Ring Alarm, Vivint and ADT are the top three companies in our ranking of best home security systems. Ring Alarm also ranks first in our rankings of the best professionally installed home security systems, the best self-monitoring home security systems, and the best wireless home security systems. Which security system is the best? In our nearly 10 years of testing home security systems, we've learned that there's never a simple answer to that question. Some security systems are objectively better than others. They're more affordable, they have better equipment, they use smarter technology, etc.
However, objectively, the best security system may not be the best one for your situation and needs, so choosing a home protection system should be a personal choice. Our best options are products from well-established alarm companies, such as ADT, Vivint and Frontpoint, but we don't skip the new disruptors that have been making a splash lately. If you like DIY systems and flexible contracts, SimpliSafe, Cove and abode are just a few of the options you'll see on our list. Without further ado, we present to you the best security systems of the year.
ADT continues to revolutionize home security to this day, more than a hundred years after introducing telegraphed security alerts. Today, ADT security systems offer hands-free automation and control with the help of Alexa and Google Assistant. In addition to voice control, ADT offers convenient home security through an intuitive smartphone application (ADT Control) and its touchscreen control panel that comes with most of ADT systems. Together, ADT equipment protects against theft, provides environmental alerts and offers home automation features, all from the application and control panel.
This is an example of why it's important that the decision to purchase a security system be a personal choice. While some users prefer their own installation, there are those who prefer a professional installation. If you're one of the latter, you'll like ADT. A professional installation is required for every ADT Control security system. ADT has a reputation to uphold, a reputation it has built over the past 145 years.
Therefore, you want to ensure that the system installations are done correctly. You will have a trained technician who will evaluate your home, provide suggestions on the best location of the sensors, and then install the entire system for you. In addition to a professional configuration, ADT Control security systems need professional supervision. This simply means that, whenever your system's sensors are activated, ADT will be there to check how you and your home are doing. ADT combines a number of technologies to make your professional monitoring service as reliable as possible.
For example, if your Internet connection isn't working, ADT systems are designed to switch to cellular networks. If there is a power outage, the system also has a backup battery. Even ADT monitoring centers are prepared for the unexpected. All nine monitoring facilities have backup servers and generators.
Yes, ADT has nine facilities, each reflecting the others. That's called redundancy, and it ensures that ADT has facilities up and running no matter what. Finally, ADT uses advanced technology, such as SMART Monitoring, to improve response times. SMART monitoring is a text-based communication technology that connects family members more efficiently during emergencies, allowing for faster coordination.
The home security market is constantly evolving, but ADT manages to keep up to date all the time. In fact, it leads innovation through the continuous development of new security technologies, including a security robot for commercial establishments. However, for homes, ADT's latest innovations include intelligent home automation, a high-tech touchscreen center, and high-end security cameras. These elements are included in the most advanced ADT packages, and you can take advantage of all their benefits with an ADT professional monitoring plan.
A popular choice for no-contract home security, easy to install at home and at an affordable, refreshing price. Right now, you can get 50 percent off a new system with a free first month of professional monitoring. However, after living with a SimpliSafe security system for a few weeks, we can say that's not the case. It's actually a versatile system.
Then, there are the options offered by SimpliSafe. You can choose from a wide variety of equipment, you can do the installation process yourself or hire a professional, you can self-supervise for free or pay for professional monitoring, and there are no long-term contracts for monitoring plans if you decide to get one. You'll pay month-to-month and you can stop doing so at any time. Finally, SimpliSafe is easy to use, from the simple installation process that usually takes less than an hour to the functional application and keyboard that come with the system.
Practically everything related to SimpliSafe is simple. It's not perfect, but it's simple. In addition, SimpliSafe offers discounts almost all year round. It usually ranges from 20 to 40 percent, but it can exceed that figure during the peak holiday season, from November (Black Friday) to January (New Year).
Last year's SimpliSafe Black Friday deals reduced the price of its security systems by up to 60 percent. You can schedule your purchase to enjoy the biggest savings, but even without these deals, SimpliSafe systems are among the most affordable that exist. Although affordable, SimpliSafe equipment is far from cheap in terms of quality. SimpliSafe manufactures and develops its own equipment, and each part undergoes rigorous quality tests.
An example that demonstrates the quality of SimpliSafe's hardware is the base station that comes with the SmashSafe anti-tampering function. If someone tries to deactivate the base station, either by breaking it or manipulating it, the base station will sound an alarm and let you know and to the monitoring center. It also has a 24-hour backup battery, so even unplugging it will not work. SimpliSafe also offers a good range of security cameras, including the SimpliCam indoor camera, the new Smart Alarm indoor smart camera, the SimpliSafe Pro outdoor camera and the SimpliSafe video doorbell.
All of these devices work together to ensure that your home is free from intruders. The smart alarm camera can even be monitored by live agents for stronger protection against intruders. And like any SimpliSafe hardware, these security cameras aren't expensive at all. SimpliSafe is just as easy to disassemble, which is useful if you ever have to move.
Combined with professional no-contract monitoring, this makes SimpliSafe a favorite for both renters and homeowners. Vivint is a much more advanced security system than the ones we usually test. It's packed with home automation features, in addition to offering video monitoring powered by artificial intelligence. Vivint isn't something an average user can or even want to install on their own, but, fortunately, it's a system installed by professionals.
And based on our experience, they have the best installation service there is. Of course, the other aspect of Vivint's pricing plans is that they require a three-year contract. Not everyone wants to be locked up in three years. However, for those homeowners looking for a premium, substantial system, a three-year plan actually makes a lot of sense.
Vivint combines the latest in smart home technology to offer one of the most comfortable to use home security systems on the market. Voice control is a very important selling point for Vivint, thanks to its integration with Alexa and Google Assistant. Through either of the two voice assistants, you can order Vivint to activate your security system, control smart home devices (“dim the lights”, close the garage door, etc. Vivint systems are based on a control panel, called Vivint Smart Hub, and boy is it really smart).
Automations make life easier for Vivint users, since the hub can perform certain actions based on a series of inputs. For example, it can arm itself at night, so you don't leave the house unattended when you go to dreamland. Vivint reported that intelligent energy management saved customers between 10 and 15% on home heating and cooling. Vivint manufactured state-of-the-art security cameras for our indoor and outdoor use.
We could record video at any time with cloud storage and remotely adjust the settings of each camera. Vivint's range of security products also includes the Ping indoor camera and the Doorbell Camera Pro, which has a field of view of 180 degrees by 180 degrees. However, there is a silver lining. Alder comes with a 30-day money-back trial period.
The contract doesn't take effect until the 30th, so you'll have enough time to try Alder first-hand and see if it works for you. If you cancel during the trial period, you'll get a full refund minus shipping costs, which is a pretty fair offer. Cove is a newer security company that is revolutionizing the market by providing self-installed home security systems with professional monitoring and equipment. If you want a quick and easy configuration, it's one of the best security systems out there.
It may seem contradictory, but text communications from Cove have been very useful to us. When the system is interrupted, Cove sends a link to a text-based communication system, where everyone in your family circle can communicate. Unlike traditional alarm systems that only call a family member to verify alerts, Cove's InstaText system allows for a more efficient and faster emergency response. That's one of the reasons Cove's response rate is three to four times faster than its competitors.
The InstaText system also reduces false alarms, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars in false alarm fees. If the alert turns out to be a false alarm, you and your family circle can easily deactivate it through InstaText. In a traditional system, if you miss the call, they may call the police to respond, which could lead to false alarm charges by the local or municipal police department. In a way, Cove also helps the government reduce unnecessary expenses due to false alarms. Frontpoint is a DIY system, so we install the equipment ourselves.
However, we leave the supervision of the system in the hands of professionals by hiring a professional emergency monitoring service. With this service, we can be sure that someone will be there to help us or ask for help on our behalf during alarm incidents. Frontpoint is one of the leading security systems thanks, in part, to its feature-packed security systems. As stated, the Ultimate plan includes everything from home security to home automation and video monitoring.
To complement this, Frontpoint offers basic and advanced systems that are not only scalable, but also offer a wide range of functions. Just take a look at the Frontpoint mid-range equipment package and what's included. It has the usual home security components, such as motion sensors and entrance sensors, but you can also have an indoor security camera and a video doorbell to monitor the entrance. Mid-range packages also include a heat and smoke sensor to protect your home from fire.
Alexa had one more capability: disarm the system. We had fun telling our voice assistants to play our images live on the big screen, as Brinks works well with Echo Shows, Fire TV Sticks, Nest Hubs, Apple TV, Chromecast, etc. In fact, Brinks systems can act as hubs for up to 119 smart home devices. Brinks doesn't allow customers to control themselves, but that's not an inconvenience considering Brinks' relatively affordable pricing.
We say “relatively” because it's more expensive than monitoring from companies like Cove and SimpliSafe, but Brinks is cheaper compared to brands like Vivint and Frontpoint. And, unlike Frontpoint, Brinks allows its customers to decide the level of protection and the number of features they want with the pricing of its three-tier monitoring plan. The best smart home security system was Vivint. Vivint worked with Alexa and Google Assistant, as well as IoT devices from other companies under investigation. This included everything from Kwikset smart locks and Nest thermostats to smart lamps and bulbs.
from Philips Hue. We create automatic activators and control everything from the Vivint Smart Home application. Everything you need to know about this home security system is in the name. SimpliSafe products are easy to work with, including the various kits you can choose from.
Once you buy, install your security system using only your home set of tools and you're ready to go. Of course, like most of the options on this list, you'll have to pay a fee if you want professional monitoring, and it doesn't have the advanced Wi-Fi integrations of other platforms, but you can configure your SimpliSafe system with your devices with Alexa or Google technology for an even smarter integration in the home. SimpliSafe also offers a bunch of different sensors, as well as home security cameras, so you can mix and match whatever you need to fit your home security system. Ring was one of the first companies to offer home security systems and, despite the prices of its devices, the Ring Alarm Pro remains one of the best in the industry.
You can choose between several starter kits and connect your Ring Alarm system to your video intercom, as well as to your indoor and outdoor security cameras. The Ring Alarm Pro also has a built-in Wi-Fi router, backups with cellular technology, and local and professional monitoring (albeit with a monthly fee). The only real drawbacks of Ring are concerns about the company's privacy practices, but there's no question that it's still one of the best home security systems on the market right now. The setup instructions can be a bit confusing, but once you figure them out, it's easy to expand your system as needed.
If you want to record video from your video intercom or security cameras, you'll have to switch to a monthly plan. The Arlo Home Security system is one of the most interesting on this list, because its sensors offer a lot of versatility. While many alarm systems require you to use a variety of different sensors for specific situations, Arlo relies on multipurpose sensors that have eight different possible functions. This includes detecting motion, detecting water leaks, detecting open windows and doors, detecting the inclination of garage doors, detecting temperature changes in frozen pipes, and even detecting smoke detectors.
This allows you to move your Arlo sensors wherever you want in case of changes, without having to buy a new sensor to fulfill a specific function. Keep in mind that there are a wide range of factors to narrow down and rank the best home security systems out there. Deep Sentinel cameras can distinguish between suspicious and non-suspicious behavior, making it the only AI of its kind in the home security industry. To reduce false alarms, some cities require a permit or other provisions to install security systems that connect to emergency services.
Therefore, if you want security in your home without having to pay high prices or have long-term contracts, we strongly recommend that you consult this provider. Many professionally monitored home security systems require a contract, and the duration of the contract can range from three to five years. If you're looking for a smart home security system that doesn't require lifting a finger, Vivint is the best of all. Ring has become one of the most popular security systems on the market, and it's easy to understand why. Other home security components include motion sensors, keyboards, key rings, cameras, glass break sensors and panic buttons.
When looking for the best home security system to buy, verify that you will receive a certificate to present to your home insurance company after installation. Abode can protect your home with its more traditional smart security kit or with its elegant all-in-one Abode Iota hub.
