Best Home Security Systems of 2023

1. ADT - Most Trusted Home Security Brand

The biggest name in home security known for professional installation and monitoring you can trust.

Editors Rating:

9.8 /10

855-908-4461

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How We Review

ADT revolutionized telegraphed security alerts over a hundred years ago, and even today, the company continues to innovate home security systems. Beyond home security, ADT systems offer home automation features through a platform called ADT Control, which enables voice commands via Alexa and Google Assistant.

Beyond voice control, we also conveniently controlled ADT through our smartphones. In fact, the ADT Control app served as our mobile control panel, giving us complete access to the system at home and outside. The system guarded against burglaries, gave environmental alerts, and automated our home, all from the smartphone app.

Lastly, in case you or someone you live with needs close medical attention, ADT has medical alert systems that are monitored alongside their security systems.

It’s also commendable how ADT has special offers almost all year round. We got a $100 Visa gift card when we signed up, but right now, new users can get free Google Nest video doorbell and outdoor camera installation. We’ll likely see more deals from ADT pop up around Black Friday, so bookmark our ADT Black Friday deals page to stay updated.

Professional Installation

Professional installation is part of ADT’s white-glove service — rather than have us do the work of setting up the system, they sent trained technicians to do it for us.

Sure, it cost us about $100 for the installation, but with pros on the job, we were certain it was done correctly. And keep in mind that our system was covered by ADT’s six-month money-back guarantee. During that period, if something were to break or malfunction and ADT couldn’t fix it, we’d be eligible to receive a full refund on installation and monitoring fees. All ADT systems are covered by this guarantee.

Impressively, we also learned that our ADT system was valued at $850, but we didn’t have to pay anything upfront. Instead, charges for the equipment came with our monthly monitoring bills, which is a lot easier on the wallet. You can dive deeper into pricing in our ADT costs guide.

Hardwired, Wireless & Hybrid Security

A lot of new security systems focus on wireless equipment that use internet and/or cellular signals to communicate, and for good reasons. Wireless security systems are simply faster and they offer more modern features.

ADT knows that, and that’s why it offers wireless systems as well, but if you don’t have an internet connection, or if you live in an older home with an existing alarm system, ADT might still be able to accommodate you. ADT still offers landline security systems, or ADT can take over monitoring for other security system brands.

Just let ADT know what you need, and it’ll take care of the rest.

Continuous Innovation

The home security market is always evolving, but ADT manages to keep up all the time. In fact, it’s leading the charge of innovation by continuously developing new security technologies, including a security robot for business establishments.

For homes, though, ADT’s latest innovations include smart home automations, a high-tech touch screen hub, and high-end security cameras. These things are included in ADT’s most advanced packages, and you’ll be able to reap their full benefits with an ADT professional monitoring plan.

2. SimpliSafe - Best Home Security and Automation

A popular choice for no-contract, easy DIY setup, and refreshingly affordable home security. (Right now you can get 20-percent off a new system plus a free indoor security camera.)

Editors Rating:

9.2 /10

800-544-5942

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How We Review

SimpliSafe made home security easier. In general, the cost of SimpliSafe systems is lower than more traditional companies like ADT. The full cost of the cheapest SimpliSafe system is $250, not counting the discounts that you can get almost year-round. Sometimes, they sell for as low as just over $100.

Professional monitoring is also optional, so you can use SimpliSafe without ongoing fees. If you decide to get professional monitoring, it’ll cost you as low as $17.99 per month, which is an attractive price compared to more traditional systems.

But it’s not just the cost that’s made SimpliSafe so popular. It’s the overall user-friendliness, from the simple installation process that often takes less than an hour to the functional app and keypad that comes with the system, almost everything about SimpliSafe is simple. (Not perfect, but simple.)

Read on for our reasons why SimpliSafe was best for no-contract home security.

Low Prices for Equipment & Monitoring

SimpliSafe has always been one of the cheaper home security solutions. You can buy a starter kit for about $250, and once the system is in place, you won’t have to pay a monthly fee. That is, if you’re okay with monitoring the system yourself. Otherwise, professional monitoring will cost you $17.99 to $27.99 monthly, which is still well below the average cost of security monitoring.

We’ve seen SimpliSafe discounts fluctuate between 20- and 60-percent off in the past few months, and the discounts usually peak starting November (Black Friday) until January (New Year). Recently, SimpliSafe Black Friday deals dropped the system’s price by up to 60-percent.

You can time your purchase to enjoy the biggest savings, but even without these deals, SimpliSafe systems are among the most affordable ones around.

Quality Equipment

More than their affordable prices, we appreciated the quality of SimpliSafe’s equipment. SimpliSafe itself manufactures the equipment, and every piece goes through rigorous quality checks.

One shining example of why SimpliSafe hardware is high-quality is the feature called SmashSafe backup. This feature guards the base station against tampering. If someone smashes the base station, for example, in an attempt to disable it, it will alert the monitoring center.

Similarly, there’s a feature called Heartbeat that checks that the security system is working properly continuously. Even if just one sensor gets disconnected, you’ll get an alert so you can sort it out.

SimpliSafe also offers a good variation of security cameras, consisting of the SimpliCam indoor camera, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera Pro, and the SimpliSafe video doorbell. All of these devices work together to help ensure your home stays intruder-free.

Simple to Install and Move

Setting up our SimpliSafe system was easy. From our understanding, most customers set up the equipment on their own and only about three percent order help. We installed our system in about 20 minutes and estimated it would take someone inexperienced about 30 minutes to manage. All equipment was freestanding or attached to surfaces with removable adhesive. We could easily move a SimpliSafe security system to a different home. The portability combined with no contracts helped make SimpliSafe a favorite for both renters and homeowners.

That said, if you prefer professional installation, that’s also an option. SimpliSafe partnered up with OnTech to provide installation services. The price starts at $79, and considering how easy it is to install a SimpliSafe system, that might be all you have to pay unless you purchase a really big system.

3. Vivint - Best Pro Installation

An intelligent approach to home security with an impressive lineup of home automation features.

Editors Rating:

9.4 /10

844-922-0575

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How We Review

Vivint is a complex security system with advanced features for home automation and video monitoring. It’s not something an average user can and would want to install themselves, but fortunately, Vivint is a professionally installed system. And based on our experience, they have the best installation service around.

Better still, you can get professional installation for free (normally, it’s $199) if you find a Vivint special deal. That’s more than you can ask for from a smart security company with some of the best home automation features and security cameras on the market.

Vivint worked with some of the major smart home assistants such as Google Home and Alexa to develop a fully autonomous home. In our research, we found that most Vivint customers were homeowners with long-term security contracts and the majority gave Vivint excellent reviews.

Although Vivint is a tad more expensive than DIY security options, you can take advantage of deals to offset the cost. You just have to time your purchase.

Voice Commands

Vivint partnered with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Nest’s Google Assistant to offer voice control of home systems. Some of the possible commands were:

• Arm the security system “away”
• Close our garage door
• Dim our lights
• Turn on our lights
• Turn the heat up three degrees

When we started feeling old-fashioned, we controlled our Vivint security with a key chain remote, a mobile app, or the main control panel.

Home Security with AI

Vivint systems are built around a control panel, called the Vivint Smart Hub, and boy is it really smart. Automations make life easier for Vivint users, as the hub can perform certain actions based on a number of inputs. For example, it can arm on its own at night, making sure you don’t leave your home unattended when you go to dreamland.

Other examples of automations we had set up were:

• If our security system detected that nobody was home, it could set our thermostat to conserve energy.
• If it learned that we usually returned home at a certain time, it would reset the temperature in time for our arrival.

Vivint reported that intelligent energy management saved customers about 10 to 15% on home heating and cooling.

We could control Vivint Sky’s adaptation. Under our direction, our security system gradually transitioned along a three-point continuum:

1. Only taking orders
2. Making suggestions based on our previous interactions
3. Taking actions on its own

High-Quality Cameras

Vivint made cutting-edge security cameras for our indoor and outdoor use. We could record video anytime with cloud storage and remotely adjust each camera’s settings.

We were most impressed by the newest Vivint security camera, the Outdoor Camera Pro with night vision. It provided 24/7 “lurker detection,” thanks to artificial intelligence.

Vivint’s security lineup also includes the Ping indoor camera and the Doorbell Camera Pro which features a 180-degree by 180-degree field of view.

4. Alder Security - Best Security System for Response Times

With response times 10 times faster than the rest, the professional monitoring from Alder was top-notch.

Editors Rating:

9.0 /10

844-965-1405

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How We Review

Every second counts during a security breach, and with Alder, we had peace of mind that help would come ASAP if we were ever in a dire situation. Alder boasts a response time that is 10 times faster than the average alarm company, and we saw what it can do during our numerous test alarm calls to the company.

Alder’s reputation for being one of the companies with the fastest response times started in 2017 when the company notched a 3.7-second average response time. Since then, Alder never looked back and kept up its excellent alarm response performance.

Read on for more Alder features that made us consider it an elite security system.

Trial Period

When we signed up for Alder, we were shocked to find out that our only option was to agree to a three-year period. Since we’re single and living in New York City, three years could feel like a lifetime. We had no idea what city we’d be living in by then? Fortunately, our Alder salesperson told us we could try our system out for 30 days. Of course, we only returned our systems once we were done testing them thoroughly over about a year, so we couldn’t make this 30 day time period. However, if we had returned our system within 30 days of purchasing it, we would’ve gotten a complete refund, except for return shipping, which seemed pretty fair.

Alexa Integration

We were deep into the Amazon smart home ecosystem, so we had fun controlling our Alder system with Alexa, arming it, checking its status, and with the GC2 touchscreen control panel, controlling our smart thermostats.

DIY Installation

It literally took us less than 15 minutes to install our Alder security system. All we had to do was plug in the control panel and set it up on the screen, stick the sensors on our walls, doors, and windows, and download the Alder Security app to our iPhones and Androids. Alder also offered us professional installation on the house!

5. Cove - Best for Installation and Convenience

Cove is a newer security company that's disrupting the market by providing self-installed home security with professional monitoring and equipment. If you want a quick and easy setup, it's one of the best security systems around.

Editors Rating:

8.7 /10

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How We Review

Cove is another DIY option that rivals SimpliSafe in terms of simplicity and budget-friendliness. Cove’s monitoring plans start at $17.99 per month, and you can get started on a system for under $200.

Our favorite thing about Cove is the installation process. When we ordered a system, Cove sent us pre-programmed equipment that was ready to work out of the box. We simply plugged in the control panel and pulled out the battery tabs out of the sensors and they paired right away. To activate the system, we just called Cove’s customer support. All in all, including the customer support call, we spent less than 30 minutes installing Cove.

24/7 Professional Monitoring

Being a newer company, we were surprised that all of Cove’s systems require 24/7 professional monitoring for either $17.99 or $27.99 a month, but since we prefer professional monitoring over self-monitoring anyway, it wasn’t a big deal. That extra $10 a month got us remote control, Alexa and Google Assistant integrations, a lifetime lock on our monthly rate, plus a $5 monthly credit if we wanted to buy extra equipment. We think that’s worth it for the remote control and smart home integrations alone!

Text Communications with Cove Plus

It might seem counterintuitive, but we found Cove’s text communications to be quite useful. Whenever the system gets tripped, 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 one member of the family to verify alerts, Cove’s InstaText system allows for a more efficient and faster emergency response. That’s one of the reasons that 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 waive it off through InstaText. In a traditional system, if you miss the call, the cops might be called to respond, which could lead to false alarm fees from your city or local police department. In a way, Cove is also helping the government reduce unnecessary spending due to false alarms.

6. Frontpoint - Best No Contract Home Security System

DIY home security systems offering cutting-edge technology, outstanding service, and total home automation.

Editors Rating:

8.9 /10

844-933-2405

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How We Review

Frontpoint offers home security systems with DIY setup and professional monitoring that we found impressive. We liked the DIY approach, and also the fact that each system supports burglary prevention, environmental protection, and home automation.

Another great thing about Frontpoint is that you can order a system hassle-free online or by phone, and Frontpoint’s sales agents were refreshingly low pressure in our experience. The cheapest package costs $129, and they even pointed us in the direction of the online deals they were running at the time.

Rapid Response Emergency Monitoring

Frontpoint is a DIY system, so we installed the equipment ourselves. However, we did leave the monitoring of the system to the pros by enrolling in a professional emergency monitoring service. With this service, we can rest assured that someone will be there to help us or call for help on our behalf during alarm incidents.

Additionally, for the $49.99 monthly fee, we’d get professional monitoring, access to the app, home automation, and video monitoring — basically every feature in Frontpoint’s arsenal. It’s the only subscription plan they offer, so we’re glad it has everything.

A Frontpoint rep explained that Frontpoint won’t be monitoring our system themselves, but rather a third-party partner takes care of 24/7 monitoring. The company is called Rapid Response Monitoring Services.

We checked out the company and found pretty interesting things about them. They have a great reputation and an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. What impressed us the most, however, was the robust backup measures they have in place in case of power outages and national crises.

The company has two monitoring facilities, each at different locations. The two are redundant, which means they have exactly the same resources and setup. If one goes down, the other can easily take over. This ensures that the monitoring centers never go offline. That’s a setup we’d gladly put our trust in, and we did.

Rich In Features

Frontpoint is one of the leading security systems thanks in part to its feature-rich security systems. As stated, the Ultimate plan includes everything from home security to home automation and video monitoring. To complement it, Frontpoint offers basic and advanced systems that are not only scalable, but also offer a wide range of features.

Just look at the mid-range equipment package from Frontpoint and what it includes. It has the usual home security components such as motion sensors and entry sensors, but you can also get an indoor security camera and a video doorbell for monitoring your entryway. Mid-range packages also include a heat and smoke sensor to protect your home from fire.

Even if you buy a pre-set bundle, you can still add components to your system. Your options include glass break sensors, indoor and outdoor cameras, garage door sensors, CO and flood sensors, and a whole lot of home automation devices. And remember, you can use all of these devices without having to pay any more than the $49.99 monthly fee.

7. Brinks Home Security - Best DIY Home Security System

Easy to install home security system that works with Google Assistant and Alexa.

Editors Rating:

8.6 /10

How We Review

Not only do we love DIY installation because it’s free, but with Brinks, we got help over the phone anyway, without having to pay. Plus, if we had signed up for the Smart Security Ultimate Package, we could’ve gotten professional installation for free! But we digress.

When we set up our Brinks security system, we talked on the phone with an installation expert who helped us every step of the way. After we set the system up, we did a test medical alarm call (with the guidance of the support agent we were on the phone with) and talked more about how the system worked. The entire process took us 35 minutes and was actually, dare we say, pleasant, as far as home security installation goes.

Smart Home Integrations

We controlled our Brinks system using Alexa and Google Assistant, because who doesn’t love a good voice command? After figuring out that Brinks only works with the Alarm.com Google Assistant action, we used Google to:

• Arm our system
• Control IoT devices
• Ask if our system was armed

Alexa had one more capability, disarming the system as well. We had fun telling our voice assistants to play our live footage 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 a hub for up to 119 smart home devices.

Professional Monitoring

Brinks doesn’t allow customers to self-monitor, but that’s not a turn-off considering Brinks’ relatively affordable pricing. We say “relatively” because it’s more expensive than monitoring from the likes of Cove and SimpliSafe, but Brinks is on the cheaper end compared to brands like Vivint and Frontpoint. And unlike Frontpoint, Brinks lets its customers decide the level of protection and amount of features they want with its three-tiered monitoring plan pricing.

While these aren’t the lowest prices for monitoring we’ve ever seen, they’re also not the most expensive, and for 24/7 protection, we felt that the monitoring plans are worthwhile. Plus, the plans include cellular backup, which kept us connected to the monitoring center even during a neighborhood blackout.

8. abode - Best No Monthly Fee Home Security System

Get home security and smart home automation without all the contracts and monthly fees.

Editors Rating:

8.0 /10

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How We Review

Abode was one of the best security companies that allowed us to monitor activity for free; we loved that we could access all features of their mobile app without paid service. We had the options for long-term and very short-term contracts, too. If we were away for a long weekend, for example, we could order three days of professional monitoring.

We bought our equipment through the Abode website, the only place it was available. We built a high-quality Abode system for security alerts, environmental monitoring, and home automation. Additionally, we used the option for voice commands with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit. Read on for details about why Abode security was one of our favorites.

DIY Monitoring and Control

For DIY monitoring our Abode security system connected to a mobile app. Without paid service, we could arm our system, watch live video surveillance, adjust lighting and temperature, and use all other app features.

For three days, the Abode app stored our system activity for free. Longer storage was available to us with paid contracts.

Professional Monitoring

We could select professional monitoring by Abode, which added emergency dispatch service and kept a 90-day log of our system’s activity.

We could easily switch from one monitoring plan to another within the billing section of our app. The best Abode monitoring deal we found required one year of prepaid service.

Advanced Equipment

Abode’s high-quality sensors detected movement and environmental threats in and around our home. For the ultimate simplicity, we could have chosen an all-in-one security tower with a video camera. We chose the following components as part of our Abode set:

• Motion sensors that take pictures
• Glass vibration sensors
• Acoustic glass break sensors
• Wide-angle video cameras

In addition, we were able to add an Abode Cam 2 indoor/outdoor camera for just $27.00. We splurged and bought a couple of the company’s smart light bulbs as well.

One of our favorite aspects about Abode, was the Abode home security app also integrated automation devices from third parties. Hue lights, Kwikset locks, and Nest thermostats were some of the options we had.

We could use voice control integrations with both Amazon and Google through Abode. These let us get hands-free help around the home. All we had to do to adjust our home’s lighting, blinds, temperature, and more, was talk.

9. Deep Sentinel - Best Security System for Artificial Intelligence

Deep Sentinel’s cameras can distinguish suspicious behaviors from non-suspicious behaviors, the only AI of this type in the home security industry.

Editors Rating:

7.9 /10

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How We Review

While other security cameras can simply distinguish people, pets, vehicles and packages from other moving objects, Deep Sentinel is designed to detect suspicious behaviors. That includes attempted robberies, vandalism, car theft and burglary, making your notifications matter more.

DIY Installation

After we watched the instructional video, setting up our Deep Sentinel system took about half an hour. All we had to do was plug the cameras in and sync them with our mobile app and the hub. Of course, we had to mount the cameras as well, but we loved the fact that Deep Sentinel gave us a screwdriver plus step-by-step instructions in the app.

Fast Response Times

In 30 seconds, we would have gotten alerted of any robbery attempts, break-ins involving our doors or windows, violent behavior, package theft attempts and more. Within 60 seconds, we would’ve gotten confirmations of packages deliveries, notifications that someone was standing at our front door or that police were on our property. Leveraging advanced AI capabilities with 24/7 professional monitoring, Deep Sentinel has some of the fastest response times in the business, next to Alder of course.

Advanced Equipment

Deep Sentinel offers some of the best equipment in the business, packed with all sorts of AI technology. The system hub can process more than fifty images a second and label each one with a security classification. In addition, Deep Sentinel offers both wireless and PoE options. With Power over Ethernet, you don’t have to connect your cameras to an outlet. Just plug in the ethernet cord, and you’re all set.

10. Ring Alarm Security Kit - Best Alexa Home Security System

The Amazon-owned Ring Alarm plays well with Alexa and offers 24/7 monitoring for just $10/mo.

Editors Rating:

7.7 /10

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How We Review

We were obsessed with our Alexa, so we were thrilled to test out Ring, which is owned by Amazon and was compatible with Alexa. When we did our shopping, we found out Ring also sold high-decibel alarm systems compatible with video cameras, environmental monitoring, home automation, and voice control.

This system allowed us to self-monitor or pay for an affordable month-to-month monitoring service. Note that Ring now has the Ring Alarm Pro system available, which is a security system with a built-in router with extra features built for digital safety.

Low-Cost & Free Features

Our most affordable option was Ring’s simplest home security package, which cost $199.99 retail. Optional monitoring started at just $20, and we could cancel anytime without penalty. Another option is to self-monitor for free, but if you have Ring cameras as well, we recommend paying for cloud storage, at least, which starts at $3 a month for one camera or $10 for unlimited cameras. Exclusive Ring security discounts were available to teachers, military members, and first responders.

We were able to self-monitor our home with Ring’s free mobile app. Ring also developed a free Crimewatch app, Neighbors App that we could choose to join or not join. In our area, it added community power to home security with safety alerts from neighbors, police, and Ring.

Video Security with Low Bandwidth Demand

Our Ring video security cameras were high definition, but they were set to record only when motion was detected. This put less demand on our home Wi-Fi service compared with popular competitors systems which recorded constantly. This would have mattered a lot to us if we didn’t have an unlimited Wi-Fi data plan or were concerned our home security would slow down our other online activity.

Third-Party Integration

Ring was so easy for us to use because its security hub was compatible with devices from so many brands. Some examples included:

• First Alert smoke/carbon monoxide detector
• GE light dimmers
• Schlage smart deadbolts
• Chamberlain garage door openers
• Honeywell thermostats

However, not all our third-party gadgets could be monitored by emergency dispatchers. To save us time, we found a list of certified products that were available on the Ring security website.