Best No-Landline Home Security Systems of 2024
Cut the cord on your security system with these tried and tested options.
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Last Updated on Apr 11, 2024
- Professional installation even if you don’t have a landline
- Recent partnership with Google offers even more wireless options
- Wi-Fi connectivity means there are no wires to be cut
- Using wireless connections lets you take full advantage of Alexa compatibility
- No complex wiring needed to install the landline-free system
- Place wireless equipment anywhere in your home
- 100 percent cellular connectivity provides a reliable signal
- Your wireless security system can move with you
- No landline also means it’s easy to add new equipment to your system
For the most part, we’ve stopped using landlines – and the best home security systems have, too.
In the not-so-distant past, you would have needed a home phone connection to get a security system up and running. That was how your monitoring center received alerts. You might be wondering what would happen if a phone line went down. Well, there’s a decent chance your professional monitoring would go offline as well.
Then came cellular networks. For the most part, they solved the problem of home security systems going kaput every time a bad storm blew through. That’s because there are enough cell towers out there to keep the network online almost all of the time. The best wireless security systems connect to monitoring centers via the cellular network, either by default or as a backup.
Long story short, if you have a landline security system, it might be time to make the switch. We’ve tested dozens of home security systems, and we’re sharing the best no-landline home security systems on the market.
What to Look for in a No-Landline Home Security System
- Equipment quality: A home security system is an investment, and you want it to last.
- Backup options: Without a landline backup, you want other backup options in case of power outages like cellular connections.
- Easy installation process: For professional installations, you want your technicians to arrive on time and install the system without issues. If you’re DIYing your installation, you want setup to be fast and easy.
- Security camera capabilities: Wi-Fi and cellular connections allow your provider to access your security camera footage if you allow them to, so the quality and image resolution of your security cameras matter.
- Company reputation: You want a home security provider you can trust and rely on, since you may be signing a long-term commitment with them.
Comparison of the Best No-Landline Home Security Systems
| System |
ADT
|
Ring Alarm
|
Frontpoint
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
| Ratings | 9.8/10 | 7.7/10 | 8.9/10 |
| Contract length | 36 months | Monthly or yearly | 1 year or 3 years |
| Installation type | Professional or DIY | Professional or DIY | DIY |
| Equipment cost | Packages starting at $599 | Packages starting at $199 | Packages starting at $79 |
| Cellular backup | Yes | Optional | Yes |
| Read Review | ADT Review | Ring Alarm Review | Frontpoint Review |
Summary of the Best No-Landline Home Security Systems
- ADT - Best professional installation
- Ring Alarm - Best DIY home security
- Frontpoint - Best customer service
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1. ADT - Best Professional Installation
Product Specs
Equipment Costs Packages starting at $599 Monitoring Options Professional Monthly Monitoring Costs Starting at $25 per month Contract Lengths 36 months and up Installation Options Professional Smart Platform Integration Alexa and Google Home ADT Overview
Arming the ADT System As the oldest and most trusted name in home security, you can’t go wrong with ADT if you value a company’s reputation. With 150 years of experience, you know you can trust ADT’s ability to set you up with an adequate system for your home’s needs. The company’s pricing, however, is at the higher end of the industry.
Throughout the last century — that’s right, we said “century” — ADT has continued to provide best-in-class professional monitoring with 12 monitoring centers across North America. It even offers DIY systems you can self-monitor, unlike its flagship packages that require a monitoring plan and long-term contract. Learn more about ADT’s DIY system in our ADT Self Setup review.
What We Like
- Industry-leading mobile apps with a near-perfect rating on iOS and Android
- 12 fully redundant monitoring centers
- Support agents available by phone, online chat, or even FaceTime
- 150 years of experience is nothing to scoff at
What We Don’t Like
- Long-term contracts are common with ADT
- Pricey monthly monitoring fees add up quickly
- Limited DIY security options
- Premium price can put ADT out of reach for some
ADT Security Camera Performance
Four years ago, Google invested $450 million in ADT.1 As part of the partnership, ADT now sells only Google Nest cameras in its home security packages. Although we loved how ADT’s old outdoor camera worked in temperatures as low as -40 degrees Fahrenheit, we see the switch to Google Nest cameras as an overall positive. (We’ve already tested Google’s Nest cams of 2024.)
Nest Camera and box Although they’re not quite as robust as the old ADT cameras were, Google Nest cameras for your security system means a flawless integration with Google Assistant smart home systems. The cameras themselves also work great. Google showed its capability to make high-quality cameras with its Google Pixel phones, and the company clearly used that expertise when making its Nest security cameras.
FYI: For more details about how ADT cameras stack up against Google Nest, check out our Nest vs. ADT comparison.
They don’t have 4K resolution, but they have a 3-megapixel color sensor that created a crystal-clear picture when we tested them. If you want 4K quality in your security cameras, take a peek at the best 4K home security cameras we’ve tested.
We also liked the design of Nest Cams’ infrared sensors for night vision. They spread out the infrared to create even lighting throughout the video instead of the common spotlight effect you get with most other security cameras. We were a bit bummed out to learn they didn’t offer color night vision though.
>> Read More: ADT Home Security Camera Pricing and Costs
Pro Tip: You can buy Google Nest cameras without an ADT system if you only want a couple of security cameras set up around your house. It’s a great way to save money while still deterring the 60 percent of burglars who move on when they see a camera or alarm.2
ADT Backup Options
You should never have to worry about a power outage affecting your home security system — and with ADT, you don’t. The company designs redundancy into every aspect of its home security systems.
First you need the control panel to keep running even when the power goes out. That’s why ADT includes a battery backup in every control panel so your system keeps running even if the lights go out. Battery backups don’t address the issue of your Wi-Fi going out though.
All ADT monitoring plans come with cellular backup your system can use for communication any time your Wi-Fi is down. ADT takes its cellular backup seriously too.
FYI: ADT offers a free upgrade for anyone using an older ADT system that still runs on 3G instead of 4G LTE through its ADT Cellbridge.3 All you need to do is plug in the device and your cellular backup will start running on 4G LTE.
ADT Installation
When we tested ADT’s security system, the professional installation went great. It took about an hour from when the technician arrived to the entire system being up and running. The technician even arrived on time, which we were pretty surprised about. We thought it’d be like getting our internet serviced, when we regularly wait hours for a technician to show up, only for them to reschedule for another day.
ADT, however, gives its technicians enough time to complete installations without rushing. The company even told us to leave a two-hour window open for our technician, just in case they were running late or they ran into any issues during the installation. We had a similar experience with Vivint smart home security.
The only downside to ADT’s installation is the lack of a DIY option for its flagship packages. If you want to install the system yourself, you need to choose one of the ADT Self-Setup systems.
>> Learn About: Best Professionally Installed Security Systems of 2024
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2. Ring Alarm - Best DIY Home Security
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 Ring Alarm Overview
Ring Alarm System We all know about Ring from its trendy video doorbells. The company is at least partially responsible for the roughly 500 percent growth in popularity of video doorbells in just six years.4 (If you want to join the trend, we covered the best video doorbell cameras after testing dozens of the top options.)
After getting purchased by Amazon, Ring expanded beyond video doorbells into the broader home security market. It now offers complete home security systems with everything from motion detectors to glass-break sensors. As an Amazon company, its security system also integrates well with Amazon Alexa devices.
What We Like
- Low-cost professional monitoring that includes cloud storage for unlimited Ring cameras
- Backward compatibility with old Ring cameras
- DIY installation doesn’t require a single tool with its peel-and-stick components
- A ton of camera options
What We Don’t Like
- Hacking is a real concern, and it has happened before with Ring cameras
- A few key features left the free plan in the past year
- We had a few issues connecting the system to our Wi-Fi, but it eventually worked
- Too many options can get confusing when building your system on the brand’s website
Ring Alarm Security Camera Performance
Having pioneered video doorbells, Ring certainly stuck to its core competency with its impressive lineup of security cameras. Every camera features the industry-standard 1080p resolution with HDR support, making the picture quality crisp. We could even see license plates on cars parked on our street, which would come in handy if someone got a bit too close to our car.
Ring Stick Up Cam Pro The cameras also have color night vision, which we love. It makes a big difference when you’re trying to see what that bang at the door was on a stormy night. We thought the 3D motion detection was going to be more of a gimmick than an actual feature, but it seemed to cut down on our false alarms since it ruled out animal activity due to the shape and size of the object.
Did You Know: We tested the two most popular Ring video doorbells to help you figure out which one best fits your needs. Check out our Ring Video Doorbell 2 vs. Ring Video Doorbell Pro comparison.
We also love the wide range of power options Ring offers with every camera model. It let us set up our home with a solar-panel-powered outdoor spotlight camera and a simple plug-in indoor camera.
It can get a bit confusing going through Ring’s camera product lines. With 14 different camera models, it’s a lot to take in. Below is a quick breakdown of the main cameras.
Camera type Indoor camera Outdoor camera Video doorbell Camera Models - Stick Up Cam
- Stick Up Cam Pro
- Stick Up Cam Elite
- Indoor Cam, 2nd Gen
- Stick Up Cam
- Stick Up Cam Pro
- Stick Up Cam Elite
- Spotlight Cam Plus
- Spotlight Cam Pro
- Floodlight Cam Plus
- Floodlight Cam Pro
- Video Doorbell, 2nd Gen
- Battery Doorbell Plus
- Battery Doorbell Pro
- Video Doorbell Wired
- Wired Doorbell Plus
- Wired Doorbell Pro
- Video Doorbell Elite
- Peephole Cam
The Pro models cost a bit more, but they have 3D motion detection, enhanced audio, and a 5 GHz Wi-Fi connection instead of a 2.4 GHz connection. Those differences aren’t massive, so we recommend most people go with the Plus models. For a breakdown of Ring’s wide range of security cameras, read our review of Ring Home Security Cameras.
>> Learn More: Ring Home Security Camera Costs and Pricing
Ring Alarm Backup Options
One of the things we like about Ring’s backup options is the separate power pack you can purchase. It extends the 24-hour battery backup already in the Ring Alarm Pro Base Station by eight hours. You can connect three packs to get a total battery backup time of 48 hours.
The cellular backup has a few limitations that we didn’t run into with ADT. The option for cellular backup is locked behind the most expensive monitoring plan, which comes in at $20 per month. That’s still less than ADT, but it would have been nice to have cellular backup as an optional extra.
Ring Alarm also limits the cellular data your system can use. Once you use 3 GB of data in a month, you’ll need to pay for more data at a rate of $3 per GB. We appreciated the low monitoring cost, but the limited data made us nervous that we would end up without protection if our power went out for more than a couple of days.
FYI: One GB of data can transfer about three minutes of 1080p video. That means you can transfer about nine minutes of video from your Ring cameras to your monitoring center before you hit your cap.
Ring Alarm Installation
Similar to SimpliSafe and Abode, all Ring Alarm packages and components are easy to install yourself. That means there’s no need to schedule an appointment or take time off work while the technician installs your system. Even though it wasn’t a problem with ADT, you always run the risk of a late or no-show technician when scheduling an installation.
When we tested the Ring Alarm system, we ran into an issue when trying to connect the base station to our Wi-Fi. They struggled to talk to each other, but we eventually got it to work. We think the issue was the app confusing the first-gen base station we tested before with our current second-gen base station. Even with that issue, we were able to get the system up and running in 15 minutes after opening the boxes.
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3. Frontpoint - Best Customer Service
Product Specs
Equipment Costs Starting at $99 Monitoring Options Professional only Monthly Monitoring Costs Starting at $49.99 Contract Lengths 1-36 months Installation Options DIY Smart Platform Integration Alexa and Google Home Frontpoint Overview
Frontpoint System With a premium on customer service, you can choose Frontpoint knowing you can get help for any issue you experience. The company makes an easy-to-use home security system without bells and whistles. It just works. If you’re not the type of person who changes their phone wallpaper every month and doesn’t care about the latest technology, Frontpoint could be the right choice for you.
What We Like
- Industry-leading customer support
- Affordable starter packages
- Easy-to-use website for ordering a customizable package for your home
- Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant smart home integrations
What We Don’t Like
- DIY Installation took us about an hour
- Professional monitoring is required
- Low-resolution video doorbell
- The keychain can pose some safety risks
Frontpoint Security Camera Performance
If all you want from your security cameras is an unobtrusive design and industry-standard specs, Frontpoint delivers. Most of its cameras feature 1080p resolution, night vision, and two-way communication in a low-profile package.
Frontpoint Indoor Camera The cameras also have a narrower field of view (FoV) than most, with a 110-degree FoV on the indoor camera and a 117-degree FoV on the outdoor camera. Compare that to the third-gen Ring Stick Up Cam Plug-In’s 139-degree FoV and you can see how much narrower it is. We felt it when testing the cameras. The Frontpoint Video Doorbell’s 165-degree FoV, however, is impressive. It features only 720p resolution, though, and we could see the clarity difference during testing.
Frontpoint may not have the best cameras out there, but they get the job done.
FYI: Want to see how Frontpoint’s cameras stack up against ADT? Read our ADT vs. Frontpoint expert comparison.
Frontpoint Backup Options
Frontpoint arguably offers one of the best cellular home security systems. Most systems connect to your Wi-Fi network and then use cellular service as a backup in case your Wi-Fi goes out. As the system switches over to using cellular service, however, there can be a bit of a delay. You may notice something similar with your cell phone. When you turn off your Wi-Fi, it takes a minute for pages to load as your phone switches to using cellular service.
Frontpoint avoids that issue entirely since its system runs entirely on cellular data. That means if your Wi-Fi goes out, your system continues operating as usual. Frontpoint’s base station also features a 24-hour backup battery to keep your system running for an entire day. You can’t expand that backup battery like you can with Ring Alarm, which is expandable by up to 48 hours.
Did You Know: Verizon and other cellular network providers maintain battery backups and permanent generators to ensure they stay up and running even during prolonged power outages.5 That’s why Frontpoint can rely so heavily on its cellular connections never going down.
Frontpoint Installation
Even though Frontpoint’s installation took us longer than 15 minutes — the time it took us to install our Ring Alarm Security Kit — we knew we could get help anytime we needed with Frontpoint’s premium customer support. From start to finish, installing our Frontpoint security system took about an hour. It didn’t require any drilling or nailing, which we always appreciate.
What we liked most about Frontpoint’s installation process was the way the company preprogrammed all the components before sending them to us. That means all we had to do was pull the battery tab on our sensors and they connected to the hub immediately. That and Frontpoint’s great customer service make it one of the best DIY home security systems we’ve tested.
What Do No-Landline Home Security Systems Use for Backup?
Let’s face it: Most people don’t use landlines anymore. I remember in elementary school getting voicemails on the family’s landline phone, but that was a long time ago. Now we all just use cell phones.
Security systems used to use landlines as a backup in case your Wi-Fi went down, but they recognized that almost nobody has a landline anymore. Most security systems now offer cellular backup instead. Some providers, such as Ring Alarm, give you a limited amount of data for your cellular backup. You can always purchase more though. Either way, cellular connections stay up even when the power goes out, keeping your security system running no matter the weather.
Do Home Security Systems Still Use Landlines?
Most modern systems just use wireless cellular connections instead of landlines, but a lot of people wonder if wireless home security systems are reliable. Cellular backup for your security system generally is more secure and reliable. Power outages will never cause your cellular network to go down. It would need to be a major storm or natural disaster that knocks out an entire region. Usually there are enough redundancies in cell towers to prevent any interruptions.
Some providers, such as ADT, still offer landline backup connections for their monitoring services. They still push cellular as the main form of backup connection between your system and their professional monitoring, but the option is there.
Are No-Landline Home Security Systems More Expensive?
We’ve yet to see a home security provider that quotes a separate price for landline backups versus cellular backups. Usually the professional monitoring service offered by the provider includes a cellular or landline backup connection. With every provider moving toward cellular backup, the available providers are roughly the same for landline and cellular.
It is important to note, however, that Ring Alarm sets a 3 GB data cap for its cellular backup service. After hitting the 3 GB cap, you need to buy more data at $3 per GB. Buying more data could result in you paying more than you would for a landline home security system if you don’t factor that into your cost comparison.
Methodology
When we assess home security systems, we always want to test the entire user experience — from ordering the system to using it on a daily basis. Before ordering a new system to test, we first thoroughly researched the best security systems that don’t require a landline. Our research started with a Google search and ended with a visit to our local home security consultant. The thorough research gave us a wide range of opinions, ensuring we found every system suitable for a home without a landline.
With six of the top security systems that don’t require a landline identified, we went to each system’s website and started ordering the systems. Most providers take a few weeks to ship a system, since they need to verify that you ordered the correct components and build your package.
We always give extra points to providers that preconnect the components before shipping them. Preconnecting the components means the sensors and cameras you ordered will connect to the hub as soon as you turn them on. Once the systems arrived, we either DIY installed them, if that was an option, or scheduled a professional installer.
Once the system was up and running, we thoroughly tested every component and feature. Testing typically takes about a month, but some systems take a few months to get comfortable with. By testing security systems for so long, we can really get used to how they work in our daily lives. From arming the system every time we leave the house to dealing with false alarms, we get a good feel for the good and bad of every system we test.
Recap
Landline connections used to be the only way for home security providers to get alerts from your system. Those days are long gone, though, and now you can have a home security system without a landline. Just like we all cut the cord on our expensive landline phones, home security companies switched over to Wi-Fi with cellular backup along with us. Cellular backup systems are more reliable and safer than landlines ever were. Most providers don’t even provide landline backups anymore.
Whether you don’t have a landline in your home or you want a more reliable backup system in case of severe storms that can knock down telephone wires, no-landline home security systems deliver. They still give you a backup to ensure you get the great monitoring you pay for even when the power goes out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Unmonitored Home Security Systems
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Can I still get a home security system without a landline?
Yes, you can. A lot of providers don’t even offer landline connections for their monitoring services anymore. Most switched over to Wi-Fi and cellular networks entirely.
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What is the best no-landline home security system without a monthly fee?
If you want to avoid the landlines and monthly fees, Ring Alarm is the way to go. The company sells great security cameras, sensors, and alarms at affordable prices without any long-term contracts or monthly fees.
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Does ADT still require a landline?
No. ADT no longer requires a landline. You can still use a landline for backup instead of cellular if you want, but it’s no longer a requirement.
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Why did home security systems used to require landlines?
Before the internet and cellular networks, landlines used to be the only way for monitoring centers to receive and address the alerts from your security system. Now it’s an antiquated technology that has mostly been replaced.
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Do no-landline home security systems stop working when the power goes out?
Modern home security systems use battery backups in the security hub and cellular network connectivity as redundancies in case the power goes out in your home. They ensure your system and monitoring stays up and running even when everything else electronic goes down.
ADT. (2020). ADT and Google Partner To Create Leading Smart Home Security Offering.
globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/08/03/2071540/0/en/ADT-and-Google-Partner-To-Create-Leading-Smart-Home-Security-Offering.htmlKuhns, Joseph. (2012). Understanding Decisions to Burglarize from the Offender's Perspective.
researchgate.net/publication/268444817_Understanding_Decisions_to_Burglarize_from_the_Offender%27s_PerspectiveADT. (2023). ADT Cellbridge FAQs.
help.adt.com/s/article/ADT-Cellbridge-FAQsParks Associates. (2023). Adoption of Video Doorbells Reaches to 20% of US Internet Households in 2023.
prnewswire.com/news-releases/adoption-of-video-doorbells-reaches-to-20-of-us-internet-households-in-2023-301937783.htmlVerizon. (2023). Verizon sites with backup generators.
community.verizon.com/t5/4G-LTE-LTE-Advanced/Verizon-sites-with-backup-generators/td-p/1240156