Best Home Security Systems for Vacation Homes in 2024

ADT for Vacation Homeowners

ADT Control Panel

Two of the best things about ADT are how comprehensive their protections are and how those protections can be tailored to your exact needs. ADT offers a few different subscription options — more on that below — but each package can be customized. Let’s say you’re trying to protect a lake house with a dock. ADT can install motion detectors and floodlight cameras to prevent people from snooping around in your boathouse.

When I last reviewed ADT, I was extremely impressed with not only the quality of their equipment, but with how seamlessly everything worked. Everything is controlled from a touch-screen panel, or it can be remotely managed from their award-winning smartphone app. Great news if you want to keep an eye on your cameras while you’re states away. It just so happened I went on vacation while my test system was installed in my house, and I was able to ask my neighbor to come pick up a package for me that had been detected by my video doorbell. How’s that for remote protection?

Oh, and did I mention they have some of the best customer service in the home security industry? That’s something else to consider when purchasing a security system for your vacation home. If something goes wrong, ADT can help you troubleshoot the issue, even if you’re not physically at the location at the time.

ADT’s Prices

Now, one of the drawbacks of ADT is its overall cost. I go into this more in my guide to ADT’s prices, but the long and short of it is this: They aren’t cheap. What can I say? You get what you pay for. Here’s a quick breakdown of their most popular packages:

For a vacation home, I’d recommend going with the Premium package. That way you’ll be able to monitor security cameras posted around your property remotely. Make sure you call the company when selecting your system, though. Their helpful sales reps will talk you through the process without trying to upsell you on equipment or bully you into services you don’t need.

Also keep in mind that you’re going to need to sign a long-term contract with ADT. The good news is that your equipment prices are going to be paid out over that contract’s duration, but the bad news is you’re on the hook for at least 36 months. More on that in my guide to ADT’s contracts and policies.

You can get around those long-term contracts if you’re up to the task of installing an ADT system on your own with ADT Self Setup. In my ADT Self Setup review, I go over the ins and outs of the install process. I’ll admit, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. And, the prices for a Self Setup system are considerably less than the Pro Install systems.

SimpliSafe for Vacation Homeowners

SimpliSafe equipment

If you compare SimpliSafe and ADT, you’ll find the two providers offer high-quality protections for a variety of different types of properties; however, they take very different approaches. SimpliSafe is one of the best DIY security systems around, and they’re also one of the best no-contract security providers. That means you’re going to save money and have a lot of flexibility — two major selling points in my book.

Another bold-faced checkmark in SimpliSafe’s pros column is their new Fast Protect Monitoring. It provides video verification during emergency events and allows SimpliSafe technicians to relay critical information to emergency responders in real time. For instance, let’s say your networked smoke alarm goes off in your beach house in Florida. You’re miles away, working in your Omaha office building. Instead of hoping everything’s OK, a SimpliSafe agent will be able to switch on a live feed of your property and let the fire department know they see smoke coming out of the kitchen.

In my most recent review of SimpliSafe, I put this functionality to the test. I purposefully set off an alarm and waited for the response to come. It took about 30 seconds, but the shutter snapped open, and a technician started talking through the camera’s onboard speaker. I was able to give them my safeword and cancel the alarm quickly, but I was really impressed by the functionality.

SimpliSafe’s Prices

SimpliSafe gives you the ability to self-monitor your system for free, but I wouldn’t really recommend that for a vacation home. Instead, you should pick between their Fast Protect Monitoring — which I described above — for $29.99 per month, or you can go with their more traditional monitoring for $19.99 per month. They also offer equipment bundles that range from $245 to $510, or you can build your own package. I have more on this in my guide to SimpliSafe’s costs, but here’s a rundown of their equipment prices:

Also keep in mind these are retail prices. I’ve been covering SimpliSafe for quite a while, so here’s a little insider’s tip — SimpliSafe is almost always running a sale. If they aren’t, wait a week or two to see what kind of discount you can get.

Vivint for Vacation Homeowners

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

You have a vacation home for relaxation, right? Well, picture this. You drive up to the lake after a hard week. Your garage door recognizes you and opens as you pull into the driveway. The thermostat bumps the AC, cooling the cabin to a comfortable 72 degrees. As you walk through the door, the lights come up, the ceiling fan turns on, and, hey, why not, the stereo starts playing Bach’s “Mass in B Minor.”

If you own a Vivint security system, this science-fiction-sounding scenario is completely possible. It’s one of the best smart security systems on the market today; it allows every piece of equipment to communicate, as well as gives you the ability to integrate a huge number of third-party devices like thermostats and lighting into the network. And if you want to control the whole thing using nothing but your voice, it’s also one of the best Alexa-compatible security systems to boot.

When I tested Vivint, I set my system up to operate on a night and day schedule. This armed the alarm system at a certain time of day and “woke up” at around 8 in the morning. It would turn the heat on for me before I even got out of bed, and I was able to check the status of individual pieces of equipment with voice commands. I don’t own a vacation home yet, but when that big book deal finally comes through, I’m definitely going to consider putting a Vivint system in for the convenience alone.

Vivint’s Prices

Now here’s where some of the wind comes out of the sails. These systems are not cheap. Vivint is comparable to ADT in that you’re going to pay for your equipment costs over the term of your contract, but that equipment isn’t exactly affordable. I have more about this in my guide to Vivint’s prices, but here’s a breakdown of the cost of each component when I was reviewing them:

For context, you can get an entire SimpliSafe system for the cost of one Outdoor Camera Pro. If it’s in the budget, though, a Vivint system really does bring the wow factor. Not only are they one of the best professionally installed and monitored systems around, they’re also just cool.

Frontpoint for Vacation Homes

Frontpoint equipment

While they’re both excellent DIY systems, when you compare Frontpoint and SimpliSafe, you’re going to see some pretty stark differences — the first being that Frontpoint offers a few more options for equipment than its bigger-named competitor. Now that doesn’t necessarily give Frontpoint the edge; however, if you’re looking for a specific type of component and you’re not seeing it with SimpliSafe — like glass-break or garage tilt sensors — Frontpoint might be a good second stop.

Diversity of equipment aside, I’d also like to point out the design of these pieces. For the most part, it’s outstanding. The hub is — dare I say — beautiful? It’s sleek and opalescent, and I didn’t feel the need to hide it behind a house plant or stick it inside my credenza. On the flipside, though, their contact sensors could use a little work. They’re a little clunky and far too big for what they need to be. It’s unfortunate that the elegance of the hub didn’t carry over through the design of their entire product lineup.

As far as functionality goes, there are a few bells and whistles here worth pointing out. Frontpoint’s Geofencing, for one, is a really helpful feature. This allows the system to respond to you — or, more specifically, your smartphone — when you’re in close proximity. No more forgetting to arm the system when you leave; Frontpoint does it for you. I liked this feature so much that in tests of subsequent systems, I found myself really missing it when I begrudgingly used a keypad to arm the system before I left for the day.

Frontpoint’s Costs

Similar to SimpliSafe, frontpoint offers a few different security packages as well as an a la carte menu of equipment to choose from. The packages run between $79 and $419 depending on the size, and the breakdown of individual pieces looks like this:

One thing to note that I talk more about in my guide to Frontpoint’s prices, they tend to overinflate their “retail” prices and have “sales” that never end. So if you’re shopping around, don’t feel like you need to pull the trigger to take advantage of some deep discounts — they aren’t going anywhere.

Cove for Vacation Homeowners

Cove equipment

If you’re looking to cut a few unnecessary costs — and let’s be honest, who isn’t these days? — Cove might be the right security system for you. It’s one of the most affordable security providers on the market today, but it’s definitely not cheap or chintzy. They offer high-quality equipment at reasonable prices that will get the job done just as well as providers that charge double their prices.

When I was reviewing Cove, I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first. My total bill had me expecting motion detectors I could crush in the palm of my hand and security cameras that would break within a week. That’s definitely not the case, though. Their equipment is all heavy duty and built to last. Their contact sensors were a little large for my taste, but I did like that the motion detector was about the size of a deck of playing cards. My partner barely even noticed I’d put them up.

Another neat thing about Cove that might interest budget-conscious owners of second homes: They don’t require a landline or a Wi-Fi connection to work. In fact, Cove is one of the best cellular security systems available; this means you don’t need to pay for an internet or phone connection to keep this system working while you’re not at the property.

Cove’s Costs

Like I’ve mentioned above, Cove is one of the best affordable security systems available. They don’t offer any pre-built packages and their list of components isn’t as long as Frontpoint, but they do offer everything you need to keep your vacation home secure. Here’s the quick rundown.

Now one drawback of Cove is that they don’t offer the option to self-monitor. If you’re purchasing Cove specifically to save money, that’s something you should definitely be aware of. I go into more detail in my guide to Cove’s costs, but their professional monitoring runs between $17.99 and $27.99 per month, depending on the package you select. Those are some of the lowest prices on the market for professional monitoring. For comparison, when I tested Ring Alarm, one of the other least expensive systems for professional monitoring, I paid $20 per month.