ADT is one of the biggest names in home security today. And there’s good reason for it — they offer their customers some of the highest-quality protections available. Their professional monitoring is the best in the industry. They have six separate call centers across the country, more than any other home security company. Their equipment isn’t just top-notch and professionally installed but also user-friendly. As if that wasn’t enough, ADT systems make use of all the latest home automation features.
Yet, for all its great features, ADT is surprisingly affordable, particularly since the company decided to lower its prices and offer new packages in the past year. ADT now offers a line of self-installed equipment packages, which means you can save on installation fees. You can get monitoring for as little as $25 a month, though the $35 per month plan offers more perks like cellular backup and smart platform integration. And even equipment prices have gone down.
Of course, we still wouldn’t call ADT anything like a cheap home security system. Prices are at the higher end, especially if you want the best services. Plus, no matter what packages and plans you choose, ADT locks you into a three-year contract, minimum. If you decide somewhere down the road that you can’t afford your system, it’s basically tough luck. You’re still on the hook until the contract expires.
All of that dissuades some buyers. Here’s the thing, though: if you’re smart about it, you don’t have to pay full prices. Sure, there’s the standard ADT pricing and plans. Often, though, you can find ways to cut prices and wind up with one of the top home security systems for not much more than you’d pay for an average system.
Did You Know? Most of these discounts and sales include the stipulation that you sign an ADT contract. This is just par for the course with ADT, whether you take advantage of one of their deals or not. All of their security systems include a contract for 24/7 professional monitoring. The standard contract length is three years, except in California, where it's two years.
Current ADT Deals
As we mentioned, ADT runs lots of sales throughout the year, sales designed to help blunt the high cost of the company’s systems and monitoring plans. You’re not interested in what might happen at some point in the future, though.
Turns out, you’ve got great timing. In the wake of Prime Day, ADT is offering 30 percent off its regular equipment systems, up to $550. That includes both professionally installed and self-installed systems. You have to sign up for a 36-month professional monitoring contract, but that’s standard across all ADT systems.
In addition, ADT just rolled out a new monitoring plan called Trusted Neighbor, which allows you to grant access to your home to neighbors, friends, and family. To promote this new plan, the company is offering up to 60 percent off selected equipment packages.
Discount Codes and Discount Coupons
Of course, sales come and go. They aren’t meant to last forever. If you’re not quite ready to commit to an ADT contract today, you might miss this one. As we say, though, there’s usually another one around the corner. Here are just a few of the deals we’ve seen from ADT in the past:
- Free Nest Doorbell and Free Nest Cam when you sign up for a 36-month contract (you can read more about these powerful pieces of security equipment in our Google Nest review.
- 30 percent off a Build Your Own system, with professional monitoring starting at $45.99 per month
- 30 percent off a Smart Home system, with professional monitoring starting at $49.99 per month
- 30 percent off and a free video doorbell with a Video and Smart home system, with professional monitoring starting at $59.99 per month
- 30 percent off site-wide equipment holiday sale
- 40 percent off select DIY systems
- Buy one get one free security cameras
FYI: If you’re an ADT customer who’s moving, ADT will typically have you leave your equipment behind at your old house, and they’ll set you up with a new security system and a custom plan at your new place. Plus, you’ll get a nice discount too. Here’s everything you need to know about moving with ADT.
ADT Self Setup
While it’s not necessarily a deal, if you’re handy with a power drill you might consider going the DIY route with your ADT system. For many years, ADT forced customers to pay for professional installation, but times have changed. The company has begun offering this cheaper alternative. DIY means no installation charges, but you can be sure everything sets up easily with simple mounting and straightforward instructions. See our guide to ADT Self Setup.
Moving Specials
ADT never wants to lose your business. They offer moving specials for current and past ADT customers who are relocating. Here are their current deals:
- $200 off installation. If you’re moving into a new place and need your ADT equipment installed there, you can get $200 off the price if you sign up for a 36 month monitoring contract.
- Discounts on upgrades: Your new home will likely have different security needs than your previous residence. If so, ADT customers can get some pretty serious discounts to add-on equipment like additional sensors, floodlights, or security cameras.
- Referral bonus. If you’re an ADT customer that isn’t moving but know someone who is and needs security, you’ll get a $200 referral bonus if they sign up with ADT.
USAA Member Discounts
If you’re a member of USAA (United Services Automobile Association), you’ve got several special deals to choose from. Deals are limited to one per household and cannot be combined with other offers.
- 10 percent off installation and monthly monitoring charges: If you’re a new customer, this offer is for you. Just sign a 24-to-36-month contract to get 10 percent off installation and monthly monitoring charges.
- 15 percent off self-installed systems. If you’re handy with a power drill, you can save a few bucks by doing it yourself as a USAA Member.
Did You Know? ADT ranks among the best home automation security systems. You can use it to automate your smart lights and thermostats, and to monitor your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and more. You’ll manage everything with ADT Control (formerly ADT Pulse) — ADT’s handy security and automation toolset, including a website, app and in-home touch-screen panel.
Lennar Homeowner Discounts
If you live in or are moving to a Lennar Homes community, ADT just might have a special offer for you. In the past, they’ve installed their Safewatch® QuickConnect Plus wireless security system for free when you sign a 36-month contract for professional monitoring. They’ve also offered a $5-per-month discount on your monitoring plan, plus a 10 percent discount on extra equipment and feature upgrades. Give ADT a call to see if they’re still offering Lennar homeowner specials.
Refer-A-Friend Deal
Get a $200 Visa Rewards Card for referring new customers. Just use ADT’s official referral process1 and you’ll receive your $200 prepaid card two to three weeks after your friend’s new security system is installed and their bill is paid. The more friends you refer, the more gift cards you get.
Pro Tip: Read our hands-on ADT review to learn what it’s like living with ADT. Then, compare them to their top competitor, Vivint. Our Vivint home security review is a good place to start.
Veterans Advantage Discount
ADT is committed to paying veterans back for their service. Veterans Advantage members are eligible for a free ADT equipment package with a $99 installation fee (50 percent off). That’s not some cut-rate package either. It includes up to six door sensors, one motion detector, a keypad, a backup battery, a keychain remote and a window decal. Veterans also qualify for a $100 Visa Rewards Card and one free year of VetRewards added to their current Veterans Advantage subscription term.2
Senior Discounts
ADT offers a few deals for AARP members. These include:
- 20 percent off installation
- $2 off monthly monitoring
Not extensive, but it’s something.
The company also offers several discounts on ADT medical alert systems, which are popular with seniors. They have three systems to choose from: Medical Alert Basic (in-home/landline required), Medical Alert Plus (in-home/no landline required) and On-The-Go (mobile/no landline required).
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
We mentioned that there’s a great sale going on right now, but if you are looking to hold off a little to purchase equipment, Black Friday and Cyber Monday always offer great opportunities to save some serious dough. And, OK, we’re dealing with the dog days of summer right now, but doesn’t the year go by a little faster every year? Once the 4th of July passes, it’s practically time to start getting your Halloween costumes in order.
At any rate, if you time things just right, you can save late in the year, just before the holidays. In the past, we’ve seen 10 percent off deals and special offers like discounted installation and free pieces of equipment thrown in for new customers. We can’t guarantee anything, but we’d be shocked if we didn’t see some sort of deal this year.
Homeowner’s Insurance Discount
Many insurance providers offer discounts for homes that are protected by a security system — particularly one with professional monitoring, like ADT. When you sign your ADT contract, they’ll supply you with a certificate to present to your insurance company as evidence of coverage. However, call your insurance carrier before choosing your ADT system so you can find out which security features will get you the best discount. Some insurance carriers offer as much as a 20 percent discount, which can be a huge savings.
And it turns out in some cases, you can get the opposite deal. That is, you can get discounts on your security system when you sign up with your insurer. ADT, for instance, has a current deal where you get a free system, free installation, and $19.99 per month monitoring when you sign up for a homeowner’s policy.
Pro Tip: If you want to optimize your savings, check out our handy blog post on insurance discounts for home security systems. Advanced features like environmental sensors and professional monitoring may get you a bigger discount than a basic home security system alone.
Theft Protection Guarantee
Though this isn’t really a deal or discount, it’s worth mentioning that ADT offers a guarantee against theft. They’ll pay up to $500 of your homeowner’s insurance deductible if you’re the victim of a burglary while your ADT system is active. This is a truly rare guarantee in the home security business, and proof that ADT believes their system will keep your home secure.
Final Thoughts
You can’t do much better than an ADT home security system. The company’s advanced home automation features and best-in-the-industry 24/7 professional monitoring have put the company at the very top of our list of best home security systems. There’s no denying, though, that you’re going to pay a bit more for ADT.
The thing is, there are ways to lessen the hit your wallet takes. ADT lets you pay for your equipment in monthly installments so you don’t have to come up with a big down payment right up front. Plus, if your credit qualifies, you can get zero-percent financing. Add some of the ADT discounts, deals, special promotions and sales we’ve talked about here, and there’s no excuse not to give your family the best safety and security.
