Scout Home Security System Review

Scout Alarm is arguably the best security system for folks who prefer self-monitoring. This is thanks to a cellular backup that works without requiring a professional monitoring plan, which would be otherwise exclusive to pro monitoring on other systems. Still, there's a $10 monthly fee to maintain the cellular connection. The system doesn't work without a subscription—unlike other self-monitored systems.

Although Scout offers professional monitoring for $20 a month, it's hardly the steal it was a few years ago—before the advent of the $5 and $10 monthly fees from Wyze and Ring, respectively. Overall, we think Scout is a great security system with appealing self-monitoring features.

Each Scout security plan comes with some great perks:

• No contract or cancellation fees
• 4G LTE cellular backup
• Scout mobile app access with push notifications
• SMS and phone call alerts that work on any phone
• Email notifications

Scout is great for no-contract self-monitoring and easy DIY installation. We also like that its professional monitoring costs less than the industry average of $32 a month. Here are some good reasons to choose Scout over other security systems:

• Cellular backup: Scout's cellular backup is unique compared to other security systems because it doesn't require a professional monitoring plan. This means you have a reliable way to access your system through the Scout app without delegating your security to a monitoring center. (There's also a battery backup to keep your system running for up to 12 hours.)
• Text and phone call alerts: While Scout sends push notifications on a smartphone, its text message and phone call alerts make it an excellent option for people that don't use smartphones. Text and call alerts also give you a backup in case you don't notice a push notification.
• Simple arming and disarming: Scout relies solely on key fobs, RFID chips, and mobile access for arming and disarming, so there are no keypad access codes to remember. (Scout also sells a keypad for folks looking to grant temporary access to guests.)
• Equipment: Scout designs attractive equipment that covers most security needs. The system is compatible with many smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant^†, Z-Wave, and Zigbee.
• Expansion and portability: This is a great system for people planning to move from a smaller home to a larger one since it’s easy to take with you and add on additional sensors as needed.

Scout doesn't require you to sign a contract, but keep in mind that you have to sign up for a monthly or yearly plan to use your system at all (including self-monitoring with the mobile app). Although there's no cancellation fee, you have only 60 days to return your Scout equipment (only if you buy from Scout's website) for a full refund. The company may prorate or deny your refund if the equipment isn't in good condition.

All Scout home security equipment comes with a generous three-year warranty, which is better than the one-year coverage offered by most DIY security systems. Only SimpliSafe and Ring's warranties (as long as you pay for Ring Protect Plus monitoring) can match it.

There are two ways to purchase equipment for your Scout security system: build a system or buy Scout Packs. (We see your wolf logo, Scout, and raise you an owl.) We recommend starting with a Scout Pack and customizing from there—Scout Packs cost 6–10% less than buying the same equipment separately.

If you choose to skip the Scout Packs (or want more devices for an existing Scout system), you can buy every piece of equipment separately in Scout's online shop. We really appreciate Scout's pricing transparency and how easy it is to buy equipment without a quote over the phone.

Overall, Scout's equipment costs about $51 per device on average—barely beating Abode, SimpliSafe, and Frontpoint. Only Wyze and Kangaroo offer lower equipment prices, but neither has the equipment selection of Scout.

The last time we reviewed Scout, it sold only the devices you can find in the Scout Small Pack. At the time, we lamented over the lack of security cameras and smoke monitoring options. It seems Scout was paying attention since the brand now offers a surprisingly huge selection of equipment:

The Scout Small Pack includes the following equipment:

Scout Alarm hit the market after a successful crowdfunding campaign that focused on updating the bland appearance of security systems. It puts as much thought into how good its devices look in your home as it does into improving your security—honestly, we love the distinctive designs. You can even buy the system in two colors: Arctic and Midnight—to better match the aesthetic vision you have for your home.

Scout's RFID stickers (about $2.50) use the same technology as the key fobs. This means you can tap them on the Door Panel to arm and disarm your system—for half the price. You should consider buying a few to hide in a book or on a decoration near your front door so the pet sitter can enter when you're on vacation.

As much as we like the simplicity of the Door Panel, we're glad that Scout now sells a keypad too. The keypad (about $50) offers more flexibility with who can disarm your system since it allows you to create custom codes that work on a schedule. It's also cheaper and more secure than buying key fobs for every guest.

The Scout Indoor Camera (about $99) is a fairly standard security camera compared to the likes of Ring and Wyze. But it's a nice addition for Scout users that want everything in one app—though it lacks two-way audio to talk with people near the camera.

You can even get cloud storage for a reasonable $3 monthly fee per camera (the Always On+ professional monitoring plan includes free storage for one camera). Scout's cameras don't work with the cellular backup, but the company may add an option for this later.

The Scout Video Doorbell (about $99) has two noteworthy features: interchangeable faceplates and support for both mechanical and digital doorbell chimes. While other doorbell cameras come with interchangeable faceplates, these are usually pricier models like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro (about $250). This makes Scout's three interchangeable faceplates one of the more affordable options on the market for customizing your doorbell's appearance.

When you buy a Scout doorbell, you can choose whether it works with analog (mechanical chimes) or digital doorbells (audio recordings played on a speaker). This is a nice touch of flexibility since neither type of doorbell uses the same wiring setup.

The installation process for Scout isn't much different than other DIY security systems. You start by activating your monitoring plan and connecting your hub to your internet router using an Ethernet cable. From there, you can pair all of your sensors with the hub before installing them where you need them.

Most Scout equipment uses tool-free adhesive strips for mounting—installation takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish on an average-sized system. Only the smart door lock, video doorbell, indoor security camera, and smoke detector require additional steps, hardware, and tools to install. But even these are relatively quick DIY affairs.

Scout has a good handle on smart home compatibility since it works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT, Z-Wave, and Zigbee. This is very competitive with other DIY home security systems, though Abode is a much stronger option for home automation routines and folks wanting Apple HomeKit support. As useful as Scout's compatibility is, it's a shadow of its former self due to Scout discontinuing support for Nest products in 2019.

There's a huge list of Amazon Alexa voice commands for Scout. We like that you can easily arm and disarm with Alexa. While disarming a security system by voice is sometimes a liability, Scout requires a spoken code whenever you ask Alexa to disarm. This adds an extra layer of security that keeps someone from disarming Scout through an open window.

Beyond setting the system's arming mode, you can also check the system status and find out about the last thing your system detected. You can also use Alexa to trigger a panic alert to call for help during an emergency.

Scout can't do as much with Google Assistant as with Alexa. Still, it's competent enough to arm, disarm, and check on Scout's system status. There aren't any options to learn about recent system events or call for help.

IFTTT is an online service that makes smart devices from different manufacturers work together—it brings a lot of additional functionality to Scout Alarm. With Scout on IFTTT, you can trigger an action or respond to a trigger from another device or service.

A good example is using Scout to adjust your Nest Thermostat to save energy when you arm your system before heading out for the day. Without IFTTT, the two brands couldn't directly communicate to perform this task.

There's a catch with IFTTT—it requires a subscription if you want to create more than three of your own automation routines (IFTTT calls them Applets). While you can use an unlimited number of Applets from other people for free, there's no guarantee that you'll find exactly the thing you're looking for.

Scout works with Z-Wave and Zigbee, but the compatibility gets super specific.

Although Z-Wave and Zigbee are different smart platforms, they accomplish similar goals through mesh networking and low-power radio frequencies that achieve better battery life than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This makes Z-Wave and Zigbee ideal for smart home sensors and devices that don't require a constant connection to your Scout Hub.

Scout uses Zigbee for its sensors, but the system doesn't work with third-party Zigbee devices based on the Scout knowledge base's information. On the other hand, Z-Wave allows Scout to work with various devices—specifically the First Alert smoke and CO detectors, Yale smart locks, and Kwikset smart locks.

Scout's biggest customer service downfall is that it doesn't have enough customers to establish itself positively or negatively in the marketplace. This is despite being on the market, in one form or another, since 2013—longer than DIY home security systems from Abode (2014), Cove (2018), Ring (2018), and Wyze (2019).

To help us rate customer service, we usually factor in grades and reviews from the Better Business Bureau, Trustpilot, Google Play, and the Apple App Store—Scout has a minimal presence on these. The lack of Scout security reviews won't help it become popular anytime soon. It’s possible (and disappointing) that users might not feel strongly enough to post a review.

Most Scout Alarm app users are happy with the app, but Android users rate it higher than Apple users. Struggling to get the mobile app to connect to the security system again after an update is a main complaint.

Despite the lack of reputation, we found Scout's website easy to navigate with transparent pricing on every device. Its knowledge base and mobile app offer plenty of helpful articles and tutorials to help you with system setup and troubleshooting. Plus, the products are easy to understand without an engineering degree.

Scout is an attractive security system that can cover your home security needs, especially if you prefer to self-monitor your system. It can fill every niche you need in a security system with its cellular backup, growing equipment selection, robust smart home compatibility, and optional professional monitoring.

But if you want a self-monitored security system without paying a monthly fee, Scout isn't the right choice since there's no way to use the system and mobile app without a subscription. If you don't want to pay a monthly fee for self-monitoring for your security system, consider choosing Wyze Home Monitoring instead.

The few reviews of its mobile app also tell a story of intermittent bugs, especially after a software update. Still, we think Scout is a worthwhile investment for folks that want self-monitoring with a cellular backup and alerts that don't require a smartphone. Check our rundown of the best self-monitored security systems to see how Scout compares to its rivals.

We took a two-pronged approach to our Scout security review: testing and research. We tested the system a few years back and have a good idea of how well it works. Even we would've struggled to make a recommendation had we not already tested Scout due to its lack of online reputation.

But years-old testing isn't enough when there are so many new Scout devices to talk about. So we studied Scout’s website and compared the company's equipment, pricing, and options with similar DIY security providers. We spoke to experienced security experts and contacted Scout Alarm customer service with additional questions. Check out our methodology to learn more about our evaluation process.

• Frontpoint vs. Scout Alarm
• Best Self-Monitored Home Security System
• Pros and Cons of Self-Monitoring Home Security Systems
• What Is the Difference between Monitored and Unmonitored Security Systems?
• Best DIY Home Security Systems
• Best Home Security Systems