Brinks vs. ADT: Comparing Two Old Guards of Home Security

ADT’s camera lineup comes from the Google Nest range, giving you a solid selection of wired and battery-powered cameras along with video doorbells. These devices are packed with AI-powered features like person, vehicle, animal, and package detection. ADT also pairs Nest Cam’s familiar-face detection with smart locks through its Trusted Neighbor feature. We found this to be a handy perk when we wanted to grant specific people keyless access to our home.

Brinks cameras run on the Alarm.com platform and cover indoors, outdoors, and doorbell use cases. They’re not quite as feature-rich as the Google Nest lineup, but you still get solid person and object detection plus smart home integration with locks and lights.

Equipment Options

Despite being the oldest names in home security, Brinks and ADT have kept up with the times, completely modernizing their home security systems. Brinks offers a touch-screen control panel called the Home Hub, while ADT offers a modern yet minimalist hub setup called the ADT Base. These central devices serve as the brain of your security system, managing connected devices and providing instant system status updates.

You can add a host of security sensors, hazard sensors, and cameras to your system. Brinks and ADT offer the same types of equipment, so there’s not much to discuss here.

Your options for security sensors are:

• Door sensors
• Window sensors
• Motion sensors
• Glass-break sensors
• Garage door/tilt sensors

For hazard sensors, you can choose from:

• Smoke detectors
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Water leak and flood detectors

You can also choose from ADT and Brinks’ security cameras, which offer indoor and outdoor coverage as well as front door protection using doorbell cameras.

ADT and Brinks will continue to operate without internet or power. While we were testing ADT, the hub continued to send updates to the monitoring center during a power outage from a snowstorm. Brinks also continued to operate while our internet was down, which you can read about in our Brinks review.

ADT takes the lead here. The equipment looks and feels more modern and streamlined, and ADT’s integration with Google Nest cameras gives it an edge when it comes to the overall equipment ecosystem.

Installation Process

Brinks and ADT both offer professional installation. An expert technician will personally deliver your system, set it up, and walk you through its features. Both companies provided us with a great installation experience, but the vibe was a little different for each.

We had a more personable experience with Brinks. The technician patiently explained how the system works and even gave us a number to call in case we encountered problems. It felt like having a friend over to help us with the installation.

With ADT, it was more professional and efficient. The technicians came the same day we signed up. They did a walkthrough of the house, and then recommended the best areas to place each sensor. After they finished, they gave us a tour of the system.

Installation costs differ between the two. ADT charges a fee that varies based on your system configuration, though it’s sometimes waived during promotional periods. Brinks typically folds professional installation into the overall equipment pricing rather than charging a separate line-item fee. Fewer surprise costs at checkout are always a good thing, though your upfront equipment price may run a bit higher as a result.

We’re calling ADT the winner in this category because it offers a six-month installation guarantee, also known as a money-back guarantee. If problems arise within the first six months due to system malfunction or faulty installation, ADT will refund your payments for monitoring and installation (terms and conditions apply). That’s also one of the main reasons ADT is the best professionally installed security system.

Monitoring Options

In addition to professional installation, ADT and Brinks require professional monitoring. That means your security system will be linked to a monitoring center. In case of a security breach, the monitoring center will trigger an alarm response and call for help on your behalf. Both companies’ monitoring centers are UL-listed and TMA Five Diamond certified. These are the gold-standard credentials in the industry, ensuring that trained professionals are watching over your home around the clock.

Cellular backup

Cellular backup is another similar offering from Brinks and ADT. Normally, their security systems send alerts to their respective monitoring centers over Wi-Fi. That’s reliable most of the time, but we all know that the internet sometimes goes out. If that happens Brinks and ADT will use a different means of communication as backup: cellular signals. These cellular security systems are more reliable than landline-only or internet-only systems.

On the surface, it might not look like there is much of a difference between the monitoring services. When we dug deeper, we learned ADT has six monitoring centers operating across North America to ensure its service is available 24/7, 365 days a year. If one center experiences an outage, another center seamlessly takes over monitoring duties without any interruption.

While Brinks doesn’t match this level of redundancy, it has backup servers and generators in place to keep the place running 24/7. However, the difference in redundancy levels is worth noting.

Home Automation

One of the most notable of new security system features is home automation. Security systems today can do more than just protect your home. They can also make life more convenient by offering automated control of things such as thermostats, lights, and locks.

By adding smart-home capabilities to your security system, you can further boost your home security. Adding smart locks that can lock your doors automatically, for example, ensures that your front door is never left unlocked as you go to bed. Check out our roundup of the best smart locks if you’ve ever forgotten to lock your front door. Once you get one, we can teach you how to install your new smart lock too.

Home automation features are available with both ADT and Brinks. The ADT+ app and Brinks Home Hub can integrate third-party home automation devices. Both systems support Z-Wave Plus protocols, giving you access to hundreds of compatible smart home devices from a wide range of manufacturers. You can even set up custom scenes. We created an “Away” mode that arms the system, locks the doors, kills the lights, and adjusts the thermostat all at once.

You can also take things up a notch with voice control, a feature that both Brinks and ADT offer. Both systems work with Amazon’s Alexa and the Google Assistant voice assistants. With a smart speaker or display from either platform, you can tell your security to arm, ask about your sensors’ statuses, or play back recorded security camera clips.

We’re calling it a tie on home automation. ADT and Brinks offer a comparable feature set and connect to a similar lineup of smart home products. That said, we found the Brinks app to be more straightforward and easier to navigate day-to-day. On the ADT side, the ADT+ app edges ahead with stronger performance and more customization options for power users.

Costs

Let’s compare Brinks and ADT’s equipment and monitoring costs.

Equipment Costs

Both companies have gotten more upfront about pricing over the years, which makes comparison shopping a lot easier. ADT now displays complete system packages and pricing on their website, making it easier to budget for your security system. You can build and price a custom system online before speaking with a representative.

ADT systems are tailored to each user, so pricing can be a little difficult to pin down. When we tested an ADT system, our mid-range package cost a little over $700, including cameras and a battery-powered Nest Doorbell. More comprehensive packages with more cameras and additional sensors can cost over $1,000. You can fully customize any setup by adding sensors, cameras, and smart home devices.

ADT also offers 0% APR financing over 36 months for qualified customers. This payment option makes professional security more accessible without requiring a large upfront investment. You can read our ADT pricing page for more information on the brand’s pricing.

Brinks doesn’t sell equipment online either. Like ADT, you will need to get in touch with the company to receive a quote, but you can find pricing information on our Brinks pricing page since we tested it ourselves.

Brinks packages require contacting the company directly for a custom quote, with professional installation already baked into the price. Compared to ADT’s base package, expect a higher upfront cost with Brinks. Like ADT, Brinks also offers flexible payment plans to help manage upfront costs.

Monitoring Costs

For monitoring, ADT and Brinks both offer three options: an entry-level plan with only professional monitoring, a midlevel plan with monitoring and smart-home features, and a top-tier plan with professional monitoring, smart home features, and video monitoring with cloud storage.

ADT plans start at $49.99 per month and scale with your system’s features. Brinks monitoring ranges from $39.99 to $49.99 monthly, following a similar structure to ADT.

ADT requires a 36-month agreement for professionally installed systems with financed equipment. Brinks also requires a 36-month monitoring agreement, though terms can vary based on equipment financing choices.

Even though ADT and Brinks are two of the best security systems, we recommend them only to homeowners or long-term renters who have stability in their living arrangements. If you’re a short-term renter, take a look at our roundup of the best apartment security systems for options that will work for you.

Customer Service and Support

Lastly, let’s talk about one area that is often overlooked, but is critical to the overall home-security experience: customer service and support.

ADT offers stellar customer service from start to finish. If you need help deciding on your home-security setup, you can call ADT for a consultation. An expert technician will install your system. After it’s installed, you can contact ADT’s after-sales support for any queries related to the hardware, billing, or software. ADT provides 24/7 customer support through phone, live chat, and their mobile app. Help is always within reach no matter how you prefer to communicate.

ADT also has several guarantees in place, such as its six-month money-back guarantee on equipment and installation. There’s also a $500 theft-protection guarantee, where ADT promises to cover up to $500 of your insurance deductible if a burglary occurs while your system is active.

Brinks offers similar customer service. There’s a free consultation, free professional installation, and free after-sales customer support. Like ADT, it also offers a money-back guarantee, but only for 30 days. Another difference is that the money-back guarantee isn’t only for malfunctioning systems. You can request a refund for any reason, even if it’s because you’re just not satisfied with the system.

We got more consistent service from ADT. The customer service and support from both brands can be hit or miss, but ADT’s numerous guarantees gave us peace of mind. The 24/7 customer support was also a nice touch.

Who’s the Winner?

On the surface, ADT and Brinks seem like birds of the same feather. They both offer wireless security systems that are professionally installed and professionally monitored, with features such as home automation, video monitoring, and smartphone control.

Diving deeper into the details, however, shows that one is clearly better than the other: ADT. Here are the main reasons ADT is superior:

• ADT has more modern and streamlined equipment.
• ADT provides a better installation service backed by a six-month money-back guarantee.
• ADT’s monitoring service offers superior redundancy with six interconnected monitoring centers.
• ADT works great with third-party smart-home devices, and it integrates seamlessly with Alexa and Google Assistant.
• ADT’s customer support is available 24/7, in addition to guarantees that ensure a smooth home-security experience.

That doesn’t mean Brinks is no good. It’s an excellent security system with solid equipment, a reliable monitoring service, free professional installation, and strong home-automation options.

For homeowners wanting comprehensive protection with solid long-term value, we think ADT is the stronger pick. Competitive pricing, a well-established monitoring infrastructure, and broad smart home compatibility give ADT the edge for most households.