The Best Professionally Installed Security Systems in 2024

1. ADT - Best Installation and Monitoring Service

SecurityScore:

9.8 /10

855-908-4461

View Packages Links to ADT

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $349
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $30 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month 36 months and up
Installation Options	Professional and DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

855-908-4461

View Packages Links to ADT

ADT Overview

If there’s one brand that comes to mind for home security system installation, it’s probably ADT. The company is known for its uniformed service technicians carrying those iconic blue octagonal signs. In addition to having decades of experience with installations, ADT currently has some of the best home security equipment on the market.

We have tested a lot of ADT systems over the years. Every time we conduct a new test, the company surprises us with new features and aspects. In many ways, ADT is the best security system available, but it isn’t perfect. The company provides top notch service, but buying into ADT usually means committing to a long-term contract. More on that later.

ADT Installation Cost

When you buy an ADT package, you can expect the initial installation fee to be in the ballpark of $99 to $199 — less if you order fewer devices, more if you order, well, more.2 Each year we test a new ADT system, we pay roughly $150 for a mid-sized home. The good news is just like Vivint, there may be a few ways for you to save through ADT deals.

First, you might be qualified for discounted installation and free hardware if you served and are a member of Veterans Advantage. Second, ADT occasionally provides free installation of certain pieces of equipment, like their security cameras. Just keep an eye out for promotional banners on ADT’s website. Lastly, you might be able to haggle if you’re willing to. Before you sign an ADT contract, you’ll need to speak to a sales representative. You might as well make that conversation worth your time. Ask if they can knock something off the installation price. They usually say yes to us.

ADT Equipment

If it’s been a minute since you looked at ADT, you might not know that the company has partnered with Google Nest and now offers many of its products. This is a welcome change since ADT’s security cameras were a longstanding complaint we’ve had when testing ADT security systems.

>> Check Out: Best Home Security Systems That Work With Google Assistant

When we tested those old ADT cameras, they had a lot of limitations. For example, the doorbell camera from just a few years ago had a resolution of 720p. That’s a resolution we haven’t seen in an otherwise top-tier system since the mid-2010s. The old ADT cameras also didn’t have anything in the way of smart features. Although, we did like that the old ADT outdoor cameras could withstand colder weather through its built-in heater which let it work in even the most northern parts of Canada. If you need that level of weatherproofing, you can still get those cameras by contacting ADT.

The new Google Nest Doorbell camera not only offers 1080p HDR video, but it also has a number of features that leverage AI. Our favorite AI feature was its familiar face recognition which let us get alerts telling us when each of our kids got home. On top of that, the other Nest Cam models from ADT are on par with premium cameras we’ve tested from Vivint and other top brands. The former security cameras from ADT just pale in comparison.

In addition to security cameras, ADT also has many other smart devices from Google Nest, including the signature Nest thermostat which we already owned so we integrated it into our ADT system. You can also round out your professionally installed ADT system with motion sensors, entryway sensors, smoke alarms, and carbon monoxide detectors.

What that means is that you can have a full-blown security system with home automation features and security cameras installed in your house without any work. And based on our experience with ADT technicians, it also guarantees all of your components get installed in the optimal location to maximize coverage. That’s where professional installation pays for itself.

ADT Reputation

ADT has racked up 150 years worth of goodwill. That’s more than any other company in the industry can say. Compared to ADT, Vivint is a spunky little upstart.

That said, experience isn’t always synonymous with excellence. In recent years, some customers have revolted against ADT’s long contracts — especially since companies like SimpliSafe have shown us that there’s another way.

But having a contract – particularly one as transparent as ADT – can put us, as customers, at an advantage. For one, ADT is able to offer equipment financing. Each time we’ve financed our equipment, we’ve paid for our equipment $10 to $30 monthly installments over five years. That’s easier on our wallet than the roughly $1,000 the equipment costs upfront.

We should also mention there’s a stark difference between companies that require a contract to protect the company’s and the customer’s interests, and companies that use contracts to deceive customers. In the years we’ve been testing ADT, we’ve always found its contracts forthcoming, transparent, and easy to understand – which is more than we can say about some of the worst security systems we’ve tested.

2. Vivint - Best Smart Home System

SecurityScore:

9.4 /10

844-922-0575

View Packages Links to Vivint

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment costs	Starting at $449
Monitoring options	Professional
Monthly monitoring costs	Starting from $30 per month
Contract lengths	Starting at 42 months
Installation options	Professional
Smart platform integration	Alexa and Google Home

844-922-0575

View Packages Links to Vivint

Vivint Overview

Vivint is more than a home security company — it’s a smart-home security company. We bought all the sensors we needed to set up smart-home automations. That’s nice, but it was an awful lot of tech to install.

Thankfully, our Vivint package came with professional installation just like they always do.

We might be stating the obvious, but Vivint is one of my favorite smart-home security systems too. When I tested Vivint, I was able to set up powerful home automations with ease. That’s because the installation technician laid all the groundwork – he set up our Vivint system and paired it to all of the third-party smart home equipment that we already owned. By the time he left, all we had to do was set up the automations using the Vivint app.

If Vivint sales reps would stop knocking on our door on the weekends, it could become our favorite professionally installed security system.

Vivint Installation Cost

We have good news and bad news. First, the good news: Vivint gives free installation to any customers who sign up online.5 Since that’s how we signed up, we can confirm that it was included in our system.

Now, the bad news: That’s just the first installation. Moving your Vivint equipment will cost $149 so we only recommend Vivint when you’re living in your forever home.6

That’s why Vivint is one of our favorite security systems for large homes, but it’s not one of our favorite security systems for renters. If you’re settled in your five-bed, three-bath in Pasadena (good for you, by the way), you’re unlikely to run into the $149 moving fee. If you’re moving from rental to rental, you probably will. Skip Vivint and go with a no-contract security system.

One last thing worth mentioning about Vivint’s installation is that its installation technician had our system up and running in half the time it took ADT. Vivint took about three or four hours total, compared to ADT’s eight-hour installation.

Vivint Equipment

We’ve tested about $1,200 worth of Vivint equipment. If that sounds like a lot, that’s because it is. Vivint is consistently one of the most expensive systems that we test. It’s nowhere near Eufy’s low pricing.

The Vivint Outdoor Camera, in particular, is our favorite Vivint component. It features a 4K sensor, 140-degree field of view, and local storage. That’s in addition to its AI capabilities. It can tell the difference between a car, pet, and human. And on the alert, it told us what it saw so we knew if we could put our phone back in our pocket or needed to pull up our feed and trigger its built-in siren.

The Smart Deter function on the Vivint outdoor camera was also a real crime-buster. We set it up to sound a warning tone every time someone lurked on our front lawn for more than a minute. And the red LED ring around the lens was surely eye-catching. Some prefer to hide their outdoor cameras, but we want ours in full display to serve as a warning.

Vivint also offers some of the best smart-home devices on the market. We especially loved the Kwikset smart lock. It let us unlock all our doors when the fire alarm went off so our family could get out and first responders could get in.

Here’s the thing about top-of-the-line equipment: It’s not always the easiest to install. Even we would have had trouble hooking up the wired outdoor camera and drilling an advanced deadbolt on our own. That’s why we’re not mad Vivint requires professional installation.

Vivint Reputation

There’s no doubt that Vivint is a security company worthy of the name. In our experience, it does exactly what it promises: monitors our home security system. When we tripped a window sensor, Vivint sent us a text immediately and we called them off telling them it was an accident.

It’s not all cotton candy and roses though.The Better Business Bureau rates Vivint a whopping C+. One reason for the lackluster grade? Vivint settled a lawsuit alleging it used random people’s credit reports to approve customers for loans.7

That said, the credit-approval wing is totally separate from the professional-installation wing. There’s no reason to believe the lady installing your Vivint security system is out to commit a minor financial crime.

3. SimpliSafe - Best Contract-Free Option

SecurityScore:

9.2 /10

800-544-5942

View Packages Links to SimpliSafe

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $249.96
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

800-544-5942

View Packages Links to SimpliSafe

SimpliSafe Overview

You want help with installation. That doesn’t mean you want professional monitoring, high prices, or a long contract. When we were living in an apartment, we felt the same way. If that’s what you’re looking for, SimpliSafe fits the bill.

To understand what makes the security company so special, compare SimpliSafe to ADT. When we bought our ADT system, we spoke to a sales rep, underwent a credit check, and signed a three-year contract. We didn’t need to do any of that with SimpliSafe. Instead, we picked a system from their website and hit “Add to Cart.” At the checkout screen, we could add professional installation for the pros to install our package. If you add “professional installation” to cart, too, you’ll get just as much help with your tech as you would from ADT.

That’s not the only way SimpliSafe can go toe to toe with ADT. The newcomer may not beat the old guard when it comes to smart-home features, but it holds up when it comes to basic security. When we pressed the panic button, we reached SimpliSafe’s monitoring center in seconds — just as quick, if not quicker, than calling 911. (Just remember that the monitoring center is not the police.)

SimpliSafe Installation Cost

You’ll have to fork over at least $124.99 for professional installation, but it can cost you much more. That base price covers installation for five pieces of equipment. When we bought our 14-piece SimpliSafe package, they quoted us over $200 for professional installation.

It’s also worth noting that unlike Vivint and ADT that have in-house technicians, SimpliSafe outsources the job to OnTech. Who’s OnTech? Exactly.

To its credit though, OnTech has a nationwide installation network. They install all kinds of home gadgets, like security systems, security cameras, and smart home devices. They may not be trained to install SimpliSafe gear exclusively, but they know what they’re doing. We still prefer in-house technicians since they’re well acquainted with the specifics of each device. That’s why we felt more at ease with ADT and Vivint.

SimpliSafe Equipment

Compared to ADT and Vivint, SimpliSafe sells a relatively limited range of equipment. That’s less equipment for your security technician to install — aka less bang for your buck. It does sell a complete line of indoor and outdoor cameras, including a hardwired video doorbell. But on the smart home front, SimpliSafe can’t hold a candle to ADT and Vivint.

The only smart home device SimpliSafe has ever offered is a smart lock. At $119.99, it’s one of the most affordable smart locks we’ve tested. Other top smart locks we’ve tested are way more expensive. The Yale Smart Lock from ADT, for example, cost us $189.

Unfortunately, though, we haven’t seen SimpliSafe restock the smart lock since last year. We’re not sure why, but when we’ve seen other companies do that, they usually end up removing it from their lineup. We hope that’s not the case, considering it’s SimpliSafe’s only remaining smart home offering.

SimpliSafe Reputation

When SimpliSafe launched in 2009, we weren’t sure if we could trust it. Security is serious business. Could we really depend on a startup?

Turns out, the answer was yes. SimpliSafe has proven itself time and again as a trustworthy security provider. That’s not to say issues haven’t cropped up over the years. Security geeks like us gasped at the Lockpicking Lawyer’s RFID jam.9 Since that incident, SimpliSafe has patched vulnerabilities, added features, and wormed its way to the top of our best-of lists.

SimpliSafe’s reputation is only part of the story, though, because SimpliSafe doesn’t have an in-house installation team. OnTech carries out its installations.

OnTech has an A+ BBB rating, with a 3.61 out of 5 average customer review.10 When you consider that unhappy customers are a lot more likely to comment than happy customers, that ratio looks pretty good. There’s a decent chance you’ll be happy with the OnTech installer who shows up at your door. We can also attest to the fact that SimpliSafe systems are easy to install since we installed our own. If we can do it, we know professional OnTech installers can.

4. Alder Security - Best Response Time

SecurityScore:

9.0 /10

844-965-1405

View Packages Links to Alder Security

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Starting at $0
Monitoring Options	Professional only
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starting at $35
Contract Lengths	36 months
Installation Options	Professional or DIY
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

844-965-1405

View Packages Links to Alder Security

Alder Security Overview

You’ve probably heard of ADT, Vivint, and SimpliSafe. You may not have heard of Alder Security. Well, you’re hearing about it now. When we tested our Alder system, it impressed us so much that I rated it 9.0 out of 10. For context, our Ring Alarm review landed at 7.7 out of 10.

Not everything about Alder is grade-A, however. Its official BBB rating is a B, and its average customer rating is about 1 out of 5.11 The sneaky sales tactics customers complain about kept me from giving Alder top marks. And we have to say, those same sneaky sales tactics were one of our major complaints too.

Alder Security Installation Cost

How much does professional installation cost with Alder? The answer may be more complicated than you think.

When we called the company’s customer-service line to buy a system, the representative told us they couldn’t give us a quote until a sales person visited us in person. (Yep, you read that right.) They told us we had to email customer service, wait for contact from a door-to-door rep, and then discuss a security package and pricing.

That lack of transparency may be covering up for the fact that the cost of installation is negotiable. Like ADT and Vivint, Alder’s stock in trade is lengthy contracts with monthly fees. You can often haggle over fees — including installation fees — until you come to an agreement. We recommend asking for free installation or a free piece of equipment such as a doorbell camera as a starting point. At least, that’s what we did.

According to court records, Alder customers paid between $14.71 and $46.18 in activation fees.13 That may give you a ballpark figure to expect.

It could work out to a great value. You’ll have to speak to your local Alder rep — and comb through your contract carefully — to find out.

Alder Security Equipment

You may not actually need professional installation. It only took us about 15 minutes to install our Alder system. With that caveat out of the way, let’s talk specs.

Alder Equipment

• Control panel
• Door and window sensors
• Motion sensor
• Indoor camera
• Outdoor camera
• Arlo Audio Doorbell
• Heat detector
• Carbon monoxide detector
• Medical button

Our Alder package came with cellular backup by default, which we appreciated. We felt extra safe knowing a Wi-Fi outage wouldn’t affect our security system. It came in handy for us more than once.

On the other hand, there weren’t many devices to back up in the first place. If you’re looking for a smart-home suite, you may be better off with Vivint.

Alder Security Reputation

When a company loses a $4 million lawsuit over deceptive practices, you can’t really say it has a good reputation, can you? At the same time, the lawsuit had nothing to do with the technicians who install security equipment or the security system itself. There’s no reason to believe they would be anything but professional and our tests of the equipment left us impressed.