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We personally tested the top security systems for garages. Here’s what we found.
Updated March 5, 2024
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You’re half-asleep in your bed, and you hear something rattling out back. You jolt upright with electricity running down your spine. The chilling thought comes to you in a flash: “Did I remember to close the garage door?”
Garages are often overlooked entry points to our homes, and thieves absolutely love taking advantage of that — especially considering it’s where we store our vehicles, power tools, and other expensive items. If you have a garage — either detached or attached — you need to include it in your overall security posture.
Luckily there are plenty of high-end security providers that include garage-specific equipment in their product lineups. I’ve been testing and reviewing the systems for years, and I’ve used that experience to develop this list of the best security systems for homes with garages. Before we get into the list, though, let’s talk a little about our approach.
Don, the Vivint Installation Technician, installing our Smart Garage Door Opener
All my lists start with intensive research. I read consumer product reviews, company materials, and online testimonials about popular security systems to get an understanding of how they work and what they offer.
If they look interesting, I test them in my own home for a few days to a few weeks to understand how they operate, where they excel, and where their shortcomings and vulnerabilities may be.
For this list, I paid special attention to systems that offer garage-specific protections, including garage door sensors, entryway sensors, security cameras, lighting, and app control. I also looked at the systems holistically to determine how well they’d protect a home overall.
Ready to see which security systems are the best for homes with garages? Keep reading to find out.
If you’re even remotely interested in home security, I’m sure you’ve heard the name ADT — or at least you’ve seen the company’s little blue signs in some of your neighbors’ yards and windows. There’s a good reason for that. ADT is one of the best professionally monitored systems out there, and its high-quality equipment is all installed by ADT technicians, which means you don’t have to lift a finger to keep your home — and garage — protected.
ADT Control Panel
ADT offers a garage door controller that is compatible with most major brands of automatic garage doors and can be hardwired or battery-operated. When I was reviewing ADT, the technician had my system set up in a few hours, and I was able to operate my garage door from pretty much anywhere on my property using the extremely intuitive ADT app.
FYI: I really appreciated that I automatically received notifications if I drove off without closing my garage door. I’m a pretty forgetful guy, and it happened way more often than I thought it would during my test period.
I also appreciate that ADT has partnered with Google to provide Nest products, including the indoor/outdoor battery-operated Nest Camera. It’s extremely effective at keeping an eye on things, and it has a ton of really interesting AI-driven features, such as facial recognition that immediately tells me if there’s a problem lurking around my truck or motorcycle. For more information on that, read my review of the Google Nest Cam.
One of the ADT system’s primary drawbacks is the price. Simply put, ADT’s costs are among the highest in the industry — particularly for equipment. Here’s a rundown of their packages.
| Feature | Secure Home | Smart Home | Video and Smart Home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital control panel | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Contact sensors | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Motion detector | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Smart door lock | No | 1 | 1 |
| Smart plug | No | 1 | 1 |
| Remote arm/disarm | No | Yes | Yes |
| Indoor camera | No | No | 1 |
| Video doorbell | No | No | 1 |
| Remote livestreaming | No | No | Yes |
| Customizable alerts | No | No | Yes |
| Monitoring | Starts at $45.99 per month | Starts at $49.99 per month | Starts at $57.99 per month |
| Equipment cost | Starts at $599 | Starts at $919 | Starts at $1,049 |
ADT Entryway Sensors
You’re not required to pay anything up front and you can get an ADT system installed for around $100, but you’ll be paying off the remainder of your tab over the course of your 36-month contract. A three-year commitment — and bill — may be a turnoff to some folks, but I’d argue that the benefits of an ADT system outweighed my commitment-phobia.
One last thing before we move on: ADT is almost always offering a deal for new customers. I have more on that in my guide to ADT’s sales, but the long and short of it is that you can definitely save on a system if you time things right.
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | Professional or DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $499.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $24.99 |
| Contract Length | Three years |
Vivint’s home automations are what the company is known for, and I have to say, after working with them for an extended period of time, they’re one of the best smart-home security systems on the market. It may sound like a gimmick, but it’s nice to set up routines to protect your property that you don’t have to think about, such as having your back door unlocked when your garage door opens. I thought it was super handy, especially when lugging in the groceries late at night!
Vivint Smart Garage Controller
Similar to ADT, Vivint offers garage control. Using the company’s award-winning app, you can control the door not just from your property, but from anywhere in the world. If you find yourself on a transatlantic flight and wonder if you remembered to lock everything up, you can just whip out your phone and make sure. Super reassuring.
Even more reassuring? If you go with Vivint’s Car Guard — an antitheft system for your vehicle — you can have your garage door close automatically when you drive away. That definitely came in handy when I was reviewing the Vivint system, and my partner was pretty upset we no longer had that functionality when we returned the test equipment. It took some getting used to going back to normal.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention Vivint’s state-of-the-art security cameras. The company offers something called “smart deterrence,” which relies on AI video analytics to determine if threats are nearby — you know, someone lurking around, checking door handles, and spying through windows. Using lights and sounds, the security cameras make themselves known to would-be intruders. When I tested it, I’d say it worked. It worked well enough to bring my neighbor out of his house to ask what was going on.
If you’re having trouble picking between the first two systems, don’t worry. I have a Vivint vs. ADT comparison guide that lays out everything side by side.
Here’s where we hit Vivint’s first big drawback: It is not cheap. I have more information in my guide to Vivint’s prices, but here’s a crash course on how the company does things.
Vivint Smart Home Equipment
Vivint does not sell any sort of premade security systems. Instead, a custom system is built for each home using a pretty long list of (unfortunately expensive) components. Each system is then professionally installed, and you’re taught how to use each component effectively. It’s an excellent system if you can afford it. Here’s what the list looked like when I tested my system.
| Component | Price |
|---|---|
| Smart drive (storage) | $250 |
| Car guard | $200 |
| Smoke detector | $100 |
| Carbon monoxide detector | $100 |
| Smoke alarm and carbon monoxide monitor | $100 |
| Smart lock | $180 |
| Garage door controller | $100 |
| Smart thermostat | $170 |
| Lamp module | $50 |
| Doorbell Camera Pro | $250 |
| Outdoor Camera Pro | $400 |
| Ping Indoor Camera | $200 |
| Indoor Camera Pro | $200 |
| Spotlight Pro | $250 |
| Water sensor | $50 |
| Flood, freeze, and heat sensor | $50 |
| Smart sensor | $50 |
| Panic pendant | $50 |
| Key fob | $50 |
| Tilt sensor | $50 |
At the end of the day, my equipment alone cost well over $1,000. When you add Vivint’s monitoring — starting at $29.99 per month — the monthly bill was pretty steep, but not entirely unmanageable. Just like with ADT, you don’t have to pay for it all up front, but you will pay a solid chunk of it every month for at least three and a half years.
If you’re looking for something a little easier on the wallet, you can check out my guide to the best affordable home security systems. Or you can just keep reading for my next choice!
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | Professional |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $599.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $39 |
| Contract Length | 48 to 60 months |
Frontpoint does a really good job of bridging the gap between traditional systems and the DIY upstarts in this space. The company requires professional monitoring, but it helps keep costs low by having customers install everything themselves. If the acronym “DIY” makes you wince, don’t worry — the system is incredibly easy to set up and use day to day. And, hey, if you can’t figure it out, Frontpoint offers some of the best customer service in the industry.
Frontpoint equipment
Unlike the other two brands on this list, Frontpoint unfortunately doesn’t offer any sort of remote control for your garage door. What it does offer, though, is a tilt sensor that will trigger an alarm if someone opens the garage while the system is armed.
Here’s how it works: The sensor attaches to your automatic garage door and will wirelessly send an alert to your hub if the door changes position by more than 45 degrees. If the system is armed, it will cause the alarm to go off, get the authorities on their way, and hopefully scare away the intruder before they take anything of value.
It took a little getting used to when I was reviewing the Frontpoint system. Just keep in mind you need to open your garage door before you arm the system, not after. I have a detached garage, so it took a little back and forth. It didn’t cause too many issues once I got the routine down, but at first I triggered false alarms almost every time I left the house — much to my partner’s chagrin.
Frontpoint is definitely the most affordable system on our list, especially in terms of equipment costs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the packages it offers.
| Name | Equipment | Regular price | Sale price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Home Security System |
|
$1,351.83 | $419 |
| Premier Home Security System |
|
$771.90 | $169 |
| Starter Home Security System |
|
$541.91 | $79.99 |
There’s more information in my guide to Frontpoint’s prices, but you can pretty much ignore the “regular price” column. Frontpoint runs sales on its systems throughout the year.
You can also add to any one of the systems with extra individual components, or you can build out an entirely customized system yourself. Here’s how the prices look on that option.
| Component | Price |
|---|---|
| Carbon monoxide sensor | $65.49 |
| Door or window sensor | $19.24 |
| Doorbell camera | $109.99 |
| Extra keypad | $30.24 |
| Flood sensor | $24.74 |
| Garage door tilt sensor | $24.74 |
| Glass-break sensor | $41.24 |
| Indoor camera | $65.99 |
| Keychain remote | $17.59 |
| Motion sensor | $38.74 |
| Outdoor camera | $126.49 |
| Outdoor smart plug | $27.49 |
| Premium indoor camera | $109.99 |
| Smart door lock | $109.99 |
| Touch screen | $82.49 |
My Frontpoint system cost about $400 for the equipment — not bad when you compare the receipt to Vivint’s — but the company doesn’t offer an option for self-monitoring and the required professional monitoring costs an eye-watering $49.99 per month. Just something to bear in mind if you’re trying to purchase a security system on a budget.
| 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 |
Garages are often overlooked when people are considering security systems. That can feel like a pretty big oversight, especially when you wake up one morning to find that your collection of woodworking equipment is gone.
To really secure a garage, you need to consider a few things.
The automatic garage door is the obvious vulnerability — and it should be protected by a tilt sensor or remote access control and alerts — but don’t overlook windows or standard doors that could serve as an entry point for a burglar. They should be covered by glass-break and entryway sensors. You should probably invest in an internal motion sensor too.
It’s no surprise to anyone who has talked to me in the past five years that I’m a pretty big security camera nerd. Why? Because they are one of the best pieces of security equipment for a homeowner to invest in, primarily because they do double duty. Not only do they help you actively respond to emergency events — some will even trigger alarms for you — but they also passively deter would-be criminals from coming onto your property.
Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro
When you’re considering how best to protect your home, you don’t want to be low-hanging fruit. If a would-be intruder sees security cameras around your property and a big “protected by ADT” sign in the front yard, they will more than likely keep walking.
Criminals like to sneak in and out of garages unnoticed, which is why a motion-activated floodlight, like the Ring Floodlight Cam, is a great investment for keeping your property safe. Make sure you test the devices to ensure they will trigger at the appropriate times. Some models have blind spots that thieves can get around easily.
>> Read More: Guide to Porch Light Safety
Unfortunately, even with security systems armed, cameras pointed in the right direction, and floodlights ready to go off, garages still get burglarized. If you find yourself victimized, there are a few steps you should take.
Immediately after discovering the incident, ensure your own safety and that of the other people in your home. Get everyone to a safe location. If you suspect the burglar may still be nearby, do not pursue or confront them. That’s how property crimes turn violent.
Immediately contact the authorities to report what happened. Give them as much detail as you can remember about what you observed, including obviously missing property, signs of forced entry, or anything suspicious you noticed leading up to the event.
After the police have conducted their investigation and given you the all-clear, take photos or videos of the damage and write down anything you notice that’s missing. That documentation will be extremely important if you’re going to make an insurance claim or if police are able to make an arrest.
Contact your insurance providers to report the incident and file a claim for any stolen or damaged property. You’ll likely be asked to provide the police report number and any photos you took of the scene.
A burglary is a traumatizing event, and you may not feel safe in your home for quite some time. Don’t hesitate to seek support from your friends, your family, or even professional counselors if you’re having trouble sleeping, grappling with intrusive thoughts, or finding your anxiety overwhelming.
When choosing a garage security system, look for the following important features. These are some of the most helpful features of garage security systems.
Specialized alert zones are a great feature that comes with select garage security systems. Configure custom alert features for areas of the home that house high-value items (like your garage). It’s a wise choice to get a home security system with specialized alert zones, especially if you live in a larger home or keep a fancy car or expensive tools in your garage.
Step into streamlined home protection with door locks. A garage security system that features smart door-lock capabilities lets you remotely lock and unlock your doors. Many offer helpful mobile activity alerts and notifications. If someone attempts to gain access to your home through your garage, you’ll be the first to know with a door-locks feature.
The technology that ties it all together. Mobile alerts keep you in the loop whether you’re at work, visiting family in another state, or halfway around the world on vacation. The alerts ping your smart device when you leave your garage door open or ajar (it happens). If you give a burglar an inch, they’ll take a foot — and your stuff.
Open sesame. It’s really that easy with remote access, an impressive feature that comes with many garage door security systems. Need to let the kids in after school? How about the dog walker? Remote access allows you to open and close your garage door remotely at any time from anywhere for any reason.
Entryway sensors come standard with home security systems that work with garage doors. Strategically place the magnetic sensors on door frames, windows, and even your garage door. When the magnet sensors separate, the alarm sounds and mobile alerts are sent. Entryway sensors are simple, but they’re highly effective at stopping break-ins.
Here’s another brilliant feature for ultimate garage security. Motion detectors are mounted in your garage and elsewhere in your home. When they detect movement, the alarm sounds and alerts are sent. Many are powered by sophisticated technology — the type of tech that can distinguish between people and pets and even offer facial recognition. Add this extra layer of protection to keep burglars at bay.
The best garage security systems come stacked with outdoor cameras or camera compatibility. This feature lets you keep a finger on the pulse of your home. Most criminals won’t bother touching your home if they see a camera, but just to be sure, get infrared LED night vision for crystal-clear imaging even in the darkest hours of night.
Shed some light on the situation and send burglars packing with outdoor lights. Outdoor lights are triggered by motion, illuminating your garage door, driveway, and any suspicious activity. Smart outdoor lights will even integrate with garage security cameras. The best systems automatically flood an area with light and begin recording when motion is sensed. Criminals hate it. Homeowners love it.
Transform your garage door into the smartest door on the block. With garage door control, you can remotely open and close your garage door — no matter where you are in the world. Sophisticated functionality is what sets this feature apart from the remote access feature. With garage door control, you can give permissions to multiple users, track activity via a nifty mobile app, and more.
