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Home security doesn’t have to cost a fortune. See our list of affordable home security options that we personally tested.
Updated April 18, 2024
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Somewhere back in the mists of time, home security systems were a luxury only the very wealthy could afford. Some of you out there still have that mindset. Time for an update: Home security systems are in everyone’s reach now, even some of the best home security systems. Good thing, too, since the world only seems to be getting more dangerous every day.
There are lots of costs to consider when you’re looking for a home security system –: equipment costs, monitoring costs, installation costs. Some systems are more affordable in one area; some are more affordable in others. We guarantee you, though, that all of the systems on this list are the most cost-efficient on the market. So let’s get right into our list of the most affordable home security systems. And keep in mind we personally tested each of these systems in our home for several days, weeks, and in some cases, months.
We liked getting to choose between DIY and professional monitoring, and that was just one of the many options we got with SimpliSafe. We also had a choice of equipment packages, and our system worked with both Google Home and Alexa. Best of all, though, packages cost as little as $250, and monitoring was as little as $20 per month.
SimpliSafe offers a package and a monitoring plan for every budget. The cheapest package is $249.96, while packages max out at just over $700. Get this, though: SimpliSafe is always running a deal, so you can often find prices around the $100 mark. And you can pay for it all in installments.
Lots of choices with monitoring, too. We think the full-service 24/7 professional plan might be a little over-priced at $30 per month. You can get the same basic coverage from Ring Alarm for $10 less. But SimpliSafe also lets you DIY your monitoring, which means you pay nothing after buying equipment and you still get real-time alerts. That’s pretty affordable.
The good news is that SimpliSafe offers lots of flexibility when it comes to equipment packages, everything from the four-piece Foundation to the 14-piece Haven. You can even build your own system. And all the equipment is solidly built.
The bad news is that SimpliSafe has limited equipment options and that includes camera selection. You can now get two different SimpliSafe indoor camera models – one wired, one wireless. Otherwise, you’re limited to one SimpliSafe outdoor model and one SimpliSafe video doorbell model. So we’d like to see more security camera options in their lineup.
SimpliSafe equipment
| System Name | Number of Pieces | Regular Price |
|---|---|---|
| The Beacon | 10 | $709.90 |
| The Lighthouse | 7 | $469.93 |
| The Haven | 14 | $519.86 |
| The Knox | 12 | $479.87 |
| The Hearth | 9 | $399.91 |
| The Essentials | 6 | $279.95 |
| The Foundation | 4 | $249.96 |
You get to choose between DIY and professional monitoring, which, again, allows for enormous flexibility. You can save money by signing up for self-monitoring but still add a month of professional monitoring when you need to be out of town. Or, you can save money by choosing DIY now and leveling up to professional when you get your next big raise. There’s even a self-monitoring plan that provides cloud storage recording. So you have lots of options and flexibility with SimpliSafe.
We generally sign up for full-service monitoring when we can get it, but this time went with complete self-monitoring just to see what we would get for no money. Surprisingly, we got everything we needed to handle our own security, from real-time alerts to live video streams.
>> Find Out More: Best self-monitored systems
The main reason SimpliSafe is one of our top home security systems is that it offers plenty of choices. There are lots of packages to choose from or you can build your own, and it’s easy to add a camera or a sensor as your needs change. There are multiple monitoring plans to choose from, as well. Some let you DIY and some provide full-service professional monitoring.
The company’s flexibility extends to installation. Everything is DIY and super simple. We had no trouble installing a six-piece system with bonus camera (we caught a great SimpliSafe deal at just the right time).
Once we plugged in the base station and logged in, it guided us through the rest. The whole thing took around 30 minutes, which meant we could get back to watching “Succession.” SimpliSafe also assured us that if we moved, we were free to take all our equipment with us. Plus, DIY installation saved us a chunk of change.
FYI: One bonus of choosing SimpliSafe – a modern design aesthetic. The SimpliSafe hub, for instance, is sleek, unobtrusive, and looked great in our home.
No system is perfect, of course. We’d like to see SimpliSafe offer more equipment options and maybe shave $10 per month off their professional monitoring price. Call us fans, though. SimpliSafe has everything we need, and it has it all for affordable prices.
>> Compare: SimpliSafe Vs. ADT
| Monitoring Options | Self or professional |
|---|---|
| Installation | DIY or professional |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $249.96 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $19.99 |
| Contract Length | Month-to-month |
With low-priced equipment, Cove let us save a lot of money up front. And with monitoring plans as cheap as $18 per month, we saved money long-term, as well. Plus, with month-to-month subscriptions we weren’t locked into anything if we found a better offer.
We mentioned Cove’s pricing already. Cove is basically a cut-rate version of a premium system. Monitoring plans start at $17.95 per month, which is $2 cheaper than Ring. They max out at $27.95 per month, which is more expensive than Ring, but still $2 cheaper than SimpliSafe. Most equipment is less than half of what you’d pay with Ring, and that includes cameras. Even the outdoor camera is just $100.
Cove equipment isn’t exactly the sleekest on the market, like the touchscreen hub, which weighs in at a full 3 pounds. We didn’t have to mount that 3 pounds on the wall, though, since the hub sits nicely on end tables and countertops. There’s a nice range of additional equipment, including indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras – though these last are a little light when it comes to AI features. Best of all, Cove offers all of its equipment at some of the lowest prices on the market.
Cove equipment
>> Also See: Video Doorbell Buying Guide
Cove offers two affordable monitoring options. Both give you professional monitoring, environmental monitoring, Insta-text notifications, cellular backup, and hourly automated check-ins. If you want smart features, you have to go with the more expensive of the two plans. Fair enough. We were a little disappointed, though, that without that more expensive plan we also couldn’t control our system with our smartphone.
>> More Options: Best systems with cellular connections
Cove isn’t a system with a long history of reliability. This isn’t a system with a long history, period.
Cove is a relative newcomer to the home security market, having been around for just over five years. It’s managed to find a solid niche in the market, though, by offering good quality equipment and service for a low price.
On the equipment side, Cove isn’t going to win any design awards. Nor is it going to remain hidden from anyone who might try breaking in. But maybe that’s part of the point. Likewise, we were disappointed with the cameras’ features. No AI meant we got around two dozen false alarms at work – the neighbor’s dog was loose again and must like the smell of our place. The one thing you do get with Cove equipment? A lifetime guarantee. Pretty rare these days.
On the monitoring side, Cove impresses, as well. Cove’s Plus Plan, which includes full app controls and integration with both Google Home and Alexa, is just $27.99. Even if you go for the cheaper $17.99 plan, you still get cellular backup. We always advocate that our readers invest in professional monitoring – ever since that time our basement flooded while we were getting our teeth cleaned. There’s no reason you should have to pay extra to be safe, though.
| Monitoring Options | Professional or DIY |
|---|---|
| Installation | DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $87 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $17.99 |
| Contract Length | 1 month |
We liked that with abode we got smart home functions for an affordable price. Plus, we paid no installation costs, and with the ability to self-monitor we never had to pay another dime after we set everything up. Free is our favorite kind of affordable.
Abode is just a touch cheaper than SimpliSafe, and that’s true across the board. Abode’s cheapest camera, for instance, costs just $60, $40 less than SimpliSafe’s cheapest offering. Abode’s professional monitoring is $10 cheaper than SimpliSafe’s. Abode even wins when it comes to self-monitoring. Both companies offer totally free plans, but if you want to add cloud storage to your self-monitoring, you’ll pay about a third less with abode.
Abode offers three different sets of equipment – the Security Kit, the Smart Security Kit, and the Iota Security Kit. Like SimpliSafe, abode camera options are limited – nothing like the selection you get from a camera-based company like Lorex. We do like abode’s AI features, though, like built-in person/pet/package detection on all cameras and the fact that everything works with Google Home, Alexa, Apple HomeKit, and IFTTT.
abode Equipment
>> Find Out More: Best IFTTT Systems
You’re going to find several companies on this list that let you DIY your monitoring. While we always recommend professional monitoring, there’s no getting around the fact that self-monitoring saves money. You can buy equipment and pay nothing else. Ever. Abode is another one of those systems. Like SimpliSafe, though, it offers professional monitoring when you need it with no contracts. And it’s $10 per month cheaper than SimpliSafe monitoring.
>> Head-to-head: Abode Vs. SimpliSafe
Abode offers lots of smart home integration – the kind you usually only get with the bigger companies like ADT and Vivint – at an affordable price. For instance, cameras come with Package/Pet/Person detection. When we were expecting an important package, we didn’t have to worry if our video doorbell alert was about the package or the neighbors stray dog out again. We knew instantly what was happening.
In addition, abode works with a crazy number of smart home devices. It’s compatible with Google Home, Amazon, and Apple HomeKit, but it also utilizes Z-wave technology, which allows it to hook up with over 4,000 different smart products. And it works with IFTTT. We were able to create some cool routines. Like, when our cameras detected that important package on our porch, our stereo started up with Celebration by Kool and the Gang.
We should point out that access to all this smart-ness requires you at least sign up for abode’s $5.83 per month Standard Plan. That comes with camera storage, though, and premium customer support. And hey, if you compare $5.83 to Vivint’s monitoring price, which can run as high as $60 per month or more, well, you can see why abode’s on this list. Plus, unlike Vivint, abode runs frequent sales, so you may be able to get an even lower price.
| Monitoring Options | Professional and DIY |
|---|---|
| Installation | DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit |
| Equipment Cost | From $139.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $5.83 |
| Contract Length | Month-to-month |
We like full-service home security systems, especially if they come with outstanding professional monitoring. Often, they can be a little pricey. In Frontpoint, though, we found a truly affordable professionally-monitored system.
Frontpoint is a full-service home security system. That means it comes with a full-service home security system price. Monitoring, for instance, costs $49.99 per month. That’s comparable with high-end systems like ADT. You can save a little money over Frontpoint’s competitors, though, when it comes to equipment. Frontpoint packages start at just $325, which is about half of what ADT and Vivint charge. And since installation is all DIY, you also save money on professional installation charges.
Frontpoint systems center around a hub and keypad, but you can add lots of other devices, from smoke and heat sensors to panic pendants. We like the company’s range of smart products: thermostats, outdoor smart plugs, and wireless light controls. Frontpoint offers cameras, too, though it doesn’t manufacture its own video doorbells. We found the Skybell Slim Line, which it does offer, to be hardy enough, but the video quality is only 720p resolution. 1080p HD is the industry standard these days.
Frontpoint equipment
There’s only one monitoring option with Frontpoint – professional 24/7 monitoring. That’s okay, since that’s what we always recommend. And that plan comes with lots of perks, like backup cellular in case your Wi-Fi goes down and smart device functionality. One plan can be a little anti-democratic, though. We don’t like knowing that we pay the same price for Frontpoint to monitor our single camera as our neighbor down the street who pays for 10-camera monitoring.
Frontpoint is very reminiscent of high-end, full-service companies like ADT and Vivint. Like them, for instance, Frontpoint requires you invest in a professional monitoring plan. And like them, Frontpoint charges a premium price for that plan. Of course, you get what you pay for, and Frontpoint definitely brings the value.
Like smart home automation: Frontpoint not only plays well with Alexa and Google Home, but it works great with a long list of smart home products. We were able to use our Frontpoint app, for example, to open the Yale locks on our front door. Pretty handy when we left a pizza cooking in our oven and had to call a neighbor to go in and turn it off.
We hear what you’re saying, though: What’s an expensive system like Frontpoint doing on a Most Affordable list? The answer is that Frontpoint is a top-shelf home security system that allows you to save some money. Yes, monitoring costs about as much as you’d pay with Vivint or ADT, though we should point out that Frontpoint keeps things simple with one price – $49.99 per month.
Go with ADT or Vivint and you could wind up paying up to $60 per month or more. More importantly, Frontpoint charges about half what those other two charge for equipment, and there’s no installation fee, since installation is 100% DIY.
Think of Frontpoint, then, as a premier system that allows you to shave a little money off your bottom line. You get solid equipment and reliable service, you can rest assured that someone is always keeping an eye on your home, and you still get the satisfaction of knowing you saved money.
>> Save Even More: Frontpoint Deals
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $219.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | $50 |
| Contract Length | 1-36 months |
In Brinks, we found an ADT alternative at a cheaper price. Brinks has been around almost as long as ADT, it’s a professionally-monitored system, and it offers cutting-edge equipment. Here’s the thing, though: Brinks costs about 30% less than ADT across the board.
Brinks is on this list because it offers the features you’d get with ADT, but it offers them for a slightly lower price point. For example, Brinks monitoring maxes out at $45 per month. With ADT you can pay as much as $60 per month for monitoring. Likewise, ADT’s cheapest equipment package is around $600, while Brinks’ is $360. Plus, with Brinks you get free professional installation or you can install your system yourself. That’s a definite perk.
>> Check Out: Best Systems for Those With Poor Credit
When it comes to equipment, Brinks is a tale of two systems. On the one hand, the company is definitely forward-thinking. All devices, for instance, work well with Alexa and Google Home. And we’re particular fans of the touchpad hub. Among its many features, it includes an SD card that records video any time someone tampers with the system. That way, even if someone does manage to take the system down somehow, you’ll have a record of who did it and how it happened.
However, it has to be said that Brinks doesn’t offer the level of Alexa and Google Home integration that Vivint offers. And for all its cutting edge technology the company has blind spots. It doesn’t offer its own video doorbell, for example, and the Skybell doorbell it does offer has limited resolution: 720p HD is just too pixelated to keep you truly secure.
Brinks equipment
Brinks offers two monitoring plans, the Home Complete and the Home Complete with Video. The nice thing is that both plans include professional monitoring and both come with cellular backup, so you can be sure the system will keep working even if your Wi-Fi should go down.
Unfortunately, there’s no DIY option, so if you’re looking to save money on monitoring, you’re out of luck. As we always say, though, you’re not always going to be around to monitor your system, so you’re better off letting someone else do it.
>>Check Out: Brinks Vs. ADT
It’s useful to talk about Brinks in terms of ADT because the two companies have so much in common. Both, for example, are old companies, dating back to the 1800’s (seriously). Both offer old-school customer service, which includes things like professional installation and 24/7 monitoring plans. Both companies are forward-thinking, as well, offering smart home integration with voice control, for instance. That came in handy when we needed to check a Brinks alert on our home hub but were in the middle of making a loaf of bread, and our hands were covered in dough.
The reason ADT isn’t on this list? Because Brinks is more affordable, and this list is all about affordability. Brinks is still a full-service company, and you’re going to pay more than you would for, say, Ring or abode. You’ll pay about a third less than you’d pay for an ADT system, though, both in terms of equipment and in terms of monitoring. And as a bonus, you don’t have to pay for installation.
The trade-off, of course, is that Brinks just isn’t quite as good as ADT. You get what you pay for, after all. The differences are subtle, but they do matter. ADT offers its own user-friendly app; Brinks requires you sign up with a third-part app – Alarm.com. ADT offers a choice between its own cameras and Nest cameras; ADT offers the Skybell video doorbell, but it has limited resolution.
ADT has nine monitoring centers across the country, and there’s built-in redundancy; so if one goes down the others step up. Brinks has backup servers and backup generators, but that’s just a step down from ADT. If you’re looking to save money, though, Brinks wins every time.
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $199 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $39 |
| Contract Length | 36 months |
If you’re going to save money on a home security system, it helps to know where the costs are. That way, you can make informed decisions about what it’s reasonable to cut and what kinds of cuts might put your security in jeopardy.
There are three primary costs when it comes to home security systems:
The goal isn’t to simply cut everything and go with the cheapest options in all these categories. Rather you want to weigh your particular needs against the costs you’ll pay. Then choose a system that balances security with affordability.
Saving extra money isn’t always just about finding affordable home security systems. You can often get great deals on home security equipment, and even discounts on monitoring. In fact, if you keep your eyes open, you can sometimes snag a top-tier system for the price of a far more affordable system.
You’ll also find that lots of home security systems offer some sort of deal virtually year-round. For instance:
You may need to keep your eyes peeled, but there’s a deal out there that’s right for every homeowner or renter.
The bottom line is that home security is now within every homeowner’s budget. There are plenty of affordable systems out there. Yes, you may have to put in a little elbow-grease yourself to save money (thankfully DIY setup is incredibly easy these days). You may have to do the installation, or you may have to self-monitor the system, but it can be done.
We feel confident that one of the systems we’ve gone over here will do the job for you and do it in a way that you can afford it. That’s a good thing, because the world isn’t getting any safer, and you just can’t afford not to have a home security system these days.
Yes, many home security systems, including those with low prices, offer professional monitoring services. SimpliSafe, abode, and Frontpoint are three great examples.
Yes, some home security systems with low overall costs often have upfront equipment costs. They may be set up to save you money long-term by allowing you to avoid long-term contracts or professional monitoring. Or, they may charge lower equipment costs than other companies so that even if you’re paying upfront you’ll still save money.
In most cases, you can return a home security system. Many companies offer trial plans or money-back guarantees for a set number of days or months. This is a great way to test out a system to see how well it works for you.
Yes, in some cases you may need to purchase additional equipment to build your home automation up. In addition, a number of companies only provide premium services and equipment functionality if you pay a monthly fee.
Not all home security systems that are affordable will require a long-term contract. Some systems do. Abode and SimpliSafe, for example, do not. Frontpoint has a longer contract requirement than other systems.
