Best Professionally Monitored and Installed Home Security Systems of 2024

ADT Installation

Even though ADT’s professional installation comes with a price tag of about $150, I must say it creates a smooth installation process. The technicians show up on time since that high price tag goes toward giving technicians the time they need for a successful installation. I saw this firsthand during my ADT installation. I was told to set aside two hours for the installation, but it only took about an hour.

As for the installation itself, my technician was really helpful. He walked me through the placement of every security camera and sensor he installed, showing me what areas of my home were covered. Knowing exactly how my security system works and any potential vulnerabilities it has gave me some peace of mind.

My ADT tech also customized the sensitivity settings on my motion sensors and helped me do an initial integration with Google Home. You can also get this same quality professional installation for your company with ADT Security for businesses.

ADT Professional Monitoring

One thing I used to not be able to look past with ADT is their high prices. Professional monitoring used to start at over $45 per month and that’s not even their most capable monitoring plan.

But, in the last couple of months, ADT significantly dropped their price for professional monitoring down to just $24.99 per month for basic monitoring. It still comes with nine in-house monitoring centers spread throughout the United States, which makes ADT’s professional monitoring one of the most reliable in the industry. With the lowered cost, ADT’s pricing makes it one of the most cost-effective too.

Of course, ADT’s monitoring options don’t stop at the $24.99 price point. They also have a more premium option called Essential + Video. Here’s a breakdown comparing ADT’s two monitoring plans:

ADT Home Automation

A few years ago, ADT ramped up its home automation capabilities with the release of ADT Command and Control, which replaced the old ADT Pulse system. This new system came with an updated user interface that makes it easy to leverage advanced automation features like geofencing and if this, then that triggers.

I liked to combine these two features when I tested ADT by creating different automation depending on whether I am home or away. For example, I set my front door that had an ADT Security Smart Door Lock to automatically lock when my ADT Video Doorbell detects someone if I am away, but if I’m home, it turns on my entryway light.

Another good aspect of ADT’s home automation capabilities is that the system runs on the Z-Wave platform. This wireless protocol allows smart devices to communicate with each other. While that might not seem like a big deal at face value, there are currently over 4,000 Z-Wave-compatible devices. And that’s what makes it a big deal. It really opens up your options for connecting all of your current and future smart home products.

I will say, one issue I had with ADT for home automation was its lack of support for Apple HomeKit. Even though I’m not a big Apple fanboy, having this limitation can become a pretty big bottleneck for anyone who already owns a few Apple smart devices. This also means that if Apple comes out with a great smart home product that you want, it still won’t work with your ADT system.

Vivint Installation

There’s no question about it, the cost of Vivint’s professional installation is high. But, is it worth the premium price? With prices as high as $200 for installation alone, on top of reinstallation fees if you move, I need high-quality services to justify pulling that much out of my bank account.

Off the bat, one of the things I had a bit of a tough time with was having to call Vivint for everything from picking out my package to scheduling the installation. While it made the process pretty smooth, I could feel my salesperson taking every opportunity to try and upsell me on the wide range of Vivint indoor, outdoor, and doorbell camera options. A simple “no thanks” got them to stop pushing for me. It wasn’t nearly as bad as when I had to call my internet provider.

And, thankfully, every person I spoke to was extremely knowledgeable about Vivint’s products and home security in general. They gave thorough answers to every question I asked. My home security salesperson was even able to answer my questions about their solar products without transferring me to a different agent.

When the day came for my scheduled installation, I was really surprised at how complicated the installation looked. The technician ran wires and cables throughout my home to hook up the system. He did a great job at hiding the cabling, which I appreciated (can’t say the same about ADT). It made the entire system look professional without taking away from the aesthetic of my home.

Vivint Professional Monitoring

To be quite frank, Vivint doesn’t have the same robust system as ADT for professional monitoring. Instead of nine monitoring centers throughout the U.S., Vivint only has two – even those two monitoring centers provide award-winning service.1 So, it’s not that Vivint’s professional monitoring is bad, they just don’t have the same built-up network of monitoring centers as ADT.

Previously, Vivint made up for only having two monitoring centers by offering monitoring at a lower price than ADT. But, with ADT’s recent price reduction for professional monitoring, it’s actually a bit less expensive than Vivint for most systems. ADT’s pricing ranges from $24.99 to $34.99 and up while Vivint’s pricing starts at $39.99 for professional monitoring. With that said, in my experience, Vivint’s prices are more negotiable than ADT’s. So, be ready for some haggling when you get on the phone with one of Vivint’s salespeople.

>> Read More: Vivint vs ADT Home Security System Comparison

Vivint Home Automation

What Vivint might lack in terms of a robust professional monitoring network, it more than makes up for with its home automation capabilities. Vivint makes its lineup of smart home devices go way beyond what most home security providers offer by including:

• Smart locks
• Garage door controllers
• Smart lights
• Smart thermostats
• Car guards

This is more significant than just allowing you to buy security and smart home devices from one place. By creating smart home products as well, Vivint’s home automation capabilities give you full control of your home through its high-quality mobile app.

Within the app is where you can set up automation for your home. For example, you can create an automation using Vivint’s smart locks, smart lights, and doorbell cameras. I set up a rule that caused my entry light to blink and my front door to lock when my doorbell camera saw someone past 11 p.m.

Xfinity Installation

When I’m looking at the installation process of a company, I consider the process to get to the point of installation. This includes things like picking out the parts I want, any onboarding calls, and, of course, the actual installation. Xfinity does all of these things exceptionally well, probably thanks to the years of experience signing up customers for telecom services.

While you won’t get the individualized home security systems I reviewed from SimpliSafe, Xfinity takes a completely different approach. Instead, you choose one of three packages and then wait for your system to arrive. Then, technicians install the system for you. This takes all of the work of installing a home security system off your shoulders. 

Personally, I like to customize my security system, but that’s because I’m a home security nerd. I don’t expect other people to want the same level of customization that I like, so Xfinity’s approach works for most.

>> Learn More: SimpliSafe vs Xfinity Home Security System Comparison

Xfinity Professional Monitoring

As I mentioned, having two monitoring plans makes it easy to pick which one is right for you. If you have security cameras, you’ll want the more expensive plan. Otherwise, you can go with the cheaper one. Make sure to check out Xfinity’s bundling options to reduce your costs if you’re already a customer. Here’s an overview of what you get from both of Xfinity’s professional monitoring plans:

While testing Xfinity’s professional monitoring, I found that they had a pretty standard response time of 30 seconds. By the way, that’s how long it took Xfinity to contact me and then dispatch first responders as needed. Even though that’s a standard response time in the industry, it stood out as relatively slow when I compared Xfinity vs ADT. If you keep an eye on deals and sales for Xfinity home security systems, you’ll be able to get a bit of a discount as well.

Xfinity Home Automation

Yes, I know. Xfinity doesn’t integrate with Google Home or Amazon Alexa. I was disappointed by this too. That doesn’t mean all hope is lost though. If you have an Xfinity Voice Remote, you can still control your home security system with your voice. This gives you the same voice control as Google Home or Amazon Alexa like arming your security system or turning on a specific security camera. I know it’s not quite as convenient if you’re already used to Google or Amazon’s system, but it still does the trick.

In terms of actual automation, Xfinity integrates with a decent amount of third-party smart devices. Here’s an overview of the third-party devices that work with Xfinity:

Using your Xfinity touch-screen panel or the mobile app, you can set rules to automate your home with any of the integrated devices. I made a rule that anytime my alarm system is armed, the thermostat reduces the temperature of my home. The options I had for automation felt a bit basic though when I compared Xfinity vs Vivint’s home security system.