ADT Home Security Systems Pricing and Package Costs

ADT has a rare blend of pedigree and evolution that results in one of the best home security systems on the market. However, top-notch home security comes with premium prices. From the cost of equipment to monitoring and installation fees, there’s a lot to break down when it comes to ADT’s pricing structure.

Every year, we test ADT, their equipment, and monitoring prices sit in the mid-to-upper tier of the market. Bottom line: if you don’t want to pay a lot for a home security system, you may want to look elsewhere. If you are willing to invest in one of the top home security systems, let’s get into the details to see what a system from ADT might cost you.

Expert Take

From Gene Petrino, Retired SWAT Commander and Law Enforcement

“Residential burglaries have a very low clearance rate (10%-14%). That is, very few investigations end up in an arrest. I have responded to hundreds of burglaries during my career, and rarely was an arrest made when it was a delayed reporting. There are several reasons for this; however, the primary reason is lack of physical evidence that ties the suspect to the scene. This is where video security systems really shine, especially if there are multiple cameras that capture the incident.”

Read more about Gene Petrino →

Packages & Monitoring

In our experience, it’s easiest to start with a pre-packaged ADT system. You’ll get better discounts and you can always customize it later. ADT offers different packages that each have their own focus. For example, the Front Door Protection package includes a Google Nest doorbell, Yale smart lock, three entry sensors and a motion detector. There’s also the Build Your Own option that lets you customize an ADT system from the ground up.

While the Build Your Own option lets you customize your package from the ground up, we recommend starting with a package so you can take advantage of ADT’s biggest discounts. They offer a package for most needs and you can always add devices to any of their packages if you want.

ADT’s security consultants can also provide expert guidance through a phone consultation or an in-home assessment. Based on our interactions, they’re knowledgeable without being overly aggressive like most sales reps are. They suggested upgrades, but they also respected the budget we set.

If you prefer to do it your way, you can build your ADT package online. Sometimes, you’ll even get an online-only deal by doing it this way. How it works is that you choose one from the packages available, and then expand it with additional equipment. You’ll see your cart total as you add more pieces, making it easy to work with a budget.

>> Ways to Save: ADT Promotions, Discounts, and Deals

Here’s some more details on what’s included in the ADT packages available right now:

Build Your Own:

• 1 base station
• 1 door/window sensor
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Life Safety

• 1 base station
• 2 door/window sensors
• 1 smoke/ carbon monoxide detector
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Security Starter

• 1 base station
• 3 door/window sensors
• 1 motion sensor
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Outdoor Video:

• 1 base station
• 2 door/window sensors
• 1 Nest Cam (battery)
• 1 Nest Doorbell (battery)
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Video Essentials

• 1 base station
• 3 door/window sensors
• 1 motion sensor
• 1 Nest Cam
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Front Door Protection:

• 1 base station
• 3 door/window sensors
• 1 motion sensor
• 1 Yale smart lock
• 1 Nest Doorbell (battery)
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

Total Safety:

• 1 base station
• 3 door/window sensors
• 1 motion sensor
• 1 Nest Cam (battery)
• 1 Nest Cam (wired)
• 1 Nest Doorbell (battery)
• 1 Nest Cam with Floodlight
• 1 smoke detector
• 3 water & temperature sensors
• 1 smart lock
• 1 ADT yard sign
• 1 pack of four ADT window stickers

All ADT packages with Nest Cams or Doorbells are compatible with ADT’s innovative Trusted Neighbor feature (more on that later). Recently, ADT’s been running sales that include a free Google Nest Doorbell or Nest Cam bringing Trusted Neighbor to all packages. ADT’s Black Friday sales also frequently include free cameras.

ADT Equipment Pricing

You have a couple of options for paying for your ADT equipment. The first is to pay for everything up front. ADT equipment can add up quickly, so they also offer financing to spread out the cost into affordable monthly payments.

Let’s take a look at both options. The starting price for the Build Your Own package is $269, which you could pay upfront. Alternatively, you can spread it out over 36 months with zero percent APR financing, and that upfront payment turns into an easy $7.47 monthly fee. Here’s how much some other packages would cost.

Financing your ADT system is easier on your wallet, but harder on your budget. You’ll also need to pass a soft credit check for financing approval. The only security systems that don’t require credit checks are those that don’t need financing.

Paying upfront means you won’t have a long-term financial commitment. ADT requires at least one month of professional monitoring with the purchase of any package. If you discontinue the service after that month and you’ve paid for your system upfront, you’re payment free going forward.

Expert Take

From Gene Petrino, Retired SWAT Commander and Law Enforcement

“A key component to a good security system is redundancy. Motion sensors provide exactly that. I have responded to several residential burglaries where the suspects cut the wires to the siren that was affixed to the exterior of the home. They then smashed the sliding glass door to gain entry, further bypassing the door sensor. Fortunately, the homeowners had motion sensors which were activated, notifying them of the intrusion.”

ADT Installation Fees

Back in the day, all ADT equipment required professional installation. But that all changed once ADT started offering DIY options. So now you have a choice of whether you want to pay for a professional to set up your security system or do it all yourself.

While professional installation adds $100 to $200 to your bill, we still recommend it. ADT’s certified technicians know exactly where to place sensors and cameras for optimal coverage. That ensures you get the best value out of the equipment you purchase.

>> Check Out: Best Professionally Installed Security Systems

ADT now has self-installation as the default option. The company also offers remote assistance with a live representative through the ADT+ app. This is a great way to skip the installation fee, but we still prefer professional installation to ensure all equipment is optimally placed and installed correctly.

ADT Monitoring Pricing

ADT requires at least one month of professional monitoring with the purchase of any security package. The monitoring plan you need depends on your equipment. Cameras require the Complete plan ($39.99), smart devices need the Smart plan ($29.99), and sensor-only systems start with the Secure plan ($24.99).

You can drop your subscription and self-monitor after one month. However, you’ll lose access to key features that are meant to get the most value out of the devices you’ve bought. For example, dropping the Complete plan means you won’t get video storage or use of the ADT+ app.

Here’s an overview of those monitoring plans:

We were happy to see ADT lower its monitoring costs in recent years. At one point, ADT’s monitoring costs ranged from $40 to $60 per month. ADT’s new pricing puts it on par or better with other security systems like Frontpoint, which has a top-tier monitoring plan that costs $49.99 per month.

>> Compare: ADT vs. Frontpoint

Is ADT’s Monitoring Plan Priced Fairly?

ADT isn’t a bargain brand when it comes to monitoring fees. However, as we point out in our ADT review, no other company can match ADT’s monitoring capabilities. Its 12 redundant monitoring centers across North America, each with multiple backup contingencies, put ADT in a class of its own.

ADT’s SMART Monitoring feature sends simultaneous text alerts to up to 10 contacts when an alarm triggers—perfect for busy households where the primary contact might be unavailable. It’s a great way to keep everyone on the same page, especially if the main contact is unavailable due to work or personal reasons. We got a text message while we were out for dinner when our babysitter left the house.

On average, SMART Monitoring alerts arrived within 15 seconds of the monitoring center’s call. That gave us enough time to cancel false alarms before emergency services were dispatched. We learned we could cancel or verify alerts via the messaging too. This is handy if we ever need help fast.

>> Learn More: Answering Frequently Asked Questions About ADT

Does ADT Require A Contract?

We have to warn you though that you might need to sign a three-year contract. That’s standard if you opt for professional installation. DIY-installed ADT systems, on the other hand, don’t require a contract.

The contract is the reason that we don’t recommend ADT if the monthly fee will stretch your budget or if you think your budget might change in the next few years. You have to make sure you can keep up on the payments for the whole time, because canceling an ADT contract early requires an early termination fee.

On the bright side, signing a contract means your rate is locked in for the whole term. This protects you from raising rates. Case in point, SimpliSafe’s plans and Cove’s plans both went up in price over the last few years. Cove’s monthly rates jumped to $19.99 and $29.99, while SimpliSafe’s monitoring fee was raised to $21.99 and $31.99 for its two most popular plans.

Expert Take

From Gene Petrino, Retired SWAT Commander and Law Enforcement

“Timing is vital to the apprehension of a burglar. The sooner that law enforcement is notified, the more likely they are at catching the criminal in the act. Additionally, it reduces property loss as the burglar knows their time is limited before police arrive. I remember one incident in particular where the homeowner had a self-monitoring system. They received the alert on their phone, and they were able to see two subjects inside the residence. We responded to the residence and surrounded the house.”

ADT Pricing vs The Competition

Compared to the competition, ADT’s pricing sits in the middle of the pack. However, the service you receive is definitely on the premium end. That’s why we think it’s well worth the price. After all, it’s better to pay a bit more for top-tier service than put your home at risk. We always aim to get the most value for our money, and in that case, ADT is clearly the top choice.

ADT offers financing for all of its systems, but it requires a credit check. To be clear, the only security systems that don’t require credit checks are those that don’t need financing.

When you buy a package, ADT requires at least one month of professional monitoring based on the equipment you’ve bought. You might be tempted to drop the monitoring plan after one month, but ADT’s professional monitoring service is one of its biggest selling points.

There are additional benefits, too, to getting an ADT monitoring plan. We’ll discuss one next – smart home with automation.

Smart Home

ADT’s partnership with Google Nest sets it apart from every other security provider. You literally cannot get genuine Nest Cams integrated into a security system with professional monitoring anywhere else.

We think ADT is one of the best security systems that work with Google. The company topped our list because all ADT security cameras are Google Nest Cams, and you can buy Nest thermostats through ADT. Throw in smart locks, displays, and lights, and you can make your home smart via ADT. The functionality of ADT+ app brings it all together.

Google Nest isn’t the only third-party smart home lineup ADT works with. When you build your ADT system, you’ll be able to choose smart home devices to integrate, from smart lights and smart locks to smart thermostats and mesh Wi-Fi routers. But simply connecting them to ADT isn’t the end goal. Rather, ADT offers ways for you to automate your home.

Home automation enables your smart home devices to act on their own – either by following a schedule or rules triggered by other devices. For example, our Nest Thermostat turns down the furnace as soon as we arm ADT to help us save on energy and heating costs. Our Yale smart lock also locks the front door automatically when we arm ADT at night.

It’s easy to set the Nest Learning Thermostat, but it’s even easier if it sets itself autonomously.

Take note that to enjoy smart home automation features, you’d need to sign up for the mid-tier Smart plan or higher. The entry-level secure plan doesn’t include automation features.

>> Other Options: The Best Smart Home Security Systems of 2025

About ADT Trusted Neighbor

While automations are great, nothing beats having a trusted neighbor as part of your home security strategy. With its (relatively) new Trusted Neighbor feature, ADT takes sharing a copy of your keys to the next level. Instead of giving them full access to your home day or night, Trusted Neighbor lets you set access parameters for different people and conditions.

Trusted Neighbor has three main components – the Google Nest Doorbell (or other Google Nest Cams), the ADT+ app, and a compatible smart lock. All those components come with the new ADT Plus security system.

Here’s how it works in practice. The Nest Doorbell recognizes approved faces approaching your door and verifies their identity through its facial recognition capabilities. Once confirmed, your system automatically disarms and unlocks the door — no keys or codes needed.

You can also set custom rules for when an authorized person can enter your home. For instance, you can set time windows for the dog walker, event triggers for your neighbor, and one-time access to receive deliveries. This eliminates the security risks of hidden keys or shared codes without sacrificing the convenience.

We’re currently testing this feature and the new ADT Plus security system, but in theory, it’s one of the best uses of smart home technology we’ve seen thus far. Unlike other ADT smart home features, however, it requires a subscription to the top-tier Complete plan ($39.99 per month) to use Trusted Neighbor. That’s because security cameras are part of the setup.

ADT’s Long-Standing History

With 150 years of continuous operation since 1874, ADT literally invented the professional monitoring industry. They’ve outlasted hundreds of competitors, and from what we’ve seen in our most recent tests, they have the ability to evolve with technology without sacrificing reliability.

That century-and-a-half of experience shows in their adaptability as well. Ten years ago, ADT was strictly a professional installation only. Today, they’ve joined the DIY security revolution while maintaining their professional-grade monitoring service quality. It’s proof that industry veterans can innovate just as well as startups.

Recap & Our Recommendations

Let’s recap – ADT packages start at $269. The monthly fee for professional monitoring ranges from $24.99 to $39.99. The installation fee is optional, but starts at $100. There’s also a three-year contract if you get your system installed by a technician. Overall, ADT isn’t the most affordable home security system, but it’s an affordable one.

We recommend ADT to anyone serious about home security. It’s a flexible system that works just as well for a large home as an apartment. In any case, its top-tier professional monitoring keeps your home protected 24/7. That said, if you plan to self-monitor your system, you can find better value from a system designed for self-monitoring, like SimpliSafe or Ring.

We’ve thoroughly tested ADT and rate it 9.8 out of 10—earning our highest recommendation. While it’s not perfect, it’s one of the best security systems you can buy right now.