Best Apartment Security Systems in 2025

1. SimpliSafe - Best Apartment Security Equipment

SecurityScore:

9.8 /10

877-621-6572

See Packages Links to SimpliSafe

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $250.96
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starts at $21.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

877-621-6572

See Packages Links to SimpliSafe

SimpliSafe Overview

SimpliSafe started out offering DIY security systems that were tailor-made for apartment security. The company has expanded its offerings to include devices for outdoor security and a 24/7 monitoring service, making it a great alternative to ADT and one of the best security systems overall. However, it still has a strong focus on DIY indoor security, which is ideal for apartments.

The packages from SimpliSafe don’t require major installation. We were able to set up ours in about 30 minutes. You also have the option to add extra equipment incrementally if you decide you need more sensors or security cameras. We’ve also found that a SimpliSafe system is easy to break down and move to a new apartment.

SimpliSafe’s monitoring plans deliver real value. The Core plan stands out with its Intruder Intervention feature. During alarms, this feature allows agents to view your indoor cameras and speak directly to intruders through two-way audio. Even ADT doesn’t offer live intruder intervention like that. It’s one of the reasons SimpliSafe scored highly on our list of the best security systems for large homes.

SimpliSafe Contract

Sure, canceling a security system contract with SimpliSafe is easier than companies like Vivint. But it could be easier. We still had to call up and speak to someone. It would be easier to cancel it on the SimpliSafe website where we bought our security system. Here’s how it ended up happening after we finished our month-long test:

How to Cancel a SimpliSafe Contract

1. Call (888) 910-1458.
2. Say your safe word.
3. Prepare to resist sweet deals.

If you are cancelling your monitoring contract because of a move, SimpliSafe will offer to help you move your system to a new apartment or home. The company offered to send us boxes and fresh adhesives for our devices if we were canceling because of a move. They also asked if they could recommend additional devices if we were moving into a larger home.

SimpliSafe Install

SimpliSafe is not a hardwired security system. So you don’t need to worry about drilling holes or playing around with internal wiring. We started by plugging in our base station, setting a PIN, and checking the app to see what to do next.

The most difficult thing we had to do was install the sensors. But every sensor we needed was peel and stick. Peel. Stick. Done. Was it easy? Yes. Did it hold up? Not in the long run. The peel-and-stick tape kept the sensors in place for months, but we don’t trust it to hold up for years. If you don’t anticipate moving in the next few years, we recommend asking your landlord to use screws to anchor the sensors.

You can add more complex equipment like the smart lock, but you may not be able to change the locks if you’re renting. We reviewed the SimpliSafe Video Doorbell, which oddly requires hardwiring, but you may not need this either. You can always add this equipment to your SimpliSafe security system if you move into a house one day.

SimpliSafe Price

SimpliSafe’s Foundation kit includes a base station, keypad, entry sensor, and motion sensor. From there, you can customize your setup by adding individual sensors and devices as needed. Customization usually means higher prices. However, when we compared SimpliSafe to ADT, SimpliSafe ended up costing less. ADT’s starter package costs $269 compared to $250.96 for SimpliSafe.

The add-on equipment kept SimpliSafe’s overall price low, too. Entry sensors cost $15.99, motion sensors run $34.99, and glass break sensors are $39.99 – each typically $4 to $10 less than ADT’s equivalent devices. SimpliSafe’s Outdoor Camera costs $20 more than ADT’s outdoor camera. However, ADT requires at least one month of professional monitoring with each package, while Simplisafe is one of the best no monthly fee security systems.

We recommend the Core plan, which includes cloud storage, professional monitoring, and SimpliSafe’s Intruder Intervention. This feature enables real-time intervention during security events, with agents able to view your cameras and communicate through two-way audio to actively deter intruders.

We recommend a SimpliSafe package with Core monitoring and a Wireless Indoor Camera for apartments. That gives you active monitoring and you likely only need one camera to cover every entrance into your apartment.

2. ADT Self Setup - Best Security Cameras

SecurityScore:

9.0 /10

855-908-4461

Get Free Quote Links to ADT

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $269
Monitoring Options	Professional or DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starts at $24.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integrations	Alexa and Google Home

855-908-4461

Get Free Quote Links to ADT

ADT Overview

For decades, ADT had focused on providing a full-service home security solution, which included professional installation and monitoring. But relatively recently, the company launched ADT Self Setup, which is a product line tailored for DIY installation and monitoring. If paying for ADT to install a system in your apartment and monitor it feels like overkill, you can now do it yourself.

A DIY system alone isn’t enough to make it on our list of the best apartment security systems though. Along with ADT’s transition to its DIY offerings, they also partnered with Google. As part of that partnership, they now offer Google Nest Cams. When we tested Google Nest Cams, we found their familiar face feature useful for our apartment.

ADT’s Trusted Neighbor feature leverages facial recognition in unique ways for apartment living. The system can automatically grant access to pre-approved individuals like pet sitters or maintenance workers when you’re away. This worked seamlessly with our neighbor who feeds our cats during vacations. The Nest camera recognized her face, unlocked the smart lock, and disarmed the system automatically.

ADT Contract

Just like ADT used to require professional installation and monitoring, they also used to require a long-term contract. Along with their DIY options, they also started offering systems without contracts. We didn’t want to sign a contract just like you probably don’t, but that meant we needed to pay for all of our equipment upfront. Otherwise, ADT requires a minimum three-year contract.

Since we didn’t sign a contract, that meant we could cancel our ADT subscription anytime we wanted without incurring a fee. When comparing ADT to SimpliSafe, they’re similar in the way we cancelled our contract. We needed to make time to give ADT a call to cancel our subscription. Here’s how we did it:

How to Cancel ADT

1. Find the details of our contract in our MyADT dashboard under Account Documents and then Contracts.
2. Call 1-800-238-2727 and tell the agent we would like to cancel our subscription.
3. Confirm we own the system by telling them our contract number.
4. Receive cancellation confirmation from the agent.

As a DIY system, we didn’t need to cancel ADT when we moved. We could take it with us for free. But, we needed to take the system down and reinstall it on our own when moving. It wasn’t bad though. Both taking our system down and reinstalling it took us less than an hour.

ADT Install

ADT offers all the same components in their DIY and professionally installed systems. They also made their components easier to install. Like SimpliSafe, you’ll either plug something into an outlet or peel off an adhesive protector and stick it to a surface.

The new ADT+ app did a great job at guiding us through the install process. It helped us hook up our base station and then connect each device to it. Each step of the way, it told us exactly what to do. We liked it so much that ADT took the top spot in our list of the best home security system apps.

If we needed it, we could have also requested a guided installation with live help from an ADT assistant. They’d tell us exactly how to install each component we ordered. Since we’ve installed dozens of security systems, the app provided more than enough guidance for us though. Overall, the install took about 15 minutes.

ADT Price

ADT’s pricing is higher than SimpliSafe. The cheapest Self Setup option is the Build Your Own System that starts at $269 for the base station and a single entry sensor. Additional entry sensors are $20, motion sensors are $40, and the cheapest indoor camera is a wired Google Nest cam for $99. Also, ADT requires one month of professional monitoring with every package.

You’re paying for premium features with ADT, especially with the Google Nest cameras. These cameras deliver AI-powered facial recognition and people, packages, and pet detection. After six months of testing, we found the investment worthwhile. Our apartment setup cost approximately $500, including an indoor Google Nest Cam, one door sensor, two window sensors, and a motion sensor.

3. Cove - Best for Affordable Professional Monitoring

SecurityScore:

8.7 /10

See Pricing Links to Cove

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Systems start at $86.25
Monitoring Options	Professional only
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $19.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	Professional or DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

See Pricing Links to Cove

Cove Overview

Cove launched its affordable, top-rated DIY home security system in 2018. But SimpliSafe and Ring Alarm are also affordable DIY systems. What does Cove have that the other guys don’t?

To begin with, it’s tied with Ring for the cheapest monitoring service in the game. The $19.99 monthly subscription significantly brings down the cost of Cove as a professionally monitored system. To be clear, that’s for the Cove Basic plan, which doesn’t include camera support.

During our testing, Cove impressed us beyond its affordability. The miniaturized sensors practically disappear on doorframes, while their extended battery life (up to 10 years on some sensors) means less maintenance. To top it off, everything integrated flawlessly with Google Assistant, earning Cove a spot among the best home security systems for Google Home users.

Cove Contract

You can cancel your Cove contract anytime as long as that time is at least 30 days before your next billing date. This is not ideal when your lease is up in two weeks and you realize you forgot to cancel your security subscription. We know because it happened to us. At least we didn’t have to pay a cancellation fee and given Cove’s low monitoring fees, that extra month only cost us $20.

Like SimpliSafe, canceling Cove requires an actual phone call. We think that’s a frustrating requirement. However, the process remains straightforward compared to traditional providers like Alder, which often involve lengthy retention calls and cancellation fees.

How to Cancel Cove

1. Call (855) 268-3669 at least 30 days before your next billing date.
2. Request the cancellation of your monitoring service.
3. Confirm your monitoring service has been cancelled with Cove’s support agent.

You might not have to cancel Cove though. It’s as easy to uninstall as it is easy to install. You can take it with you and resume your monitoring plan at your new address, provided you’re just crossing city or state lines; not country. Just make sure you give Cove a call to update your billing and monitoring address. That way, they have your new location in case they need to send the cops to your house in an emergency.

Cove Install

Cove is yet another security system that claims to be easy-install. But is it? The short answer is yes. It took our team 25 minutes to install every component. We devoted a full day to testing, but that’s just because we like to be thorough.

If you’re thinking that installing a Cove system is easy for us because we test a lot of systems, don’t worry. All of the equipment is low contact and there’s no need to bust out any power tools.

The sensors have adhesive backing. The base station is free standing. And the cameras? You can either mount them or set them on a flat surface, like a bookshelf or something. That all means none of Cove’s equipment is permanently installed, so we could take Cove with us when we moved.

We particularly like the compact design of Cove’s sensors. Measuring significantly smaller than SimpliSafe’s equivalents, they blend seamlessly with door frames and windows. Surprisingly, this miniaturization doesn’t compromise durability. The lighter weight actually makes the adhesive backing more reliable for long-term use.

Cove also includes a portable touchscreen controller that sets it apart from competitors. Unlike wall-mounted keypads from SimpliSafe or ADT, this tablet-style panel can move around your apartment freely thanks to its built-in battery backup. We kept ours on the nightstand for easy nighttime access, then moved it to the kitchen counter during the day.

Cove Price

One of our pet peeves is when a security company hides its true pricing behind perpetually-in-place discounts. (Looking at you, Frontpoint!) Cove is also guilty of this.

If you add a Cove hub, panel, and contact sensor to your shopping cart, you’ll see what we mean. Supposedly, the full price is $315. However, we’ve consistently seen a “special discount” bringing the cost down to $94.50. While marketed as a limited-time offer, this appears to be the standard pricing.

Don’t let our grumbling stop you from picking up Cove equipment. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether the discount is totally honest or not; it’s uber-affordable either way. We bought our Cove set for less than it took to fill our apartment with Ikea furniture.

There is one more thing you should consider before you hit “buy.” Cove requires a subscription.

Annoying? Yes. Affordable? Also yes. A price of $20 for professional monitoring is comparable to Ring Alarm monitoring, although we must say that Ring offers more features for the same price. That $20 monitoring plan from Ring, for example, already includes cloud video storage for unlimited cameras.

If you are in the market for professional monitoring anyway, you should consider giving Cove a try. Who knows? Maybe they’ll catch a nosy roommate sneaking into your bedroom while you’re at work.

4. abode - Best for Smart Apartments

SecurityScore:

8.0 /10

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $65
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monitoring Costs	Starting at $6.25 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month or Yearly
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit

Abode Overview

Have you decked out your apartment with smart home products? You should consider abode. It has all the plug-and-play ease of SimpliSafe with the supercharged home automation of Vivint.

The CUE automation platform transformed how we think about apartment security. We created sophisticated rules that go beyond basic triggers – like automatically turning on lights and playing audio alerts when doors open during sleeping hours. This creates an effective deterrent without the jarring disruption of a full alarm if we come home late.

One word of caution, though: abode is affordable as a security system, but adding smart home gadgets drives up the equipment cost. It’s cheaper than Vivint as a smart home system, but a system that supports CUE outprices SimpliSafe and Cove.

Abode Contract

Most subscription-based companies make you jump through hoops or talk to a representative who gives you the hard sell on staying. Not abode. All we had to do to cancel our subscription was open the app and tap unsubscribe.

Compare abode and SimpliSafe, which requires you to call its customer service line. This convenience is critical for apartment residents who plan to move in the near future. Haggling with a rep is the last thing you want to do while shaking up your living situation.

How to Cancel abode

1. Open the abode app.
2. Tap Plan Details.
3. Tap Unsubscribe.

When it comes to moving, an abode system comes down just as fast as it goes up, which we’ll get to in a second. That ease is a big reason we think Abode is great for apartments. Just know that Abode won’t go the extra step like SimpliSafe and send you moving boxes for your kit.

Abode Install

If you live in an apartment, you’re more likely to call maintenance than break out the power tools. Don’t worry. Even the least confident DIYers can install abode.

Peel-and-stick sensors made for an easy installation. Installing our abode kit was almost as easy as placing stickers in a scrapbook. It would be a different story if we’d gone with abode’s recessed door sensors. Because they require drilling, we might have needed permission from our landlord, and a drill.

It only took about 20 minutes to stick our sensors and strategically place our Iota so its camera could get a good view. That’s pretty standard of security systems on this list. For example, it took about 30 minutes to install our SimpliSafe system.

abode Price

Abode offers a great range of pricing options. You can choose to keep your costs low with a simple system, or you can flex abode’s robust automation with a more expensive security system.

The cheapest abode kit has an MSRP of $130, which is usually discounted. It’s also as basic as it gets: one entry sensor, one key fob, and a security hub. For comparison, the Ring Alarm starter kit costs $199.99, and it has one entry sensor and one motion detector. Abode’s more advanced packages feature the Smart Hub starting at $300 and the Iota Hub at $400. These premium hubs unlock the full potential of abode’s home automation capabilities.

As for features, you can stream security camera footage, control smart home products, and receive push notifications. That’s not so unusual. What is unusual is the price: free. Unlike with SimpliSafe, Ring, and others, you don’t need a subscription to automate with abode.

If you do decide you want a subscription, you have two plan options: Standard and Pro. Both are pretty good deals.

We should emphasize that abode’s biggest selling point is CUE, the company’s proprietary automation platform. We used it to create schedules, set up automation rules, and program smart scenes. Just note that the full functions of the CUE platform is hidden behind a paywall. It requires a monitoring subscription.

5. Ring Alarm - Best for Alexa Users

SecurityScore:

7.7 /10

View on Amazon Links to Amazon.com

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $199.99
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	$20 per month with Ring Home Plus
Contract Lengths	1-12 months
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

View on Amazon Links to Amazon.com

Ring Alarm Overview

Walk through any apartment complex and you’ll likely spot Ring devices on multiple doors. Amazon’s backing has made Ring ubiquitous in multi-family housing, and that popularity brings real benefits for apartment dwellers.

Ring Alarm is the home security arm of Ring that’s meant to complement the company’s video doorbells. During our most recent tests, we came away impressed. Yes, the cameras captured clear video, but we also like that the motion sensor ignored our cat. The Ring app kept us informed and allowed for convenient control.

Even better? It’s affordable. For less than $150 down and as low as $19.99 per month, you get a professionally-monitored security system. That’s hard to beat, even for a bargain system. Ring is actually a name brand backed by one of the biggest corporations.

Ring Alarm Contract

If you compare Ring Alarm to ADT and decide to make the switch from your Ring Alarm system, it is fairly easy to cancel. When we canceled our Ring Alarm after concluding our tests, all we had to do was go online and literally click ‘cancel.’

How to Cancel Ring Protect Pro

1. Log in to Ring.com.
2. Select Protect Plan.
3. Click Cancel Plan.
4. Select now or at end of billing cycle.
5. Confirm.

The process was far easier compared to other systems that force you to call them to cancel. In this day and age, we all know what that means: a hard sell on getting you to change your mind.

Ring Alarm Install

The basic Ring Alarm package is dead simple to install. It took us under half an hour to get the five-piece package up and running.

That’s even more impressive because we ran into some technical difficulties. Our base station wouldn’t connect to the Wi-Fi network at first. Obviously, it would be better if the process was bug-free. But the fact that we handled this snag and installed everything else in less than 30 minutes is telling of Ring’s user-friendliness.

The “everything else” came together so quickly thanks to Ring’s peel-and-stick sensors. All we had to do was remove the pull tabs from the battery slots, peel off the protective film, and affix the sensors on our doors, windows, and walls.

The Ring store does sell some more complicated equipment. You wouldn’t want to try installing a high-tech pipe sensor on your own, for example.

If you do choose to add on some advanced tech, you might want to fork over the for professional installation.

Ring Alarm Price

At $149.99, the Ring Alarm Security Kit splits the difference between affordability and comprehensive security. The four entry sensors and motion detector are than enough coverage for most apartments. This basic kit doesn’t include a video doorbell, but you could add one for as little as $50.

Does that mean Ring is cheap? Not necessarily. You could go all out on Ring.com buying up the place. The most expensive piece of equipment we’ve found on the site is nearly $49.99.

While Ring offers premium equipment reaching into the hundreds of dollars, apartment dwellers can build effective security without breaking the bank. Focus on the essentials: the starter kit provides excellent coverage, and you can always expand later with cameras or smart home devices.

Ring Alarm functions without a subscription, letting you view live camera feeds and receive notifications for free. However, the subscription plans unlock significant value. Note that professional monitoring costs an additional $10 per month on top of the Standard or Premium plans. That brings the total to $19.99 or $29.99 respectively – still competitive with other affordable options.

Ring’s Virtual Security Guard service, priced at an additional $99 monthly, provides live monitoring and active deterrence similar to SimpliSafe’s offering. Virtual guards can view your cameras in real-time, communicate through two-way audio, and contact emergency services proactively. For apartment dwellers, this premium service feels excessive. Plus, SimpliSafe’s comparable feature costs significantly less.

Sound familiar? That’s because SimpliSafe offers a similar feature for a fraction of the price. If you love the idea of a virtual guard but you’re on a tight budget, you might want to go with SimpliSafe.

>> Read More: Ring Alarm vs. SimpliSafe