CPI Security Reviews

CPI Security Overview

CPI Security Systems, Inc. has been around since 1991. And from what we can tell, they’ve been growing steadily over the years. The company’s headquarters is in Charlotte, North Carolina.1

Note that CPI Security was named The Security Provider of the Year in 2019 by SDM Magazine.2 So, although they may not be as relevant as today’s home security startups (the “new guard” that’s sweeping the market like Ring and SimpliSafe), CPI still might be a force to be reckoned with. That said, in all of our research about the company, we didn’t come away with any definitive facts or figures that truly stood out. What you see is what you get with CPI.

CPI Security has consistently updated its equipment and services to keep pace with evolving technology. In the early 2010s, their offerings centered on a basic analog control panel. As competitors introduced touchscreen panels and smart home features, CPI adapted. They launched the inTouch panel—a tablet-style touchscreen—and added home automation and advanced features to their premium monitoring packages.

That evolution is still playing out today. CPI continues to refine its platform, integrating compatibility with popular smart home ecosystems and expanding its camera and sensor lineup. While it may not have the flashiest reputation compared with newer entrants, its technology is modern, reliable, and fully capable of supporting today’s connected homes.

CPI Security Cost Breakdown

CPI’s pricing structure surprised us during our research. Their monitoring starts at $29.99 per month, which sounds appealing at first. However, once we started going through their consultation process and credit check (yes, they do require one), we learned that this base rate only applies to their no-frills Essentials package. That said, their rates are still competitive considering industry averages for basic coverage sit around $25 to $35 per month.

Here’s where costs add up: you’ll need to purchase equipment upfront. With CPI Security, equipment packages typically start around $500, depending on your configuration. Their premium packages — which include security cameras and smart locks — can easily exceed $1,000. Compared to DIY options like SimpliSafe or Frontpoint, CPI Security is a substantial investment. Here are the current package options:

CPI Security Packages

One of the things we like about CPI Security is the ability to customize a system from the ground up. All packages include the touchscreen inTouch™ Smart Hub—except for the Essentials plan, which comes with a simpler wireless panel.

The inTouch Hub comes packed with practical features: battery backup, a built-in camera that snaps photos during failed disarming attempts, and two-way audio so you can talk directly with monitoring professionals. The design is surprisingly sleek and modern — a refreshing upgrade from the bulky, outdated panels you still see with some traditional security companies.

On the downside, CPI Security isn’t transparent about pricing. We had to call for a quote and discovered that the Essentials package wasn’t the right fit for us. While the technology impressed us, the lack of upfront cost information was frustrating.

That said, if you do call in and find that the equipment is too expensive, CPI Security offers 0% financing over 36-60 months with the CPI Smart Pay Program.3 Even still, we found that these home security systems are not best for folks on a tight budget.

Hands-On Experience with CPI Security

Getting Started

We found the sign-up process for CPI Security fairly straightforward. First, we spoke with a sales rep on the phone to learn about our options. Then we chose an equipment package (we went with the Edge package) and a monitoring plan. We opted for the $49.99 per month monitoring plan — not exactly budget-friendly, but it’s in the same ballpark as what you’d pay with ADT or Vivint.

Now, remember how we mentioned that CPI Security only has limited availability? Well, here’s something to chew on. If you don’t live in one of CPI’s service areas, then you’re out of luck, as CPI only offers service in select states across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, including:

• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Georgia
• Tennessee
• Alabama
• Mississippi
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Virginia
• Kentucky
• Maryland
• Delaware

Another thing to keep in mind is that CPI Security doesn’t offer a money-back guarantee. In our experience, we’re used to decent offers here — like 30-day or 60-day money-back guarantees. ADT actually offers a 6-month money-back guarantee! Knowing that a company stands behind its products helps to instill trust. Alas, CPI doesn’t guarantee anything.

Installation

We like options, and it’s nice to at least have the option for DIY setup. So, we were somewhat disappointed to learn that CPI Security requires professional installation. That said, we’ve almost come to expect it with top brands like ADT and Vivint. Just know that you’ll have to schedule a date and time for a CPI technician to visit your home and get your system up and running.5

Depending on the system and the number of devices you purchase, installation can take anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours — so clear your schedule accordingly. On the bright side, professional installation means the system is far more likely to be set up correctly the first time. No guesswork and no fumbling with instruction manuals. We can get behind that.

Daily Use and Performance

We found CPI’s equipment surprisingly well-made — especially compared to the low-end DIY systems out there. The devices are also somewhat inconspicuous. They didn’t stand out at all against our white walls, which is good for two reasons: It makes them harder to spot for burglars, and it’s less of an eyesore for us.

We did run into a few frustrations with the entry sensors and motion sensors, though. The entry sensors were finicky when we reconfigured the system — they refused to reconnect even after being paired just moments earlier. The motion sensors, meanwhile, were a little too eager, triggering false alarms from pets and even our robot vacuum. A few annoyances, sure, but overall we still came away impressed with the hardware. More on the cameras in a bit.

As far as the controls go, we think you’ll like the touchscreen control panel and mobile app. Remember, all their packages (except the base Essentials package) come with the touchscreen InTouch™ panel. It’s a sleek way to arm and disarm your system, view your live video feed, and automate your home with smart features.

As for the app, it’s nice to have control of your system from anywhere using your smartphone.6 We were able to access all the features the inTouch™ panel offers, but from the convenience of our phone. However, we think the interface could use some work. It’s definitely not as sleek or easy to use as, say, Ring Alarm’s mobile app or Frontpoint’s app.

One gripe we have with the app is that it’s unnecessarily difficult to navigate. It was easy enough to use to arm and disarm the system, but when we wanted to really dig in and personalize the system – for example, to set up different notification sounds for different types of alerts so we know when it’s urgent to check our phones – things got complicated real fast.

CPI Security also offers a web app accessible through any browser. While it provides more customization options than the smartphone app, it’s clearly designed for desktop or laptop use. Navigating it on a mobile device proved frustrating for us. Aside from using basic controls like arming and disarming, we struggled to make on-the-go changes to our system aside.

And what about the 24-7 professional monitoring? Well, one look at the CPI Security website, and you’ll see they really hype-up their monitoring center. Sure, it’s award-winning. And yes, it’s a UL-listed facility with a TMA 5-Diamond Certification.7 But aren’t most of them? We wanted to know how CPI Security performed in real-world situations. So, we simulated some break-in and package theft scenarios to find out!

Overall, we experienced lackluster response times of about 40 seconds (pretty anticlimactic, right?). However, the video doorbell worked decently. In our fake package theft scenario, it picked up our movement as soon as we walked into frame. We also liked that all CPI cameras offer 1080p HD video and night vision, offering clear footage day and night.

Customer Service

You’ll see that CPI Security offers three main ways to get in touch: phone, online chat, and email. We’ve seen user complaints regarding customer service. Again, we like to get in the trenches and find out for ourselves. Well, what we found was average to less-than-average customer service.

Although CPI’s call center is open 24-7, our wait times varied, but it sure wasn’t fast. One time, we were on the phone for more than 10 minutes. The online chat wasn’t any better. It felt impersonal with generic, scripted responses no matter how specific our questions got. Whether it’s a bot or a real person following a rigid script, the result is the same: not particularly helpful.

There is a Customer Care Help Center tab on their website, but it only has a few resources, none of which we found helpful. It got us wondering how CPI Security earned itself an A+ BBB rating.8 We’d give them a B+ in this category.

Features and Technology

CPI Security offers some strong monitoring capabilities with several standout features. Based on our testing of the Edge package, here’s how we rank the key monitoring features.

1. 24-7 Professional Monitoring — Around-the-clock security and environmental monitoring by highly-trained agents located across the nation.
2. Video Surveillance — CPI’s video monitoring can help to secure the outside and inside of your home.
3. IVAN Technology — Intelligent Video Activity Notifications (IVAN) will send smart alerts that distinguish between people, pets, and cars.
4. InTouch™ App — You can receive instant alerts and monitor your home from pretty much anywhere in the world using CPI Security’s mobile app.
5. No False Alarm Guarantee — Alarm and video verification helps to ensure emergency responders aren’t dispatched unless necessary.
6. Environmental Monitoring — CPI offers a heat rise indicator, a smoke detector, and a carbon monoxide detector.
7. Smart Home Automation — Control your lights, garage door, thermostat, and keyless door lock, as well as create custom scenes.
8. Voice Control — CPI works with Amazon Alexa and Google Home for hands-free voice control.

CPI Security Cameras

Of all the different components offered by CPI Security, we actually liked the security cameras the most. We purchased an indoor and outdoor camera to see how they measured up against other security cameras on the market. And we were pleasantly surprised. CPI’s four-camera options include:

InTouch 180™ Indoor Camera

InTouch™ HD Indoor Camera

InTouch™ HD Outdoor Camera

InTouch™ Doorbell Camera

All four cameras impressed us — we’re talking 1080p HD video quality, night vision, Pinch & Zoom, low-light recording, motion detection, and live video streaming, among other useful features. We also bought CPI’s Stream Video Recorder (SVR) service to unlock additional storage for our cameras, though it wasn’t cheap.

Equipment Options

CPI Security has a pretty decent lineup of equipment. However, the company doesn’t list prices for the add-ons and upgrades anywhere on their site. We think a little more transparency here would be nice. Here’s a helpful chart listing all of CPI’s offerings:

CPI Security Equipment

Final Words and Recommendations

We tip our hats to CPI Security for a few things, like their video surveillance features and their lineup of InTouch™ devices. We really liked IVAN, which was kind of like an AI feature that distinguished different types of motion that the cameras captured to reduce false alarms and improve alerts. Overall, the CPI’s security cameras didn’t bother us a lot with irrelevant notifications.

But that’s about it. Compared to many of the top home security systems available today, CPI feels a bit expensive and inflexible — especially with their mandatory professional installation policy. On top of that, if you don’t live in one of the handful of states they serve, CPI simply isn’t an option for you. That’s a significant limitation that’s hard to overlook.

With that said, it might be a good fit for some folks. For instance, if you live in the south and want access to decent home security + video + home automation (and you don’t mind paying $500 or more for equipment), then CPI just might fit the bill. All things considered, we weren’t all that impressed with CPI Security. We recommend looking into more affordable options on the market that are just as good, if not better.

CPI Security FAQs