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We spent $450 on a Frontpoint security system to put it through our rigorous testing process in our home.
Updated May 30, 2025
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Frontpoint is a company that likes to stay ahead of the curve. It’s always looking for ways to improve – new opportunities to add new high-tech features to its equipment and new approaches to providing top-notch security services. Every time we test a Frontpoint security system we approach it like it’s the very first time.
We’re always thorough, and our most recent Frontpoint review took us well over a hundred hours to complete and cost us around $450 in equipment. We wanted to test everything. What did we discover? That Frontpoint continues to produce a great security system, one that can go toe to toe with brands like ADT and Vivint. Maybe its best feature? Its ability to integrate with smart home devices.
No company is perfect, of course. We have a few complaints about Frontpoint’s bulky equipment and the fact that basic systems don’t include a touch screen control panel. Ultimately, though, Frontpoint remains one of the best security systems out there. Keep reading and we’ll explain why.
Check out more recommendations from the SafeHome team:
Frontpoint shipped us all of our equipment in a single box with clear labels
Frontpoint’s previous incarnation included a touchscreen controller, and when we found out it had ditched this for a screenless hub and a basic keypad, we initially thought that was a step backward.
Turns out we were wrong.
The hub is screenless, but we didn’t actually miss it. The responsive Frontpoint app gave us complete control over our system. Frankly, Frontpoint made us realize that an extra control panel built into the hub is redundant. In place of that screen, the hub is now packed with useful technology. For one thing, the hub is completely wireless. In addition, it relies entirely on cellular communication – the most reliable home security approach you can buy – and it includes battery backup so you’re protected even if the power should go out. It also features its own set of security features – Crash and Smash protection plus an internal siren. Most importantly, Frontpoint has used the hub to help up its smart home integration game.
Our family lives in a 2,800-square-foot home with lots of doors and windows to monitor, so in addition to the hub and keypad, we made sure our package came with multiple entry sensors. All told, we spent $450 – more than we’ve spent for a lot of DIY systems. SimpliSafe, for example, offers several systems for less than $300. If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a hundred times, though: value is a far more important measure of a home security system than price. Frontpoint’s high-quality equipment and impressive features more than justify its slightly higher price tag.
Frontpoint also offers a much larger range of equipment than other DIY home security providers. It all starts with two packages, a basic package and a camera package. From there, you can add cameras, intrusion sensors, hazard sensors, and home automation devices to really get things customized to your needs.
Here’s what our Frontpoint kit included:
We connected six entry sensors and a motion sensor to our Frontpoint hub
But let’s get back to that screenless hub. We struggled to get used to it at first. The hub sat there quietly on our entertainment stand, next to our router, saying…well, nothing. The keypad communicated, but only through indicator lights. The whole thing felt a little too passive. Isn’t control supposed to involve a lot of fiddling around with settings and pushing buttons to make adjustments?
To be clear, there is a Frontpoint app that you can use to make adjustments and receive alerts. Once we got used to it, this approach worked quite well. The screenless hub did what it needed to without input from us. When there was a problem, we just opened the app to find out what it was. Of course, if you must have a screen, Frontpoint has a touchscreen available. But the app offers all the control options we wanted, so we’re not sure it’s worth the price tag, which is typically more than $100.
We also passed up getting the keychain remote fob. Strangely enough, that choice didn’t turn out as well. We were sure we wouldn’t need it, and we did manage without it. For $25, though, we could have used the fob to get in our front door with the press of a single button. Instead, we wound up having to press all those buttons on the keypad to enter our passcode. And doing that multiple times a day got old quick.
Note that Frontpoint also sells security cameras. In fact, the company recently launched a 1080p HD outdoor camera with night vision and a three-year warranty. We’ll touch more on that in just a bit. But if you want tips on camera tech, check out our buying guide for home security cameras.
Did You Know? All Frontpoint equipment comes with a three-year limited warranty. This is actually one of the better warranties we’ve seen in the industry.
To begin with, we downloaded the app and jumped right into the easy, step-by-step instructions. First, it had us plug in the hub, then wait less than a minute for the Frontpoint key logo to glow.
The setup was surprisingly similar to when Frontpoint still had a touch screen control panel. In fact, we liked it a little better since we got to do everything using the app. We didn’t have to go back and forth between our phone and a touch screen keypad. The app found our Frontpoint hub without a hitch, and it got to working pretty much instantly to get it up and running.
To set up our Frontpoint Hub and Keypad, we just followed the instructions on our phone
We did eventually have to place the hub where it’s going to be for the rest of our test – in our entertainment stand. The good news is that we didn’t need to hide it. It has a sleek, opalescent look that can blend in anywhere. It looks just like a TV streaming box (about the size of one, too). Check it out…
Putting our Frontpoint Hub on our entertainment stand next to our Wi-Fi router to ensure a strong internet connection
That’s just us though. If you prefer hiding it – for example, if you’re afraid an intruder might find and smash it – you can easily do so. You don’t need to interface with it anyway, so as long as you can find a place to put it where it can wirelessly connect with your other Frontpoint equipment, go for it.
No matter where you put the hub, though, you’ll be pleased to know that Frontpoint’s “Crash and Smash” protection ensures no one can take out your security by crashing or smashing your hub. Any time anyone tampers with the device, the unit alerts the monitoring center. That kind of backup protection gave us even more confidence that Frontpoint would protect us no matter what.
The keypad was as light as a feather. To be honest, it felt a little delicate, but it gets the job done. It has numbered push-buttons, as well as the usual “Disarm,” “Stay,” and “Away” commands. This is similar to the push-button keypad on the Ring Alarm system. Nothing to write home about, but plenty functional.
The Frontpoint Keypad was about the same size as our hand
We were a little less enthusiastic about the door/window sensors. To be fair, they worked fine. They’re a bit bulky, though, with a seriously old-school aesthetic. Still not a deal-breaker, but we were pretty disappointed at how they looked with our minimalist doors and windows. Safety should always trump style, but must it be either/ or?
We bought six Frontpoint entry sensors to secure every first-floor door and window in our home
Of course, if someone were to break in, you could huck sensors at them. They could do some damage. Kidding. Honestly, though, these sensors do look like they were made back in the ‘90s. Have a look at the picture below, with the Frontpoint sensor above the Ring Alarm sensor. Notice the difference?
We put our Frontpoint Door Sensor and Ring Door Sensor side-by-side for a direct comparison
Needless to say, Frontpoint would do well to update their sensors to a smaller design.
Next, we connected the hub to our network. Frontpoint utilizes dual-path communication technology, a fancy way of saying that it offers both Wi-Fi and LTE cellular connections. LTE cellular is option one, and you really can’t get any more reliable. Wi-Fi networks go down. Heck, where we live, we struggle to get a strong connection on a windy day. LTE cellular works when Wi-Fi doesn’t. In fact, even when we lost power during an ice storm in December, we had a strong signal. The last thing you want is a home security system that comes and goes with the weather. Of course, on the odd chance that your cellular signal should go down, you do still have the Wi-Fi connection as back-up.
Our Frontpoint Hub connected to our WiFi network and an LTE cellular connection
FYI: Look for the little “progress” icon in the upper right-hand corner of the setup screen. Knowing that you’re 75% of the way finished with setup will help you stay motivated to complete the job.
This is where things began to go wrong – not horribly wrong, but, you know, wrong. First up, a couple of sensors didn’t turn on when we armed the system. We were using the app, and it noticed right away that there was a problem. That’s a good thing. It then set out to save the day by calling for a tech. Clever.
Frontpoint prompted us to call support when our sensors didn’t connect to the Hub
Unfortunately, a lot of other Frontpoint apps were trying to save the day for their customers too. There were 47 calls in front of us. That wasn’t just frustrating. It shook our confidence a bit. How many Frontpoint systems out there needed saving?
Frontpoint’s automated help system promised to call us back, so we slept with one eye open that night and waited for support to get in touch.
The good news? Customer service was not only friendly but knowledgeable and fixed our problem pretty quickly. Turns out, the sensors were assigned incorrect numbers at the factory. All we had to do was re-label them with a marker. An oddly simple fix, but one that worked. Marker or no, though, we prefer it when our equipment arrives in proper working order.
We needed to relabel our Frontpoint Sensors due to an error at their factory
Pro Tip: Keep the hub nearby as you mount and test each sensor. The hub announces whether or not each sensor is working, which you may not be able to hear from all the way across your house. And don’t worry, thanks to the 24-hour backup battery, the hub works just fine while unplugged for a bit.
It’s one thing to know all about Frontpoint’s specs and features. Lists and numbers won’t tell you how a system works, though. For that, you need to spend some time with it. Like most home security systems, Frontpoint gives you the option to try out their equipment with a 30-day money-back guarantee. That means going through the process of picking out equipment, paying for it, and setting it up just to find out how well it works. We do all of that for you, so you don’t have to. Here’s what our experience with Frontpoint was like.
Right away we were impressed by just how easy the Frontpoint system is to use. No complicated keypad interface to learn. Everything was color-coded so it was impossible to get lost, and arming and disarming the system were as easy as pushing a single button. The app was just as easy to use, but also gave us a great deal of control over the system. In addition to live footage, we had the option to pull up any clips the cameras had captured.
Early on, we were getting a lot of false alerts from the neighbor’s cat, but luckily the app also let us fine-tune settings so all the alerts were for actual people. In fact, we named Frontpoint one of our top DIY home security systems because of how much control it gives customers over their systems. The process isn’t as streamlined or intuitive as Vivint and the other top professionally installed security systems, but we had actually had more setting options than we had with those other companies.
Why is control so important? Simple – not every homeowner wants the same thing from their home security system. We have a toddler, for instance. When they don’t get their beauty sleep, they can get pretty grumpy. Enter Frontpoint’s “Silent Arming” option which arms our system without disrupting our toddler’s nap time. More brands are now offering this feature, but not all of them, and if you’ve got kids, it can be a game changer. We should point out that it’s better to arm your system before your kids’ naps since the hub beeps for 30 seconds while the system is arming, and that sort of defeats the purpose of the whole silent thing.
Frontpoint gave us four options when arming our system
Those arming beeps are nothing compared to Frontpoint’s siren, though. Ordinarily, that would be a good thing. If you’re trying to startle a would-be burglar, there’s nothing better than a siren that’s on the edge of piercing your eardrums. We made the mistake of standing too close to the hub when we were testing it, and our ears are still ringing.
Again, though…kids. Kids and sirens don’t always mix. Frankly, the Frontpoint siren was loud enough to scare us, let alone our kids. Silent alarm to the rescue. Another setting tweak and our Frontpoint system notified us of emergencies without creating full-on panic.
FYI: Frontpoint’s siren is rated at 104.5 dB, which is actually pretty standard. But it sounds more like 120 dB. To put that in perspective, a lawn mower is about 90 dB, while the front row of a rock concert is about 120 dB. According to research, sounds above 85 dB can be harmful if you’re not careful.1
We mentioned earlier how much we like the Frontpoint hub. It’s a head-turner, especially at night. We discovered the first night we had it that it glows from top to bottom, which makes for a nice night light. No more stepping on Legos when we get up for a glass of water. It also glows in different colors – red, yellow, green, and blue – depending on what mode we set it in. Knowing it was doing what we’d told it to gave us an extra sense of security when we were up.
Our Frontpoint’s Hub told us what mode it was currently in based on the color of the light
As with most aspects of the Frontpoint system, though, you can control that glow if you need to. If you read our hands-on review of SimpliSafe, you might remember that the base station light interrupted “Braveheart” one evening (OK, it’s an older movie, but it’s a good one – you’ll never take our freedom!). We managed to find a manual switch to turn it off.
Turns out, Frontpoint also offers Night Hours. In simple terms, you can schedule the hub to shut down during preset hours. That was easier than finding the light switch on the SimpliSafe hub when we were trying to watch Mel Gibson. We set our Frontpoint hub to minimize the glow every evening during TV time.
We automated our Frontpoint Hub’s glow to prevent it from disrupting our movie nights
Frontpoint doesn’t give you the option to self-monitor. No problem – we always recommend professional monitoring, since it ensures someone’s watching your home even when you can’t.
As for how well that professional monitoring works, our tests clocked Frontpoint’s response time at 25 seconds. That’s faster than the industry average, which ultimately means the monitoring center was on the line with us and able to get emergency services – police, fire, EMS – to us faster than the industry average. Well, if it had been an actual emergency rather than a test anyway. Not bad. Note, too, that you don’t actually want a much shorter response time. You need a bit of a delay to cancel accidental alerts. Otherwise, you wind up with lots of false alarms.
We were much less happy with the entry delay. The entry delay is the amount of time you have to deactivate the alarm after entering your home when it’s armed to Away mode. Frontpoint sets this to 30 seconds by default. That’s a little long for our taste. It gives burglars plenty of time to get in, rifle through whatever they can get their hands on, and get out. You can increase the entry delay, up to three minutes, but there’s no way to decrease it.
Thankfully, entry delay only works on Away mode. If the Frontpoint system is armed on Home mode — for example, at night — alerts are instantaneous.
FYI: I noticed a squeaking or chirping sound coming from our hub. It actually sounded like a mouse in the house, which was pretty annoying to hear while eating dinner one night. So I decided to call Frontpoint about it. Turns out, the little mouse squeak occurs whenever the hub senses a “tampered” device. (I’d accidentally left our hub unplugged.) This is just something to keep in mind.
Overall, the Frontpoint system was responsive and fairly easy to use. The app is also nice, but due to the sheer number of features and customizations, it may not be easy to find what you’re looking for at first.
No two home security systems are alike; they all have their own twist. The best systems, though, stand out with unique features that make you safe, make your life easier, or both. So what does Frontpoint have going for it?
Most home security systems let you choose between Home, Away, and Standby modes. These settings let you turn system components on and off together. For instance, the Home setting turns off motion detectors so you don’t trigger an alarm on the way to grab a glass of orange juice.
One of the things we loved about Frontpoint is that its Scenes program let us create our own customized modes. For example, we set up a Nighttime scene. Once we went to bed, our upstairs motion detectors shut off, but the ones downstairs stayed on in case an intruder snuck past our entry sensors.
Our Frontpoint app showed us our system status and even the weather
Frontpoint also let us set up customized alerts.
Like any home security system, Frontpoint sends customers alerts any time it detects anything out of the ordinary, from unusual motion to smoke in the kitchen. Those alerts arrive instantly, no matter where you might happen to be in the world, and Frontpoint lets you decide whether you want to receive them via text message, email, or push notification.
We customized when we would receive alerts from our Frontpoint Sensors within the app
Frontpoint doesn’t just send a generic alert. We set it up so that we knew which sensor triggered an alert – the front door entry sensor, the outdoor camera’s motion sensor, or the upstairs motion detector. It took some tinkering, but our system alerts let us know whether a visitor was on our front porch, the postman had delivered a package, or our wonky dishwasher was leaking water again.
Technology like that is undeniably cool, and we even had fun naming our alerts things like Oh Boy, A Package is Here! The point of a feature like this one, though, is to improve your security.
If you’re getting the same alerts for any activity, you have to check sensors and cameras to find out what’s going on before calling for help. That takes time. When you know what’s going on every time you get an alert, you can react to the situation in real time to get emergency personnel on scene faster, if needed.
Frontpoint’s notifications usually gave us enough detail to know what was going on without opening the app
Frontpoint also offers geofencing. For those not in the know, geofencing essentially puts a virtual “fence” around your home using your smartphone’s GPS. You can set specific triggers to activate any time you leave the Frontpoint system fence.
Frontpoint reminded us to arm our system through its Geofencing capabilities
For instance, we set our system to send us an alert any time we passed the fence without arming the system. We’re pretty forgetful, but this way we knew there was a problem even before we left for work in the morning. You can even set geofencing to perform smart home tasks automatically, simplifying your life. We connected our phone to our smart lights so the system turned them off when we left and back on when we came home every day. Did we mention we’re a little forgetful? There are a few premium systems out there that offer perks like these, but they’re not generally available from DIY systems like Frontpoint.
Frontpoint let us decide if we wanted to get a notification reminding us to arm our system
Here’s something you won’t find from most home security systems – Siri shortcuts. Everyone offers support for Alexa and Google Home – and Frontpoint does too – but few systems have expanded to include Siri.
We were able to use this support to set up complex routines that simplified our lives. When it was time to head to bed, Siri shut off our TV, turned off our lights, and armed our Frontpoint system, all with the push of one button on our phone. We should point out that Fronptoint does not support Siri voice commands.
Setting up Siri shortcuts for the Frontpoint app couldn’t have been easier
Frontpoint home automation includes integrations with Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control. So if you have Alexa or Google Home devices, you’re in business.
Additionally, Frontpoint works with Z-Wave smart devices, which takes its home automation capabilities to the next level. Using routines and scenes, you can create automations to enhance your home security. For instance, you can make Z-Wave smart locks engage automatically as part of your own Nighttime Routine to keep criminals out. You can also set smart lights to turn on based on triggers, appliances to turn on or off at set intervals, and so on, all of which can prove useful as crime deterrents.
Another neat thing about Frontpoint is that you can pop into the web app throughout the day to check on your home security status, see recent activity, create custom scenes, and even check the weather. The background screensaver photo is always changing to keep things fresh. Other brands offer web apps, but they’re typically basic and uninspiring. So you’ll probably like the Frontpoint web app experience. (The mobile app isn’t so bad, either!)
Frontpoint’s web app gave us complete control of our Frontpoint security system
This is one of our biggest gripes about Frontpoint. The company used to be rated #1 in customer , but the times they are a-changin’. You’ll recall that we couldn’t reach customer support when setting up Frontpoint. When we finally did get a representative on the phone (the following day), she wasn’t all that friendly. Online reviews seem to suggest this is part of a recent pattern with Frontpoint. While lackluster service may not be a dealbreaker for you, it’s something to consider.
When you’re dealing with an emergency, you want to be able to respond as quickly and easily as possible. Unfortunately, Frontpoint overcomplicates matters with confusing keypad panic buttons.
We get it: the company doesn’t want us summoning the fire department by accident. If our kitchen’s on fire, though, we need help immediately. Having to hold numbers 4 and 6 for three seconds for fire-related emergencies takes too long. Need medical assistance? The numbers are 5 and 7. Remembering these combinations during a real emergency is no simple task.
Ring trusts us enough to include single, dedicated panic buttons on its keypad. Why can’t Frontpoint?
Frontpoint’s Instruction Booklet showed us how to use the Keypad
Finally, while Frontpoint’s equipment packages are affordable, the monthly monitoring fee of $49.99 per month is a bit pricey. To be clear, that fee covers 24/7 professional monitoring, video storage, video analytics, home automation, and bonus features like geofencing. Even so, it is on the expensive side compared to other systems, especially when you consider that companies like SimpliSafe provide professional monitoring and smart home features for as little as $22 a month. Plus, SimpliSafe lets customers self-monitor their systems for free. Frontpoint only offers one plan.
| System | Installation | Monitoring | Equipment Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frontpoint | DIY or Professional | Professional | Starting at $69 |
| ADT | Professional | Professional | Starting at $349 |
| SimpliSafe | DIY or Professional | Self Monitoring or Professional | Starting at $150 |
| Vivint | Professional | Professional | Starting at $599.99 |
| Cove | DIY | Professional | Starting at $250 |
The heart of any great home security system is its cameras. Without decent video options, it’s hard to diagnose what’s happening when you’re faced with an alert. Here’s a quick look at Frontpoint’s camera options.
FYI: If you’re interested in video capabilities, check out our guide to the best home security systems with cameras.
We bought a Frontpoint Indoor Camera to keep an eye on our pets while we were away from home
Don’t look for fancy features like facial recognition from this Frontpoint camera. It does its job, though, with crystal clear 1080p HD resolution – the industry standard. With an easy installation process and a price tag of just $72.99, it allowed us to monitor the inside of our home without breaking the bank.
Our Frontpoint Outdoor Camera kept an eye on our driveway so we could see anyone pulling up to our house
Frontpoint’s new outdoor camera is more impressive than the indoor model. In addition to 1080p HDR video, it features two-way audio, night vision, and a 49-foot visibility range. It can also distinguish between people and other moving objects, reducing false alerts. Plus, if it notices someone lurking on your property, it’s equipped with Perimeter Guard – flashing lights and loud beeps to scare them off.
Need more serious action from your outdoor camera? Taking its cue from Ring, Frontpoint recently released a Premium Floodlight Camera. This outdoor model comes with two floodlights and a powerful siren to ward off any unwanted guests. As an added bonus, both of Frontpoint’s outdoor models come with an SD card for easy video storage options.
The Frontpoint Skybell doorbell camera let us talk to anyone at our front door without leaving the couch
Frontpoint offers two options for doorbell cameras: a wired version and a wireless version. Meant to replace an existing analog doorbell, the Frontpoint wired doorbell camera has full HD resolution, infrared night vision, a High Dynamic Range (HDR), and a 165-degree horizontal field of view. It includes features like analytics-powered person detection, two-way audio, and mobile access.
The wireless doorbell is battery-powered, making it a much more versatile device than the wired doorbell. Frontpoint says the battery lasts about six months, but it will not function in temperatures below 4 degrees Fahrenheit. As a bonus, though, it comes with Frontpoint’s Smart Chime device which can be programmed with customized chimes.
Frontpoint Camera Options
| Indoor Camera | Premium Indoor Camera | Premium Floodlight Camera | Doorbell Cameras | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 1080p HD | 1080p HD |
| Weatherproof | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Two-Way Talk | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Night Vision | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Motion Detection | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Price | $72.00 | $138.99 | $180.00 | $120.00 (Wired) / $179.99 (Wireless) |
Frontpoint is one of those home security companies that always has a new device in the works. It wants to provide as many security options as it possibly can. As a result, you can be sure of finding whatever you need to bolster your safety. It’s not just all about cameras and sensors. You can get smart door locks, smart lights, garage door sensors, glass break sensors, smoke sensors, carbon monoxide sensors, and leaks/floods sensors, as well as a panic button you can wear on a lanyard. The Yale smart lock is around $120. No surprise there. Everything else ranges in cost from $20 to $50.
| Communication method | Cellular signals |
|---|---|
| Installation type | DIY (optional pro installation) |
| Monitoring type | Professional monitoring (required) |
| Average response time | 25 seconds |
| Sensor options | Motion, entry, smoke and carbon monoxide, flood, etc. |
| Control panel | Hub with wireless keypad |
| Security cameras | Indoor, outdoor, video doorbell |
| Coverage (home size) | 2,000+ square feet |
| Companion app | iOS and Android |
| Device warranty | 3 years |
| Monitoring contract | No contract |
| Monitoring cost | >$40 per month |
| Equipment cost | Starting at $69 |
| Equipment financing | Available |
Frontpoint’s equipment prices are definitely reasonable, especially when you can catch a sale. Right now, for instance, the entire site is 40 percent off, with deeper discounts on select products and packages. That’s an opportunity for massive savings, especially if you want to outfit a larger home or have security needs that require numerous pieces of equipment. Don’t worry if you miss this sale, though. The next one will likely be right around the corner.
That said, when we selected our Frontpoint system, we went with the Everyday package. Unfortunately, this one is no longer available as it was replaced by different package configurations. Ultimately, though, it ended up costing us just under $500. Not bad for a 2,800 square foot home.
Frontpoint Equipment Packages and Pricing
| The Starter System | The Premier System | |
|---|---|---|
| Size of System | 6-Piece | 12-Piece |
| Hub & Keypad | 1 | 1 |
| Touchscreen | 0 | 1 |
| Door & Window Sensors | 2 | 3 |
| Motion Sensor | 0 | 0 |
| Glass Break Sensor | 0 | 0 |
| Flood Sensor | 0 | 0 |
| Indoor Camera | 0 | 0-2 |
| Outdoor Camera | 0 | 0-2 |
| Home Defense Package (Yard Sign, Window Decals, Door Stickers) | 1 | 1 |
| Total Retail Price | $69 | $239 – $369* |
*Total Home Security System comes with two Indoor Cameras ($239), two Outdoor Cameras ($369), or one Indoor and one Outdoor camera ($329).
Pro Tip: You can also create your own bundle by starting with the Frontpoint hub and keypad ($99). Simply add on any cameras, sensors and other goodies to create the system you need. You’ll automatically get a yard sign and door/window decals thrown in. It doesn’t look like they include a free indoor camera if you go this route, though, but check with a Frontpoint representative just to be sure.
We mentioned Frontpoint’s monitoring fee in the beginning. It’s one of the company’s weaker points. The website notes that you pay just $1.64 a day, which sounds pretty reasonable. Unfortunately, that adds up to $49.99 a month, and that’s definitely at the higher end of the industry. SimpliSafe charges $50 for its Pro plan, but that plan features video verification and agent intervention when necessary. Ring’s monitoring plan is just $20 a month, and while Frontpoint’s plan is a bit more robust than Ring’s, it doesn’t include enough extras to justify its 150 percent higher price tag.
The bigger problem with Frontpoint’s monitoring fee is that it’s one-size-fits-all. That means those with small apartments wind up paying the same fee as those with large ranch compounds. No matter how few devices or how many you may have, you pay the same price.
Thankfully, Frontpoint doesn’t charge any hidden costs or activation fees. You can also save a chunk of change on installation, since Frontpoint offers an intuitive DIY process. Basically, you pay for your equipment at checkout (Frontpoint also offers financing options), sign up for monitoring, and you’re done. In total, most Frontpoint customers pay around $60 to $65 per month (including financed equipment fees) for total home protection. It’s a secure, responsive system, if not, perhaps the cheapest monitoring available.
With a wealth of technological features, like custom scenes and location-based reminders, Frontpoint can definitely make your life safer and more convenient. The app is responsive, giving you lots of control via an intuitive interface. No question, you get a lot of bang for your buck with Frontpoint and, frankly, the system is fun to use.
Retail prices are definitely exaggerated, even considering what Frontpoint equipment can do. If you take into account the fact that Frontpoint is always running some type of sale, the equipment is actually pretty affordable. On the other hand, Frontpoint’s monthly monitoring plan is a little steep at $49 per month. It’s one-size-fits-all and there’s no option to self-monitor.
All-in-all, we’d say it’s worth it for anyone into gizmos and gadgets, but it’s probably best for those with larger homes, since they’re going to get more bang for their monitoring buck.
Our team of security experts has spent years perfecting a methodology for objectively testing security systems. This process starts with extensive research on security systems that meet our high security standards, particularly those that seem to offer high-quality equipment and reliable monitoring.
Next, we buy the systems ourselves and install them in our homes. There, we spend at least a week familiarizing ourselves with each feature and simulating break-in scenarios that show us how each system reacts to different security threats. We also take detailed notes of strengths and weaknesses we discover along the way.
We also rigorously test each piece of equipment, particularly the core components like control panels, motion and entry sensors, and security cameras. The entire process takes time; it’s not unusual for us to spend a month or more on each system to be completely thorough. At that point, we feel confident to give our recommendations to readers like you.
Frontpoint systems are 100 percent wireless and are powered by LTE cellular monitoring and Wi-Fi.
No, Frontpoint now offers month-to-month monitoring that you can cancel at any time without penalty.
Yes, Frontpoint offers indoor and outdoor security cameras, as well as a doorbell camera.
Yes, Frontpoint offers remote smartphone controls using their mobile companion app. The company also offers a web app that I really like.
Yes, but the native features are somewhat limited. With that said, Frontpoint works with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for hands-free voice control. And Frontpoint systems are also compatible with Z-Wave devices.
Blahd Jr., W; et. al. (2019, July 28). Harmful Noise Levels. Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan.
https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/tf4173
