HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS REPACK
Vivint is our pick for the best home security system on the market today. We like that Vivint's equipment works as both an alarm system and a deterrent. Not only does Vivint alert you\u2014and the authorities\u2014if there's an emergency like a break-in or fire, but it also helps deter bad actors before they breach your home or swipe a package.\u00a0" } }, "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a home security system worth it?", "acceptedAnswer": "@type": "Answer", "text": "It would take around six years of paying for a home security system to match the cost of being burgled just one time. The average loss from a burglary is over $2,600. With the average annual cost of a home security system coming in around $400 after equipment, it\u2019s a preventative measure that\u2019s worth it. Plus, most burglars say they\u2019d skip a house that has a security system." ] }] "@context": " ", "@type": "Organization", "name": "SafeWise", "url": " ", "logo": " -Logo_dotcom-slogan.png", "sameAs": [ " ", " ", " +Safewise", " " ] "@context": " ", "@type": "Table", "about": "Compare the Best Home Security Systems" (function(w,d,s,l,i)[];w[l].push('gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js');var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= '//www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); )(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-TPSHL8C'); skip to main content Home Security Security Buyers Guides
HOME SECURITY SYSTEMS
Home security can be confusing. To help you find the best home security system, we tried them all. We chose Vivint as the best security system because of its high-end equipment, advanced smart home features, and its ability to thwart theft. Don't count out these other picks, though. Each one has its own benefits.
Standout feature: SimpliSafe features RapidSOS (only one other system has this security monitoring feature) to speed up help in an emergency. It skips sending information to a monitoring center and sends it directly to 911 dispatchers so first responders get to you (wherever you are) faster.
What SimpliSafe monitoring do we recommend? Go with the Interactive plan. It gives you mobile app control of your SimpliSafe security system and includes email and text alerts. You can also access live video if you add a home security camera.
We're thrilled that SimpliSafe now has an outdoor camera. Protect your home inside and out when you add the affordable wireless camera with high-quality video to your SimpliSafe system.
On top of voice control, you can add smart lighting, smart locks, smart speakers, and smart smoke and CO detectors to your Abode security system. Plus, pro monitoring starts at a around $20 per month.
Even the best home security systems seem to slack when it comes to security cameras. Brands often offer a basic selection with basic features. Not Ring. It has everything from Ring doorbell cameras to Ring floodlight cameras with excellent video quality and advanced features:
Wyze Home Monitoring has just about every smart home gadget you can think of in its accessory line-up. Some of its offerings include security cameras, smartwatches, video doorbells, scales, a gun safe, and even a remote control car camera.
That depends on your budget and comfort with risk. Based on our comparisons of home security monthly fees, the median cost of professional monitoring is lower than ever at less than $30 a month. Some plans, like Wyze Home Monitoring, cost $10 or less each month.
A $40 or $50 per month monitoring fee can seem steep, but that adds up to $600 or less per year. Keep in mind that the more features and security devices you add to your system, the bigger the price tag.
Every month, more than 1 million visitors look to us for home security information and recommendations. Our honest reviews and expert insights come from hundreds of hours of hands-on tests, interviews with real customers, and meetings with technical pros, owners, and CEOs of large and small home security companies.
Contracts are sometimes required for professional home monitoring or to qualify for free equipment, so service from home security providers like ADT, Vivint and Xfinity may include one. That said, it's usually possible to avoid contracts if you pay upfront -- and other home security companies like Ring, SimpliSafe and Wyze offer DIY home security solutions that never require one.
Arlo, Nest and Wyze cameras are our top picks for the best home security cameras, but the best one for your home depends on your needs. Be sure to consider price, Wi-Fi connectivity, indoor/outdoor functionality and compatibility with other smart home devices and security services when choosing.
Some home security systems come with professional installation, so you can rely on the company to install and set up your system. Others, including many DIY systems, may require self-installation and setup. These systems should come with detailed instructions and are often easy to set up. In most cases, you can simply place or mount the devices where desired, then connect them to your Wi-Fi and other smart home devices (if compatible) via an app.
In a home security context, there are two ways to look at \"wired\" vs. \"wireless.\" The first is power -- home security systems require electricity to operate. In that context, a wired system would be one with devices that plug into power and rely on your home's electricity. A fair number of current-gen systems use wireless, battery-powered sensors and battery backups for the base stations that will keep the setup running if the power ever goes out. You can think of those systems as \"wireless\" as far as electricity is concerned.
There's a second way to look at wired vs. wireless. It concerns connectivity. Every home security system needs to be able to notify you when there's a problem and alert the authorities when there's an emergency. It used to be that systems would notify you with the sound of the alarm and contact authorities via a wired connection to your phone line. Now, most current-gen systems can also notify users of issues with a push alert on their phones. Some will use an internet connection to contact professionals during an emergency.
Even then, we'd still consider the system \"wired\" if you can stop it from operating by cutting your home's internet signal. That's why many systems include built-in cellular connectivity as a backup. Even if the Wi-Fi goes out (or if a tech-savvy intruder disables it), a system like that will still be able to notify you and the authorities of an emergency by way of that cellular connection. Systems like those are \"wireless\" in the connectivity sense -- and if they double down with a battery backup as well, then they're as wireless as home security gets.
More competition in the home security market brings new advances, features and compatibilities with internet-connected gadgets like indoor and outdoor cameras, video doorbells and smart locks. It also brings new vulnerabilities, including an increased risk of hacking. It's a lot to take in, and today's home security providers don't always make it easy to comparison-shop.
That's where we come in. We've put security systems to the test, from top-of-the-line monitored systems with professional installation to wallet-friendly DIY home security system alternatives, including a home security camera (or cameras) and smart home devices monitored via a smartphone app. We'll be updating this article as we go based on hands-on experience so you can be sure you're investing in top home security systems.
Comcast Xfinity Home is a terrific, accessible and affordable service, which is why we gave it an 8 out of 10 in our review. It could cost you thousands less than comparable setups from direct competitors like Vivint and ADT, works with plenty of third-party smart home gadgets and doesn't require a contract. If you can get around Comcast's pressure to bundle with their other services (you don't have to do it!) and the service's limited home automation capabilities, this home security system will treat you well.
Ring's Alarm Pro system has changed the DIY home security game, wrapping a Wi-Fi 6 Eero router into its base device. Not only do you get reliable security performance, but you'll also get access to all sorts of extra features. These include cellular-powered backup Wi-Fi, network security monitoring, local processing and storage for your Ring devices and integration with Alexa's Guard Plus service (provided you have an Echo speaker or display). Considering all the bells and whistles, the Ring Alarm Pro received an impressive score of 9/10 in our review.
Ring still has a troubling history regarding its privacy practices and policies. Still, the Ring Alarm Pro is undeniably one of the smartest DIY home security systems I've ever tested, and it's still competitively priced in a crowded market.
Like SimpliSafe, Wyze allows you to build a custom security system for your home needs. A home monitoring subscription starts at either $10 a month or $100 annually, including the required Wyze Sense Hub for free. From there, you can add motion sensors, cameras, keypads, video doorbells and more. Or you could opt for the Home Security bundle at Amazon, which includes a v3 camera, two door/window sensors, a motion detector, a keypad and the Sense Hub, and a six-month monitoring subscription for less than $150. The only real drawback: Wyze doesn't have a cellular backup in case of power or internet outages. Perhaps that feature will come with time, but for now, we give the Wyze Home Monitoring system a solid 8.4 out of 10.
We've tested the SimpliSafe system several times and most recently gave it a review score of 8.5 out of 10. If you're looking for home security -- without all the extra Wi-Fi and smart home integrations of the Ring Alarm Pro -- SimpliSafe's easy-to-install, easy-to-use DIY system is a great option. It offers a comprehensive set of features, including equipment like security cameras and a very good mix of battery-powered motion detection sensors, all of which performed reliably well in our tests. Starter kits begin at less than $250, or you can build a custom alarm system with the exact mix of devices you need. The security company's professional monitoring plan starts at $18 a month, but you'll almost certainly want to spring for the $28-a-month monitoring service plan, which adds in things like mobile app controls and smart home security system voice support via Alexa and Google Assistant. 041b061a72