Best Home Security Systems for Homeowners

ADT is one of the most recognized names in the home security business. The company was founded in 1874 as the first home security system network. Now, ADT is the nation’s largest home security provider. If you’re interested in a system, the company provides a free in-home security consultation to assess your security needs. Systems are professionally installed by an expert to ensure that your home is optimally protected. Packages include both wired and wireless options. ADT monitoring is required with any system purchase, as well as a three-year ADT contract. Monthly monitoring plans range from $37 to $53 per month depending on the equipment you have installed. For $20 per month, you can buy a monitoring plan to cover a system you already own. Systems are backed by multiple monitoring centers across the U.S. to ensure that a power outage won’t take down your home security.

ADT remains the most popular security choice in the United States and Canada for the systems’ wide range of options. You can choose a basic security system for protection against intruders, or you can opt for all the bells and whistles. ADT gives you options to add on video surveillance services, environmental disaster protection, and home automation products. Video surveillance can include indoor cameras, outdoor cameras, and video doorbells. ADT cameras have 720p HD video recording with night vision. Cameras are triggered by motion detectors to record video clips that you can view, save, and store on the ADT app. You can program the app to send you the video or an alert whenever one of your cameras records a new clip. Through the ADT app, you can watch a live feed of your cameras at any time and record videos to save to your account. The video doorbell includes two-way audio, so you can speak through your app to anyone on your doorstep. For environmental disaster protection, ADT’s sensors offer protection from carbon monoxide, smoke, heat, floods, and water leaks.

ADT also makes home automation an easy next step with the ADT Pulse app, now called the Control App. The app gives you access and control of your cameras, your security, lighting, smart locks, thermostat, and more. You can make almost any appliance or electronic device automated with smart switches and plugs, and ADT offers more home-automation products than any other security company on our list. ADT gives you the power to control your automated system from the standard control panel on your wall, the ADT app, or the Amazon Echo with only your voice.

Now, ADT isn’t a perfect home security system by any means. We wish they offered a better lineup of outdoor cameras, and the contract is a minimum of three years long (CA residents only have to sign on for two years). But overall, it’s certainly the best pick for homeowners.

Learn all the ins and outs in our full ADT security system review.

Vivint makes cutting-edge technology easy to use. When we tested the entire Vivint system, we noted excellent environmental protection, smarter-than-average automation, and top-notch video footage from Vivint’s indoor and outdoor cameras. These are standard for most systems, but no other security company links their security products together into such a seamless system. After a trained professional installs your security system, Vivint ties all your devices together using its highly-rated mobile app. The Vivint app makes every device in your system accessible and controllable from the straightforward interface.

The automation features from Vivint are second to none. The company offers a full line of smart products to automate your home without gaps in coverage. Systems can include a Vivint doorbell camera, Ping indoor cameras, Vivint outdoor cameras, an Element thermostat, Kwikset smart locks, an Amazon Echo, and Linear garage door control. With a smart home from Vivint, you get control, comfort, and convenience. You can control all your automated equipment from the Amazon Echo with your voice, from the physical control panel in your home, or from the Vivint app. The AI assistant that is built into the app, and it uses machine learning to automate and manage your smart home for you. If you program it to, the app can make decisions for your home based on sensors, geolocation, and history. Using the geolocation feature on your phone, the Element thermostat learns your preferred temperature settings and then auto-adjusts when you arrive home. When your home is empty, the thermostat readjusts to conserve energy.

Vivint’s equipment and monitoring prices tend to run higher than many competitors, but that’s mostly because of the advanced technology and automation features you don’t get with lower-cost security systems. The basic package starts at $29.99 per month. The package includes a control panel, the Vivint app, basic home security equipment, and 24/7 professional monitoring. You only pay for what you want, so other products are added to your package one at a time.

Customer service may not be a high priority when you purchase a security system, but if you choose Frontpoint, you’ll be glad you did precisely because of the customer service the company provides. Just because Frontpoint has do-it-yourself installation, doesn’t mean that you’re on your own if you need a little guidance. The professional and polite customer service representatives can help you decide where to set up your new security equipment, troubleshoot any potential issues with your system, and answer questions about specific equipment capabilities or about home security in general. The customer service representatives know their stuff and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure that each customer is comfortable with his or her security system.

With the concierge-level customer service, you might expect to pay an arm and a leg, but Frontpoint is one of the most affordable home security systems on the market. Equipment packages start at $100 and can be customized to include almost any security product. After you purchase your equipment, you’ll pay a one-time activation fee of no more than $199 and then choose the monitoring package that is right for the home system you’ve created. Monitoring packages cost $49 per month. Frontpoint security systems and the equipment in those systems are completely wireless, making it easy to expand your system to include even more devices. The wireless feature also makes this system an easy one to pack up and set up again if you plan to move. The price and wireless design of Frontpoint systems make this an outstanding choice for both homeowners and renters.

Frontpoint is affordable with great customer service, but what keeps customers coming back is the high-quality systems. Frontpoint systems use GE (General Electric) equipment that protects against intruders and environmental damage. Since each system is custom-built, you have a world of options. With the Ultimate Service Plan for monitoring, you can connect indoor and outdoor cameras to your security system and you can automate all your equipment for a truly smart home. Frontpoint offers indoor and outdoor cameras that record videos in 1080p full HD with infrared night vision, which means that these cameras will catch anything at night almost as clearly as they would in the daylight. You can also connect a doorbell camera that uses motion sensors to alert you every time someone approaches your door. All the cameras have built-in motion detectors, and any time one is triggered, Frontpoint alerts you to the activity. With the Frontpoint mobile app, you can automate your cameras, your home lighting, your thermostat, and even the locks to your home. Learn more about Frontpoint costs, or head straight to our full Frontpoint review for a deeper look at the system.

Most homeowners are looking for a security system for one main reason: to keep their homes and loved ones safe from intruders. But these days home security isn’t only about keeping the bad guys out. Wireless DIY monitoring services like Cove can also help lower your homeowners rate by giving you protective devices discounts for equipment like CO, smoke, and flood sensors, smart locks, and burglar alarms. For more on our experience outfitting an actual home with Cove products, here’s our complete Cove security review.

Cove scores two out of three points on the protective devices front with a full battery of environmental sensors and their TripleTouch Alarm Response — 24/7 professional monitoring with live support both via your wall panel and smartphone.

Cove’s advanced plan, Cove Plus, is going to make the most sense here. It’s a few dollars more per month ($24.99 versus $14.99), but that extra $10 gives you the option to manage the whole house via the Cove app. Cove Plus also gives you a lifetime warranty on all your Cove equipment, which typically runs between $150 to $350 per house.

Just keep in mind that Cove doesn’t sell smart locks yet. If smart locks are a must-have, you might consider SimpliSafe, a close competitor with low monthly rates and easy installations.

Home security with Brinks is affordable, especially if you are a homeowner. The Home Complete package is $399, and the Home Complete with Video package is $499. Get the full breakdown in our Brinks pricing and package guide, and check out our hands-on Brinks system review for everything you need to know about Brinks Home Security.

Brinks wants you to be happy with the security you choose for your home. That’s why you can choose between DIY and professional installation. No other company on our list gives you that option. Usually you’re locked into either installation by yourself or by a professional with no wiggle room. Brinks gives you options, because there is no one size fits all when it comes to securing your home. You also get a money-back guarantee for 90 days to ensure that you’re happy with your new system. Brinks is a reliable, well-known brand for home security for a reason. They care about the services and equipment they provide and about the customers they serve.