We may earn money when you click our links. X Q REVIEWS.ore Best Home Security Systems Reviews in 2019 MOST RELIABLE BEST DIV SELF-MON ITC vivint. 8 ,#:\abo SmartHome CD SimpliSafe· • • • • ' • • ' • • • • � �-� 4.5 out of s overall 4 out of s overall 3 out of s overall LEARN MORE LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Full review Full review Full review Full review Written by: Mindy Woodall Published: 01/15/2019 Our top picks for the best home security systems have had quite a shake-up since last year. We've seen so many companies upgrade their equipment or add in new smart home features that we had to take a totally new look at the alarm systems out there. But good news: we've done all the hard work for you and we're back again with the best home security options on the market. Whether you want to turn your house into a robot home of the future or you just want people to stop stealing your Amazon packages, we'll help you pick the right system. Our top home security system picks 1. Vivint SmartHome - Best overall 2. ADT Pulse - Most reliable 3. SimP-liSafe - Best DIV installation 4. Abode - Best self-monitored 5. FrontP-oint - Best customer service Best home security systems of 2019 prices and details Smarthome Prov1'd er Momto. rm. g price. lnsta IIat1on • type . See d eta1.1 s Vivint $29.99- Professional Yes LEARN MORE SmartHome $49.99/mo. $52.99- ADT Pulse Professional Yes LEARN MORE $58.99/mo. LEARN MORE SimpliSafe $14.99 -24.99 /mo. DIV Limited LEARN MORE Abode $0-$30/mo.* DIV Yes $34.99- Frontpoint Yes LEARN MORE $49.99/mo. DIV LEARN MORE Nest Secure $0-$29/mo.* DIV Limited $19.99- Protect America Yes LEARN MORE $54.99/mo. DIV $30.99- Link Interactive Yes LEARN MORE $40.99/mo. DIV LEARN MORE Brinks $39-$49/mo. DIV Yes Xfinity Home $39.95/mo. Professional Yes LEARN MORE LEARN MORE Ring Alarm $0-$10/mo.* DIV Limited LEARN MORE Scout Alarm $9.99-$19.99/mo. DIV Yes Data effective 12/17/2018. Offerssubject to change. * Self-monitoring is free, bur professional monitoring costs extra. @) Subscribe to our You Tube channel for exclusive content. 1. Vivint SmartHome-Best overall V IVII IL I\Cf/L ILJ lVfJ JfJVl ll IIJ yea,• IL J Ji.tu Lt IC UCJL VfJLIVI I II yvu VVOI IL O JJVVVCI I IVUJC I.VII IUV VI I IVI J IC JCI.LII "Y 0111..1 smarthome devices. Source: VivintSmarrHome Pros Cons • Top-notch equipment • Aggressive door-to-door sales (call instead) • Tons of smart home devices • Easy mobile control Why we chose Vivint Vivint is the champagne of home security systems. It makes high-end equipment, it offers a bunch of smart I r , I name oev1ces, ana 1rs aneaa or me curve wnen 1r comes ro 1nnovauve rearures. You know your neighbor who always has the latest and greatest of everything? Yeah, they have a Vivint system. Vivint monitoring plan prices and details Mobile app Plans Price Camera support Learnmore access Smart Security $29.99/mo. Yes No 11111JII Smart Home $39.99/mo. Yes No 11111JII Smart Home+ $49.99/mo. Yes Yes Video 11111tUI Dara effeccive 12/17/2018. Offerssub jecc co change. High-end equipment For all its fancy new tech, Vivint is a pretty traditional security provider. It offers only professional installation and its equipment is not some lightweight keypad you pull out of a box. Vivint equipment is sturdy, and once it's in your house, it's gonna stay there awhile. Sorry, renters; if you move a lot, then Vivint might not be the easiest choice for you, but there are some SUP-er P-Ortablesecurify. OP-tions out there. But if you want a home security centerpiece that will stick around, Vivint's an easy pick. Smart home integrations If you want to control everything-from your lights to your thermostat and your garage door-all from your phone, then Vivint's smart home integrations will serve you well. Vivint lets you automate almost anything you want to. You can even turn off your curling iron from your phone with one of Vivint's smart outlets. Plus, Vivint's systems work with Amazon Alexa and Nest, so you don't have to ditch your favorite smart thermostat. The downside: pricey equipment The main downside with Vivint is price. Not so much its monthly plans-those are on par with other companies -but Vivint doesn't offer a ton of equipment discounts. And if you want to finance your equipment, you'll have to sign a 3- or 5-year contract. PRO TIP You know that door-to-door salesperson that comes around trying to sell you on a Vivint system? Yeah, you should call in instead. Vivint's had some complaints in the past about its door-to-door sales processes. Want to learn more? Check out our Vivint review. 2. ADT Pulse-Most reliable You know the name for a reason. ADT Pulse gives you the most trusted name in home securityplus total home automation and control. Source: ADT Securir_x Pros Cons • More monitoring centers than anyone else • Expensive monitoring packages • Lots of smart home integrations • Extensive equipment selection Why we chose ADT Pulse Anyone who's heard of home security has heard of ADT. It's been in business for over a century, and all that experience means ADT knows what it's doing. (But you'll definitely pay for that expertise.) ADT Pulse monitoring plan prices and details Plans Price Mobile control Camera support Learn more ADT Pulse $52.99/mo. Yes No 11111tHI ADT Pulse + Video $58.99/mo. Yes Yes 11111tHI Dara effeccive 12/17/2018. Offerssubjecc co change. Ultra reliable monitoring You pay for a professionally monitored security system because Y.OU want P-eace of mind. But it's not great peace of mind if your security provider has only one call center and a single bad storm could put it out of commission. ADT has more monitoring centers than anyone else, which means nothing short of an outright zombie apocalypse will put your system at risk. Smart home integrations Like Vivint, ADT's Pulse plans have all the smart home integrations your automation-loving heart could want. ADT has P-lans other than Pulse that don't offer so many smart home features, and we really don't recommend them. If you want the best, then ADT Pulse is where it's at. The downside: expensive monitoring ADT Pulse plans are some of the most expensive we've seen. Its equipment prices are about the same as everyone else's, but those monthly monitoring prices will deal a serious blow to your wallet. You just have to decide if it's worth it. Want to learn more? Check out our ADT review. 3. SimpliSafe-Best DIV installation Strapped for cash? We love SimpliSafe's affordable take on home security.Just don't expect a lot of smart home stuff. 0 v � (., ' 0., b J,0 .•: •• • Pros Cons • Affordable equipment and monitoring • Very few smart home integrations • Online ordering • Easy to install Why we chose SimpliSafe SimP-liSafei s like the opposite of a traditional security provider. It lets you order online, it has you install the ,:,n,1 inm,:,nt vrn ,r,,:,lf ;:mrli t rln,:,,n'trh;,ro,:, v n,, ;,n;,rm ;, nrl;, l,:,ofnr nrnf,:,<;<;inn;,I mnnitnrino (nr ,:,n,1 inm,:,nt ......, ..... ,.. ... -.. ... 1..., ..... _. .... , .......... ...........-. ..... , .. -··-·o- 1--- ..... ..... , . ..... , .... .... ·-o ...... r· ........._. .... ............ ...... ......... ...0 ,.... ---,--·r···-· ·-- either, honestly). SimpliSafe monitoring plan prices and details Plans Price Mobile control Camera support"' Learn more Standard $14.99/mo. No NIA 11111JII Interactive $24.99/mo. Yes NIA 11111JII Data effective 12/17/2018. Offerssubject to change. * Simpli5.afe cameras work as standalone devices. Super affordable Have you always wanted a security system but would rather eat fire ants than pay those massive monthly monitoring bills? SimpliSafe to the rescue. If there's one thing you can say for SimpliSafe, it's that it's chea12. You'll pay way less for SimpliSafe equipment than you would for something like Vivint or ADT. Plus you can get wofessional monitoring (where someone calls you if an alarm goes off) for as low as $14.99 per month. That's a pretty good deal in our book. Easy to use and install We tested out a SimpliSafe system ourselves and had it up and running in about an hour. The new equipment (SimpliSafe upgraded it in 2018) looks way better than the old stuff and we felt good about displaying the hub on our kitchen counter. The downside: Not many smart home options If you're a home automation junkie, then skip the SimpliSafe system. SimpliSafe is slowly adding in more smart home options, but in the meantime, it doesn't have Z-Wave or Zigbee, it doesn't work with IFTTT, and its Amazon Alexa and Nest integrations are pretty sparse. INSIDER TIP @ If you want to keep it DIV but add more home automation, Abode, Frontpoint, or Nest Secure will work better for you. Want to learn more? Check out our SimP-liSafe review. 4. Abode-Best self-monitoring Prefer a total 0/Y approach? Abode lets you monitor your security system yourself without payinga monthly fee. Source:Abode Pros Cons • Affordable equipment • So-so camera quality • Option for professional monitoring • Smart home integration Why we chose Abode If you just want some standard security equipment and don't want to deal with contracts or paying for monthly mnnitnrini, thPn AhnrlP i, .:i OIY rlrP.:im It PiVP, \/n11 .:iffnrrl.:ihlP ,Pn 1ritvpn, 1inmPnt \/()11 ,.:inmnn itnr vrn 1r,Plf · · ....