Best Home Security Systems

We’re kicking things off with one of the best home security system options around - SimpliSafe. This company provides DIY home safety systems at very affordable prices and visually appealing devices. In addition to its affordability and simple design, SimpliSafe offers no-contract monitoring services as well.

Installation

SimpliSafe only offers DIY home security packages. That means that there’s absolutely no need for anyone to install your system. When you order the equipment, you get the whole system neatly packed in a box. You can install the devices around your home by yourself using double-sided duct tape found on the back of each piece of hardware.

SimpliSafe is widely considered one of the best wireless security system companies because its products are very easy to set up and use. The packaging you receive comes with clear instructions on how and where to place the equipment. Still, if you happen to have trouble installing it, SimpliSafe can dispatch people to assist you.

Security

SimpliSafe’s wireless home security camera systems cover a broad range of intruder prevention and anti-hazard devices. It offers both premade packages, tailored to different kinds of homes and levels of protection. It also allows you to build your own custom package.

Each package contains two core devices: the keypad, which is used for arming/disarming the system and has a panic taster, plus the base station. The base station is the heart and soul of the best DIY security system. It has voice prompts to take you through the setup process, a built-in siren, and it acts as a hub that connects all the sensors in your house - up to 100 of them. The base station is plugged into a power outlet but has a backup battery in case of a power outage.

When it comes to anti-intruder devices, these include entry and motion sensors (pet-friendly), cameras, glass break sensors, and a panic button. The hazard prevention devices include smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, as well as temperature and water sensors.

Just like with many of the best home alarm systems, you can also purchase yard signs to show you have home security protection as well as additional keypads or sirens.

Pricing

Two of SimpliSafe’s main advantages are its affordability and lack of any contractual obligations. You can stop using its services at any time. There are six packages available: Video Doorbell Pro ($169), The Foundation ($183), The Essentials ($207), The Hearth ($299), The Knox ($359), and The Haven ($391). 

Each of these prices includes a 20% discount that you get if you sign up for its monitoring service which will cost you $0.83 per day. The more expensive the package, the more devices and overall security it confers. You can also build your own system and see the price of each device on its site.

Final Thoughts

SimpliSafe is definitely the best security system for home use if you’re looking for affordable DIY options. The affordable devices, easy installation, no contracts, and reasonable monitoring fees make this a great offer.

While SimpliSafe represents one of the best options in the affordable DIY sphere of home security, Vivint requires professional installation and comes with monitoring services. This is one of the home security companies that offer smart security systems, including great automation and voice command capabilities.

Installation

Many of the best wireless home security system options are DIY ones. That’s because most don’t actually require extensive work. There’s no drilling or wiring involved, and pairing devices with the hub is a straightforward process.

But smart home systems like Vivint require a team of professionals for the installation process. The company dispatches a team of certified professionals to your home to install the whole system and teach you how to use it. This guarantees that the whole system will function properly and that all devices are paired correctly. This is very important because the best home security system with cameras relies on multiple connection types in order to link to the main hub, and it can be a real pain to connect them yourself.

Security

Vivint smart home, like most security systems, relies on a central hub that connects and controls all the devices in your home. The Smart Hub is basically a wall-mounted touch screen where you can view camera footage and where the panic button is located. The hub also allows you to change alarm volumes, arm/disarm the system, change user codes, and play around with other functions. 

Vivint may very well be the best security system thanks to its ability to integrate with Google Home or Amazon Echo, enabling you to issue voice commands to the system. The system also integrates with Philips Hue for controlling lighting in the house. The integration is done by purchasing additional devices from Vivint.

The security devices include doorbell cameras, the ping two-way audio camera; glass break detectors; burglary detectors; smart locks; garage door control; CO, smoke, and water sensors; outdoor cameras; movement sensors; and car guards.

You can control the whole system via smartphone app and use Vivint’s drive storage for saving and reviewing camera footage.

Pricing

Our home security system reviews of Vivint reveal that it’s pricier than many of its competitors. While you can build your own system, its Basic package, which includes the smart hub, smartphone app, two window sensors, water sensor, and movement sensor will set you back $599. Individual components are also pricey, with sensors going for around $50 each.

Vivint doesn’t display prices on its website. You’ll have to call the company to get a quote. You also have the option of using the service without a contract. We learned that the monthly fee is $39 and includes professional 24/7 monitoring. Installation is also included in that price.

Final Thoughts

Vivint is considered to be one of the best home security companies for good reason. The level of security and professionalism it offers is tough to match, but be ready to spend a hefty sum of money for this level of protection.

If you’re not on a tight budget and you’re in need of a top security system, you can’t go wrong with ADT. The company has been in business since the 19th century, far longer than its competitors. Although ADT home security systems don’t come cheap and you can’t install them by yourself, it’s a strong contender if you’re looking for the best home security system on the market.

Installation

ADT’s equipment requires extensive work that’s best left to professionals, especially when it comes to wiring. If you decide to sign up for the service, you’ll get two visits from the ADT team.

During the first visit, the team scouts your home and consults you about where you want the equipment placed. During their second visit, the technicians install everything and teach you how to use the system. This will take several hours, but that’s not unusual for the best rated home security camera systems.

Security

ADT systems monitor your sensors and cameras and immediately reports any breaches to the emergency services. This is better than self-monitoring for a variety of reasons. You won’t always be able to keep an eye out for notifications - especially when you’re away or sleeping. But commercial security systems with monitoring give you round-the-clock protection.

The equipment ADT offers is costly but impressive. The whole system can be controlled either via the command panel or through their proprietary app, which performs really well. Like with most of the best security home systems, the equipment includes cameras, motion sensors, anti-hazard hardware, glass break sensors, and more.

The HD cameras have great features like night vision. Also, outdoor cameras turn on only when their motion sensors detect activity, which conserves energy. The motion sensors are fine-tuned to ignore small animals.

Pricing

ADT services don’t come cheap. There are four pricing tiers: Traditional ($28.99/mo), Remote ($47.99/mo), Control ($49.99/mo), and Video ($59.99/mo.) The last one doesn’t include the upfront installation costs, which go from $50 to several thousand dollars - you need to contact ADT to get an exact quote.

ADT is one of the best in home security systems because all of its plans come with 24/7 monitoring and support. The cheaper packages include anti-burglary measures, while more expensive ones add anti-hazard protection and video.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to in-home security systems, ADT is of the highest quality. The level of security it provides is tough to match, but it comes with a hefty price tag.

DIY systems were traditionally the easier and more affordable option but lacked the monitoring services and some of the security equipment found with high-end systems that require installation. Thankfully, this changed in recent years, and DIY systems are now more advanced. Frontpoint is one of those DIY systems that changed for the better with time, adding professional monitoring and allowing you to sign up without a contract. 

Installation

As with any best home security camera system that’s DIY, Frontpoint aims to make the installation process as simple as possible. When the Frontpoint package reaches your home, you’ll also receive an email with an online setup manual for unpacking and mounting your equipment.

Much of the equipment is already paired, saving you precious time. None of the equipment requires any extensive work that you’d have to put in with wired home security systems. Most of the devices have double-sided duct tape on the back, and all you have to do is peel off the protective layer and firmly place it on a dry surface. And don’t worry, the duct tape will keep your equipment in place.

These cheap home security systems and the do-it-yourself options generally don’t require you to do anything other than install the doorbell camera, which you can set up in a few minutes.

You start off by unpacking the hub - the central part of the system - and add each device onto it. All in all, it’s a fairly quick and simple installation process, as one would expect from DIY systems.

Security

The Frontpoint system is fully reliant on cellular technology. This means that the system cannot be disabled by someone shutting down your power or cutting a cable. All of the equipment runs on energy-conserving batteries. The hub, which is plugged into the electrical grid, has backup batteries in case there’s a power outage.

While some cheap home security systems might have keypads or other devices that could be damaged by intruders, Frontpoint’s equipment is smashproof, preventing burglars from bypassing security.

The hub and the keypad are the core of every package, which is generally the case when it comes to DIY home security systems with cameras. Frontpoint used to have a touchscreen in place of the central hub, but has recently altered its package. The touchscreen is still available for purchase.

The rest of the equipment consists of the usual combination of burglary-prevention and anti-hazard devices, including smart locks, indoor and outdoor cameras, doorbell cameras, motion sensors, and smoke detectors.

Pricing

Home security camera system reviews reveal that Frontpoint recently began offering users the option to get equipment and monitoring services without a contract, which is always a plus.

Frontpoint is a bit more expensive than its DIY competitors. The cheapest seven-piece package that includes the hub, keypad, two door/window sensors, and one motion sensor is $99. Package prices go up to $474.90, each offering more equipment and increased smart security capabilities. You can also build your own system. Professional monitoring costs $1.48/day or $1.64/day. The equipment can also be paid off monthly instead of paying upfront.

Final Thoughts

Frontpoint is one of the most advanced DIY home security systems around. While its smart capabilities aren’t on par with some of the professionally installed systems, the security it provides, the ability to sign up without a contract, and its great monitoring services make it a good option if you’re looking for a reliable DIY system.

If professionally installed home security systems are too expensive for you, you should consider another great DIY option - Ring Alarm. The company has everything you would look for in a DIY kit - easy-to-install equipment, optional monitoring services, and no long-term contracts or cancellation fees. For those looking for the best self-install home security systems, Ring Alarm is definitely worth checking out.

Installation

Getting professionally installed equipment is both costly and time-consuming. Upfront costs can go up to several thousand dollars, and the installation can easily take up your whole day.

Ring Alarm offers easy-to-install packages that you can set up yourself in a short period of time. Once the package arrives at your home, you should immediately install the Ring app which will take you through the setup process.

Simplifying the process further is the fact that all the devices come pre-paired. This is what makes Ring Alarm one of the best smart home security systems. You just need to connect your phone to the base station through your Wi-Fi or Ethernet and then start adding all the devices you’ve purchased. Most of the equipment gets recognized automatically as soon as you turn it on.

Security

Most of the time, you’ll be using your app to fine-tune and review your security system. There’s also a keypad and three different modes: Disarmed, Home, and Away.

The Disarmed mode disables all sensors and is usually used during the day when the entire family is home, enabling everyone to move around freely without triggering alarms. During our best home security systems reviews, we found that the Home mode activates only outdoor cameras and alarms, preventing intrusion from outside. As you can probably guess, the Away mode turns everything on, as is best for when no one is home.

When it comes to equipment, Ring Alarm includes the usual combination of anti-intruder and anti-hazard devices. Among those are motion sensors, cameras, and CO and smoke detectors.

Pricing

Ring Alarm is sold in packages, but you can freely add additional devices. The pricing structure for those devices is fairly similar to that of SimpliSafe.

The cheapest five-piece kit costs $199.99, while the 14-piece security kit is $329.99. On top of that, you can get a 24/7 monitoring service for $10/month. Like with many of the best no-contract home security systems, the devices can be paid off monthly with no interest.

Final Thoughts

There are no notable downsides with Ring Alarm. It’s affordable, easy to use, requires no contract, and you’re not obligated to use the monitoring service. On top of that, it interacts with many other Ring products that you might already have.