SafeWise experts test the products we recommend. We may earn money when you buy through our links. Learn more.
To help you find the best home security system for your needs, we tried them all. Vivint is our top pick for full-service, professional installation and monitoring combined with theft-deterring innovations.
SimpliSafe is a good choice if you want the flexibility of an optional monthly monitoring subscription and DIY installation.
With 140+ years of experience in the business, ADT is the most trusted security brand around.
Brand | Installation | Monthly cost
 | Best for | Starter equipment price | Contract required | Smart home compatibility
| Learn more |
| Professional | $29.99/mo. | Best professional home security | $599.00 | No * | Amazon, Google, Z-Wave | View packages | |
| DIY or Pro | $19.99/mo. | Best optional subscription | $245.00 | No | Amazon, | View packages | |
| Professional | $28.99/mo. | Most trusted security brand | $0.00 | Yes | Amazon, Google, Z-Wave | View packages | |
| DIY or Pro | $17.99/mo. | Best budget pick | Quote Required | No * | Amazon, Google | View packages |
Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change. Read full disclaimer.
Full ADT disclaimer
If you’re on the hunt for a smart home security system that doesn’t require you to lift a finger, Vivint is the best of the bunch. Vivint’s high-end equipment with pro installation, 24/7 monitoring, smart home features, and state-of-the-art security tech make it the best wireless security system available.
Image credit: Vivint
We love Vivint for so many reasons:
Standout feature: Vivint's security cameras with Smart Deter lurker detection are a staff favorite.
Like any luxury item, you’d expect Vivint to come with a luxury price tag. It’s a balance: its equipment is pricey, but Vivint’s monthly monitoring fees remain in line with other top security companies. The Smart Home Video monitoring plan delivers video plus smart home control and integration for around $40 a month.
Call
Our readers have spoken—and they love SimpliSafe’s affordable, straightforward cellular security system. SimpliSafe’s name says it all. Its security systems are simple—and so is its pricing. SimpliSafe has some of the cheapest monthly monitoring fees available, and you can start or stop it whenever you want to, meaning after your first month of free monitoring, a monthly subscription is optional.
(You can often get a deal as a new customer if you sign up for the 24/7 Fast Protect™ Monitoring plan when you sign up).
Image credit: SafeWise
SimpliSafe does home security on its own terms. That means ditching some things that turn off customers: brash salespeople and lengthy contracts.
Standout feature: SimpliSafe features RapidSOS (only one other system has this security monitoring feature) to speed up help in an emergency. It skips sending information to a monitoring center and sends it directly to 911 dispatchers so first responders get to you (wherever you are) faster.
What SimpliSafe monitoring do we recommend? Go with the Interactive plan. It gives you mobile app control of your SimpliSafe security system and includes email and text alerts. You can also access live video if you add a home security camera.
Call
1-800-411-9637
Money-back guarantee applicable for system problems during the first six months that ADT is unable to resolve.
ADT is the most experienced security company in the country. If you’ll sleep better knowing that a well-known, tried-and-true company is watching over your home, ADT is worth the money.
Image credit: ADT
No one can beat ADT’s experience.
Standout feature: ADT Home Security has six redundant monitoring centers. If one monitoring station goes down, your home’s protection transfers to another center. That’s 24/7 protection that you can rely on, even when Mother Nature does her worst.
Call
If you’re motivated by good customer service, Cove will make you all warm and cozy inside. Cove told us its policy is to be “more than fair” with customers. That’s probably why Cove has a whopping 98%* customer retention rate. Customers love Cove, and we do too.
Image credit: SafeWise
On top of offering affordable monthly monitoring prices—that you can get without a contract—Cove makes it painless to cancel if the system isn’t for you. Cove sets you free without punishing penalties and fees, unlike other security solutions that charge 75% to 100% of your remaining contract.
Cove has some more customer-forward goodies we love:
Standout feature: Cove sets itself apart with something it calls “done-with-me installation.” This combo of pro and DIY lets you install the system yourself, with help.
The touchscreen walks you through installation with large, easy-to-follow illustrations. We’ll take it any day over installation booklets or tiny illustrations on an app.
When it comes to monitoring, the Cove Plus monitoring plan is our pick. It includes video monitoring and smart device integration plus a lifetime extended warranty.
*Information provided by an interview with Cove representatives in October 2021.
Frontpoint delivers all the home security bells and whistles of full-service professionally installed systems but puts all the control (and installation) in your hands. For those who like the independence of DIY but don’t want to compromise on equipment options or features, Frontpoint fits the bill.
Frontpoint delivers all the perks you want from a DIY home security system:
Standout feature: Every system comes with Frontpoint ID Protect powered by AllState Identity Protection. Yep, this smart security system protects your home and those you love and your identity—and you get this service and its nifty features for free.
Frontpoint recently shook up its pricing structure. Now you can get Frontpoint's professional monitoring starting at just $24.99 a month, with upfront equipment purchase starting at $399. (That could save you $120 per year!)
Image credit: SafeWise
Call
If you’re all about smart home automation, then Abode is the best smart home security system for you. It’s the only smart security system on our list that works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant†, Apple HomeKit, Z-Wave, and Zigbee. It lets you connect to almost any smart device on the market, and this flexibility can’t be beaten by any other system on our list.
Abode can protect your home with its more traditional Smart Security Kit or its sleek all-in-one Abode Iota security hub. Whichever way you go, Abode adds smarts to your home security setup with voice control through Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit. In fact, it’s one of the only home automation security systems out there that cater to Apple devotees.
Image credit: Celeste Tholen, SafeWise
On top of voice control, you can add smart lighting, smart locks, smart speakers, and smart smoke and CO detectors to your Abode security system. Plus, pro monitoring starts at a mere $20 per month.
Abode is the only security system on the market that works with Apple HomeKit. You can ask Siri about your system’s status, use HomeKit to arm your system, and create automations so your Abode system works with your Apple devices.
A professionally monitored security system has trained professionals keeping an eye on your home 24/7. Monitoring centers contact you if the alarm is triggered, and they can dispatch emergency services to your home. We recommend professional monitoring because it’s your most direct line to help if something happens.
With a self-monitored system, you and other authorized household members check in to make sure everything’s okay at home. Depending on the security system you choose, that may or may not include motion detector alerts, outside security camera alerts, and life-saving alerts like notifications that your smoke alarm went off.
You can save money with self-monitoring by avoiding monthly monitoring fees. But that can leave your home more vulnerable because you won’t have experts watching around the clock.
High-end home security companies like Vivint and ADT offer only professional installation.
Alarm systems that require wiring and sensor or camera placement benefit from professional installation companies—especially if an incorrectly placed motion sensor, door sensor, or security camera could lead to false alarms, or worse, an intruder. The main downsides to a pro install are primarily the necessity to schedule an appointment and have someone come into your home during the initial installation.
The difference between a traditional alarm system and a smart one is that different components can communicate with one another. Not only does smart technology give you the ability to control and monitor your home alarm system from anywhere using an app on your phone—it also makes your system able to respond to your habits and routines.
Wireless refers to the use of wireless technology like Wi-Fi or Bluetooth for monitoring and connecting the components of your system. Wired refers to a home security system hardwired into your home’s electrical system.
Both protect your home just fine, but wireless home security systems have more flexibility if you move or don’t want to put holes in walls. A hardwired system could be the perfect option if you want a complete smart home or if you can incorporate the installation into a renovation or new construction.
Yes, a home security is worth the investment over time. It would take around six years of paying for a home security system to match the cost of being burgled just one time. The average loss from a burglary is over $2,600.
With the average annual cost of a home security system coming in around $400 after equipment, it’s a preventative measure that’s worth it. Plus, you can get discounts on home owners insurance, and most burglars say they’d skip a house that has a security system.
That depends on your budget and comfort with risk. Based on our comparisons of home security monthly fees, the median cost of professional monitoring is lower than ever at less than $30 a month.
A $40 or $50 per month monitoring fee can seem steep, but that adds up to $600 or less per year. Keep in mind that the more features and security devices you add to your system, the bigger the price tag.
Some top-tier packages cost upward of $60 per month. That’s still significant, but it’s a lot less than the average loss of a break-in. While the rate of burglaries nationally has decreased, the average loss remains high—around $2,600 per incident.
It depends on what you need. If you're a home owner and you're looking for a system that is professionally installed, ADT has a solid track record when it comes to protecting customers.
If you're looking for a DIY security system, ADT has a self setup option, but it's available for renters only.
Yes. Most insurance companies offer a discount when you install a security system. Depending on your insurance, 24/7 professional monitoring may qualify you for as much as 15% off your premium. When you’re looking for the best home security system to buy, verify that you’ll get a certificate to submit to your home insurance company after installation.
Yes. Thanks to wireless technology, it’s now easy to add security to your home—whether you own, rent, or live in a dorm or with roommates. Many of our top home security systems have packages that meet renters’ security needs.
It depends on which security company you choose. Many professionally monitored home security systems require a contract, and contract length can range from three to five years. But you’ll find more home security options than ever before that offer shorter contracts and month-to-month (contract-free) terms—especially if you can pay for equipment up front.
Most home security companies will charge you around 75% of the remaining term of your contract if you cancel early—and some require 100%.
The best home security systems use tools and technology to help keep you, your family, and your property safe—think burglar alarms, security cameras, entry sensors, motion sensors, and reinforced door locks. Home automation uses technology to automate everyday activities like locking the doors, turning up the thermostat, or starting the coffee pot.
Combined with home security, home automation can help increase your home’s energy efficiency, remotely control your alarm system, and let you check in on kids or pets when you’re away from home.
Home security systems that are 100% DIY let you pick the security products (like an entry sensor, smart lock, window sensor, cameras), set them up, and monitor them—all on your own. Brands like Frontpoint offer DIY installation with professional monitoring.
Image: SafeWise. Getting "hands-on" with home security equipment.
Every month, more than 1 million visitors look to us for home security information and recommendations. Our honest reviews and expert insights come from hundreds of hours of hands-on tests, interviews with real customers, and meetings with technical pros, owners, and CEOs of large and small home security companies.
While we research, we look at factors that matter most for protecting your home and family:
Learn more about our rigorous testing process in our full methodology.
Contributing writers:
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.
Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.
†Google, Google Nest Secure, Google Home, Google Nest Protect, and other related marks are trademarks of Google LLC.
Subscribe to SafeWise for updates on safety news, product releases, and deals!
