solid Smart Home Automation

Link's biggest downfall is that it doesn't have that killer product or selling point. There's nothing overly unique about the company's offering, which makes it hard for them to stand out. The company provides (via 2GIG) smart lights, locks, doorbells, garage door openers, and thermostats. Because of its Z-Wave compatibility, you can also integrate with a ton of other smart equipment and control it all from the Alarm.com app or your touchscreen security panel.

Always check with Link before adding a 3rd party device to ensure it's compatible. The app works well for home automation, but again it's nothing we haven't seen already from other (and often cheaper) suppliers. The app also lets users watch live feeds of any camera and communicate via the two-way video doorbell audio, as well as the usual configuration of settings and user access.

The Small Print & Bottom Line

Link's policies are slightly more convoluted than most competitors. Here's how it works.

1. If you buy all your equipment upfront, you can enter any agreement length for monitoring, including month-to-month.
2. If you choose to finance the equipment instead, then the length of your contract is proportional to the value of the equipment you obtain.
3. After the 30-day window, if you cancel, you pay 75% of your outstanding equipment cost and, as far as we can tell, the total monitoring cost you've signed up for.

And if you pay upfront or sign up for a long-term deal, you are usually offered some savings as an incentive. We 100% recommend placing your order over the phone with a representative, so they can explain exactly what everything's going to cost you, how long the contracts are, and when it's all due. There's a 3-year warranty on all equipment as standard.

In the end, we see why Link Interactive is usually found at the bottom of these ‘best security system' lists, not the top. It's not because their equipment is bad, their monitoring is too expensive (well, that one's certainly close), or their service is poor. Instead, they're just competing against companies who, in one way or another, seem to offer a superior service.

But why not give Link Interactive a go and experiment with their 30-day free trial? You never know, you might fall in love with it!

Other Companies of Note

We considered other companies but decided not to include them for longer reviews and analysis for various reasons. Not all of them are listed below, but these are the ones we think readers will want to know more about:

Nest

Nest notably was one of our major reviews, but their full home security service has been discontinued. Google still sells Nest products, which are a great option, but they don't have a unified “system” with a control panel, sensors, and professional monitoring.

Arlo Cameras

We speak highly of Nest's cameras and stand by the claim that they're the best. Arlo makes a good camera, and it includes features we wish Nest included. For example, many of its cameras have an optional motion-activated spotlight. In addition, the more expensive cameras can be charged and put anywhere or plugged in with a significant battery backup.

Unfortunately, Arlo just isn't “there” yet. Many users report frustration in adding cameras to their network. Another major complaint is that the system must be “armed” to record. This means you must choose between being spammed by notifications or not recording. That's fine for people who only want to record when they're away from home but not so good for people who might want to see what the kids have been up to in the other room.

We'd like to see Arlo de-couple notifications and recording with better clarity in the app. Finally, many users report significant delays in loading videos. The video doorbell, in particular, was frustrating, as every time we tested, it loaded a black screen with sound, but the video took 10-15 seconds or even longer: long enough for people to walk away. We typically heard delivery trucks driving off before the video even started. This was not Wi-Fi related, as every other doorbell worked fine.

Arlo isn't a proper home security company with door sensors and a full equipment suite. Still, we know people sometimes use a “camera only” system, and other tech sites often list Arlo as having the best cameras. As frustrated long-time users, we respectfully disagree and recommend Nest. We don't really trust Google either, but we feel it's simply a better product.

GE Personal Alarm

Someone usually asks about a “dumb” solution. Well, GE's personal alarm is about as dumb as it gets, and sometimes that's nice. There's no control panel, no central system, and not a lot of cost. It's just a window or door sensor armed individually with its own alarm. With fewer options come fewer points of failure, and people love these products for things like downstairs windows they never open.

However, we can't recommend these as serious products because they give no notifications other than a loud noise. Nothing is stopping a burglar from simply smashing the product, and you'd never know until you get home. That said, if you just want a chime on a kid's window, a door they're not supposed to open, or something similarly mundane, you might want something stupid and simple.

Samsung SmartThings

Some people use SmartThings for home security. With many products to choose from and tons of app integrations, it's a good option for someone who wants to limit the number of apps they have to open. In addition, there are door, window, and other sensors: sometimes made by Samsung or someone else using Z-wave technology.

That said, the most common SmartThings complaint is that products will randomly disconnect and sometimes not reconnect. This is a terrible quality in a security system! If you go this route you'll be the one configuring products and providing your tech support. And while some have created a sort of monitoring system with IFTTT, this brings its own level of complexity and potential failure. Better, in our opinion, to get something like SimpliSafe that was actually made for security.

Conclusion

If you've read every word, you deserve a prize for making it this far. There's a lot to consider when choosing a home security system. We've gone through the benefits, features, pros, and cons. We've extensively read and written this review.

After a break-in or home invasion, you may be feeling overwhelmed, so first decide whether you want monitoring, and choose from one of the excellent companies above based on our summary at the very top. A few years ago, it would be hard to recommend any DIY solution, but in 2024 you have many good options depending on what you're looking for.

Let us know: what home security system did you use, and how is it working for you?