Best No-Contract Home Security Systems of 2024

1. SimpliSafe - Best DIY Installation

SecurityScore:

9.2 /10

800-544-5942

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Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $280
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	$19.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

800-544-5942

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SimpliSafe Overview

If you ask me, SimpliSafe — one of the best home security providers in the industry today — was the original “disruptor” in home security. Way back in 2009, it was the first to really tap into the DIY movement. No expensive equipment you had to have professionally installed. No contracts that lasted for years. Just high-quality equipment you could set up and monitor yourself to protect your property affordably and without hassle.

Fast forward to today, and you’re still going to find that same commitment, just more broadly applied. SimpliSafe has expanded its equipment offerings over the years and introduced a few new tiers of monitoring — including one of the most innovative in the industry, which we’ll discuss next.

>> Learn More: SimpliSafe vs. Frontpoint Comparison

First, I want to mention one of my favorite aspects of SimpliSafe: how easy it is to install and use this system. I recently put some of its newest equipment to the test and was blown away at just how much thought it’s put into the user experience. The intuitive SimpliSafe app walks you through every step of the installation process, and if you follow those instructions, you’re not going to have any problems.

Almost nothing needs to be hardwired too, except for the video doorbell. That’s the only piece of SimpliSafe equipment that requires wiring, and even that took me less than 20 minutes to install. As for the rest of the equipment, you can get by without needed power tools. Pretty much everything can be adhered in place using the provided command strips. From unboxing to a fully protected house, it took me about 30 minutes.

SimpliSafe Monitoring Options

Back in the day, SimpliSafe was little more than a camera that you could monitor with your phone. Innovative for the time, it’s definitely kept up with the pace of change. Now it offers a high-tech indoor monitoring camera called the Smart Alarm cam that relays information to SimpliSafe security agents in real time, allowing them to take action if they see an intruder on the premises, smoke coming from the kitchen, or someone experiencing a medical emergency.

None of this requires a contract. You can sign up for any monitoring tier and change to the next one a month later if you want to scale up or scale down. It’s that level of flexibility that puts SimpliSafe high on my “best of” lists. But I digress. Here’s the breakdown of its monitoring options.

I have a lot more information on this in my breakdown of SimpliSafe’s costs and packages, but I do want to reiterate that there is no contract involved here, and you can always self-monitor your system for free.

SimpliSafe Equipment Costs

Another benefit of going with a SimpliSafe system is that they’re extremely affordable. Their mid-tier packages cost around $300 to $400, and you can always add in more components if you need to. Here’s the breakdown of their security packages and prices:

And true to its DIY ethos, you can also piece together your own system a la carte. Here are the costs of a few of its most popular pieces of equipment:

SimpliSafe isn’t the most affordable option on this list — that accolade goes to Cove — but I’d say it’s still accessible for most households, especially when you consider you can build out your own system based on your needs and budget.

Also keep in mind that SimpliSafe is almost always running some sort of sale. At the time of this writing, any new security package was 20 percent off, and it was throwing in a free Smart Alarm Indoor Camera — not a bad deal. I can’t guarantee that particular sale will still be going on when you read this, but you should definitely bookmark my guide to SimpliSafe’s deals to keep up to date on the savings it’s offering.

My SimpliSafe Hot Take

If possible, I’d recommend using the provided anchor points to screw your equipment into your walls. The provided command strips are great, especially if you live in an apartment and you’re trying to get that security deposit back. But you risk having them fail eventually, causing a very stressful false alarm — especially if you’re going to have that motion detector stuck in the corner for years and years. Mine fell down once during my test period — at 2 a.m. Not fun.

2. Cove - Most Affordable

SecurityScore:

8.7 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Must customize package
Monitoring Options	Professional
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $17.99 per month
Contract Lengths	No contract required
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

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Cove Overview

If you’re looking to protect your home with high-tech, high-quality equipment without breaking the bank, Cove is a great option. Although it’s been around only since 2018, it’s already made a name for itself — specifically in regard to its no-contract approach and affordable monitoring.

During my hands-on testing of Cove, I also really appreciated how easy it was to integrate my Cove system with both Google Home and Alexa. This is a pretty smart system here, so it makes sense that you’d want to control everything from one place.

Cove is also fairly easy to install (though not as easy as SimpliSafe, I found). Cove even does some of the work for you before your equipment even gets boxed up. By giving them your address beforehand, the company preprogram your touch screen panel for you, and all you’ll have to do is connect it to your Wi-Fi and sync everything up. In all, it took me about 35 minutes to set up my Cove system for testing.

Cove Monitoring Options

When it comes to affordable monitoring options, it’s tough to beat Cove. It takes a pretty interesting approach. Both of its subscription plans include professional monitoring, and unlike SimpliSafe, Ring, and abode, there is no option to self-monitor. That might turn some folks off, but the price point is pretty hard to argue with. Here’s what I mean:

Two things to point out here: One, both of these options come with cellular backup. That’s great news, and that feature will keep your system running even if the power goes out and you lose Wi-Fi connectivity.

Second, these are the cheapest monitoring options on our list and some of the most affordable in the industry. They’re great for folks on a budget who want to protect their family and their property. And speaking of affordability, let’s talk about Cove’s equipment next.

Cove Equipment Costs

As you might expect, Cove’s equipment is just as affordable as its subscription plans. While it doesn’t offer any equipment bundles — you have to do everything a la carte — you can actually use that to your advantage. This way, you’ll buy only what you need, and you won’t have an extra sensor or two left over once you’re done with the install.

Here’s the breakdown of Cove’s equipment and costs.

As you can see, Cove’s equipment is affordable. Its indoor camera, for instance, is less than half the price of SimpliSafe’s counterpart.

>> Read More: Best Affordable Home Security Systems

I do want to note something. Just because this equipment is affordable, don’t think it’s cheap. I’ve spent weeks putting Cove through its paces, and my takeaway wasn’t that this stuff is going to fall apart on you in a year. It’s just a solid service that wants to keep its prices accessible for everyone.

My Cove Hot Take

I know Cove is all about affordability, but I would like to see some more advanced equipment options — particularly in the camera department — for folks who don’t mind paying a little more for additional features. Cove’s cameras will get the job done, sure, but they’re not going to knock your socks off.

3. abode - Best for Home Automation

SecurityScore:

8.0 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $140
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	$24.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month or yearly
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit

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abode Overview

If you’re into sleek design and high-tech automation, abode might be the right provider for you. Founded in 2014 by a former ADT executive, this company was really looking to be a disruptive force in the home security industry, just like SimpliSafe before it. Although it didn’t lean super heavily into the DIY option, it did make sure its system played nice with just about every home automation and security equipment manufacturer. This means it’s super easy to take your existing equipment — or anything you buy in the future — and drop it into your abode ecosystem.

>> Read About: Best Security Systems for Google Home

And when it comes to voice assistants, abode runs the gamut. Your system will integrate nicely with Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit. That’s a pretty big outlier in this space — security providers often forget about Apple users. It took only a couple of minutes to connect my system to Alexa, and I was able to watch the feed from my camera, arm and disarm the system, and check the status of individual pieces of equipment — all using simple voice commands. If that sounds interesting to you, check out my review of the Amazon Echo Show 8; it’s a great partner for a lot of security systems.

>> Compare: SimpliSafe vs. abode Comparison 

abode Monitoring Options

Similar to SimpliSafe, abode offers a few different monitoring options, and none of them require a long-term contract. They’re all pretty affordable too, which is a major plus in my book. I go into a lot more detail in my breakdown of abode’s subscriptions and prices, but here’s the cheat sheet:

As you can see, abode’s basic plan is really basic. I’d argue that to really get anything worthwhile out of the system, you need to sign up for the standard plan. At just $6 per month, that’s a pretty easy pill to swallow. And since you’re under no obligation to continue the service, you can always scale back at any time if need be.

Just bear in mind that the standard plan does not include professional monitoring. It’s a self-monitored plan – you’ll receive alerts and call the cops on your own – but it does include interesting features like customizable notifications and cloud storage for the abode Cam 2.

abode Equipment Costs

When it comes to hardware costs, abode is a little bit less expensive than SimpliSafe in some respects and a little more expensive in others. Let’s start by looking at the security bundles it offers.

Similar to SimpliSafe, you can purchase a bundle and be done with it, or you can piece together a system yourself. For most folks, I recommend the latter if you’re comfortable with a DIY approach. If that sounds interesting, here’s a list of some of abode’s more popular pieces of equipment and their prices:

My abode Hot Take

abode should really get on the home security camera bandwagon. Right now, it offers only one, and it’s not the greatest. It has to be plugged in, there’s no local storage option, and the resolution is grainy at best. Will it get the job done in a pinch? Sure. But there are much better options out there — namely, Arlo, the last entry on my list.

I also really hope abode simplifies its packages. As of right now, it has three different types of hubs. I get that they want to let customers choose how basic or complex their systems to be, but three hubs is a bit too much. My favorite is the Iota Hub because it pairs with all the major smart home platforms and has a built-in camera. Go with that if you want the best from abode.

4. Ring Alarm - Best Equipment Options

SecurityScore:

7.7 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $199
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $20
Contract Lengths	1-12 months
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

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Ring Alarm Overview

Like SimpliSafe, Ring is another home security provider that really changed the game — specifically with its lineup of video doorbells. Before Ring, no one really had these pieces of equipment, and they were seen as more of a novelty than anything else. Now, with the advent of porch piracy, a lot of folks consider them to be a necessity in any comprehensive home security system.

>> Learn More: A Comparison of Ring’s Video Doorbells

While “doorbell” might pop into your head when you hear “Ring,” it’s actually so much more. It offers a huge lineup of indoor and outdoor security equipment, security cameras, and lighting solutions — and hey, sometimes you get a twofer. Check out my review of Ring’s Floodlight Camera (and others) for more on that.

It also offers comprehensive home security systems, with multiple monitoring options to fit almost everyone’s needs and budget. And since it’s on this list, it’s not going to require you to sign your life away to enjoy the security benefits. Let’s have a look.

Ring Alarm Monitoring Options

Ring Alarm offers three plans plus a free self-monitoring option, similar to the first two providers on the list. I always like it when providers give you a lot of options as well as the freedom to do it all yourself. Even though your system probably won’t function as well as it could, it’s still better than nothing — that’s for sure.

Here’s what you can choose from with Ring:

Ring’s top plan costs exactly the same as abode’s, and it’s $9.99 less than SimpliSafe’s best option. That’s something to consider, especially if you’re looking for a long-term security solution, as $10 per month can really add up in the long run.

>> Compare: Ring Alarm vs. SimpliSafe

Ring Alarm Equipment Costs

Like I said above, Ring offers a huge list of equipment, so rather than making you scroll through pages and pages of that — or you could just read my guide to Ring’s equipment costs — I’ll give you the breakdown of the prices on its security system packages. As with abode and SimpliSafe, keep in mind these systems are easily expandable to suit your security needs.

Ring Whole-Home Bundles

Ring’s another one of those providers that has pretty steep regular prices but almost always has security equipment marked down to some extent. As you can see, at the time of this writing, a pretty significant sale was going on, but you can always stay up to date on the savings by checking my guide to Ring’s Deals — particularly around Prime Day.

My Ring Alarm Hot Take

Ring really needs to do something about its design. Maybe hire a Gen-Z “aesthetics expert” or something. A lot of its equipment — particularly its flagship doorbells — is super boxy and bulky. For instance, I installed a Ring Video Doorbell 3 at my condo while I was living there, and while I liked the features, the look wasn’t great. When you think of modern tech, you think clean, rounded lines and sleek profiles. Ring’s designs are about as subtle as dropping a hammer on your toe.

5. Arlo - Best Security Cameras

SecurityScore:

8.8 /10

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How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $200
Monitoring Options	Self-monitoring and professional
Monthly Monitoring Costs	$24.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integrations	Alexa, Google Home, Apple Home Kit

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Arlo Overview

Arlo makes what are, hands down, my favorite security cameras. They’re super high-tech, they’re sleek, they’re durable, and they’re easy to install. There’s not much to dislike.

So, I was really excited to hear Arlo was releasing a full-blown home security system. “Oh great,” I said to myself. “This is going to be awesome.”

So was it? Yes and no.

First off, Arlo’s security system is exactly what I’d expect from this company. It’s clear it spent a long time considering the design and functionality of the equipment and how its customers are going to use it. That said, it’s pretty bare-bones. Really, it’s just a keypad and a handful of sensors. But when you look a little closer, those sensors are some of the best I’ve ever seen.

Why? They perform eight different functions. Those functions are:

• Motion detection
• Leak detection
• Window- and door-opening detection
• Tilt detection for garage doors
• Temperature detection
• Smoke alarm listening
• Light detection
• Carbon monoxide alarm listening

I’ve personally tested each one of these functions, and I have to say, they all work really well. The motion detection was a bit spotty, but once I adjusted the positioning of the sensor, it worked just fine.

>> Compare: Ring vs. Arlo

That said, you can also add any number of Arlo cameras to your system, but, for now, that’s all they offer. I really don’t expect that to always be the case, though. My money is on Arlo releasing some new security equipment over the next couple of months. Until they do, it comes up #5 on our list of the best security systems that don’t require contracts. It just can’t hang with the big dogs like SimpliSafe and Ring Alarm.

Arlo Monitoring Options

Arlo offers three different month-to-month subscription plans, plus an option for self-monitoring. Here’s the breakdown of what you’re going to get with each plan.

As far as its subscription costs go, Arlo is pretty reasonable. For comparison’s sake, it’s a little north of Cove and a little south of SimpliSafe. It’s still totally affordable when you consider what you’re getting.

Arlo Equipment Costs

Right now, Arlo is offering two security packages: one with two sensors and one with five. Both are a little expensive. Here’s the breakdown:

I’d say this is a little steep for what you get, but it becomes a lot more reasonable when you think that your sensors can be used in eight different ways. You might be able to piece together a similar system with Cove for a little cheaper, but there are gives and takes.

Also, keep in mind that Arlo provides a “build your own bundle” option, where you can add cameras and doorbells to these systems. Going that route can help you make your security system a lot more robust.

>> Read About: Arlo Video Doorbell Review

So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at some of Arlo’s more popular cameras and their prices.

Now, some of those prices might take your breath away. Don’t worry, I felt the same way when I first saw them. Three hundred dollars for a security camera? Are they nuts? Well, before you make that call, maybe check out my review of the Arlo Ultra 2. It’s one of the most technologically advanced cameras I’ve ever worked with, and I’d have one on every corner of my house if I could.

One last thing to note: Arlo is another one of those manufacturers that keeps its regular prices high but pretty much always offers some sort of sale. For more information on that, keep an eye on my guide to Arlo’s deals. That way, you’ll make sure you’re getting the best savings possible.