In this guide
There is no single best home security system, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. There is a best system for a particular household — and the variables that decide it are boring: do you rent or own, do you want a contract, do you want cameras, and how much do you want to think about it.
What follows is our ranking, with the reasoning stated so you can disagree with it. Every score comes from the same assessment framework: equipment quality, monitoring, contract terms, app experience and value.
| Pick | Award | Score | Monthly | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SimpliSafe | Best overall | 4.6/5 | $0–$79.99 | None |
| Vivint | Best professional installation | 4.4/5 | $30–$60 | None if equipment paid upfront; 42–60 months if financed |
| Ring | Best cameras and value | 4.3/5 | $0–$20 | None |
| ADT | Best monitoring network | 4.2/5 | $25–$70 | 36 months typical for professional installs |
| Abode | Best for smart home integration | 4.1/5 | $0–$25 | None |
1. SimpliSafe — Best overall
Why it wins: It does the fundamentals better than anything else and never traps you. For most households asking “which security system should I buy”, this is the answer.
SimpliSafe combines DIY sensor installation with month-to-month monitoring. Standard starts at $22.99/month for professional dispatch and cellular backup; Core is $32.99/month with camera recording.
Outdoor agent coverage requires eligible cameras and a Pro or Pro Plus plan: $49.99/month for 8pm–6am local coverage, or $79.99/month for 24/7 coverage, with the system armed. It is an optional upgrade rather than a feature of every monitored plan.
Where it falls short: automation is limited and outdoor agent coverage costs substantially more than basic dispatch. Camera recording is available below the highest tier. Our SimpliSafe plan comparison explains the options.
What we like
- Month-to-month monitoring with no long-term contract
- Adhesive sensor mounting supports DIY installation
- Outdoor agent coverage on Pro overnight or Pro Plus around the clock
What to watch
- Home automation is minimal compared with Vivint or a Hubitat-style setup
- Camera line-up is smaller than Ring or Arlo
- Outdoor agent coverage starts at $49.99/month and requires eligible cameras
2. Vivint — Best professional installation
Why it wins: The only mainstream system where security and automation genuinely work as one, commissioned by someone who surveyed your property first.
If you want a system rather than an alarm, Vivint is the one to buy. Arming can lock the doors, close the garage and set back the thermostat as a single reliable action, because one company designed and installed all of it.
The Outdoor Camera Pro is the standout: it performs person detection on-device and responds autonomously with light, tone and a spoken warning. That happens whether or not you are awake.
Where it falls short: cost. Expect $3,500–$5,500 over five years, usually via 42–60 month equipment financing that functions much like a contract. Never sign on the doorstep.
What we like
- Best-in-class outdoor camera with on-device deterrence and person detection
- Genuine home automation — locks, garage, thermostat, lighting under one app
- Professional design and installation of the whole system
What to watch
- The most expensive option here by a clear margin
- Financing agreements typically run 42–60 months
- Equipment is proprietary and has little resale value
3. Ring — Best cameras and value
Why it wins: Unlimited camera recording plus 24/7 alarm monitoring for roughly $20 a month is the best bundled value in the category.
Ring makes the best video doorbell most people can buy and the widest camera range at consumer prices. The alarm is genuinely good and genuinely cheap.
The value case is strongest once you have several cameras: the top plan covers unlimited devices at one address and includes professional monitoring, where competitors charge that much for monitoring alone.
Where it falls short: cameras record nothing without a subscription, there is no local storage on most devices, and footage lives on Amazon’s servers. Ring settled with the FTC in 2023 over internal access to customer video; security has improved materially since.
What we like
- The widest, best-executed range of doorbells and cameras at consumer prices
- Professional monitoring is notably cheap for what it includes
- Deep Alexa integration — announcements, Echo Show feeds, voice arming
What to watch
- Video recording essentially requires a subscription
- No local storage option on most devices
- Amazon ownership is a real consideration for privacy-minded buyers
4. ADT — Best monitoring network
Why it wins: The deepest, most redundant professional monitoring infrastructure in the industry, with a company that has been doing it since 1874.
ADT’s product is really the network that answers when the alarm fires: many interconnected monitoring centres built so that an outage at one is absorbed by another. If maximum assurance on that specific point is what you want, nothing else here matches it.
Google Nest cameras and doorbells now integrate natively, which gives the video side a genuine lift.
Where it falls short: 36-month contracts with real termination fees, quote-based pricing that makes comparison shopping tedious, and installation quality that varies because much of it is carried out by independent dealers. Ask whether you are dealing with ADT or a dealer, and research that dealer by name.
What we like
- One of the largest professional monitoring networks in the US, with redundant centres
- Professional installation and ongoing service included in most plans
- Google Nest cameras and doorbells integrate natively into the newer systems
What to watch
- Multi-year contracts on professionally installed systems, with early-termination fees
- Pricing is quote-based, so comparison shopping takes phone calls
- Dealer network means installation quality varies by market
5. Abode — Best for smart home integration
Why it wins: An alarm and automation hub for households with compatible smart-home devices.
Abode’s Smart Security Hub and Iota support compatible Z-Wave, Zigbee and Apple Home devices. Check the exact equipment you want to connect.
Read the current plan requirements before budgeting for automation or professional monitoring.
Where it falls short: setup takes an afternoon rather than an hour, first-party cameras are middling, and it is a smaller company than the rest of this list.
What we like
- Genuine Apple Home support, which most competitors lack
- Compatible Z-Wave and Zigbee devices on supported hubs
- Optional professional monitoring with Pro
What to watch
- Setup rewards patience; it is not a 20-minute system
- Smaller company than the majors, with a smaller support organisation
- First-party cameras are middling
How to narrow this down in two minutes
Answer three questions and the field collapses.
- Will you accept a multi-year contract? If no, that removes ADT’s professionally installed systems and most of Vivint’s financing arrangements.
- Do you want to install it yourself? If no, you are choosing between ADT and Vivint. If yes, you are choosing between SimpliSafe, Ring and Abode.
- Are cameras a priority or an afterthought? Priority points to Ring. Afterthought points to SimpliSafe.
What we did not include, and why
Cove is worth comparing for a monitored DIY alarm, with Basic at $22.99/month, Plus at $32.99 and Premium at $42.99. Its entry price matches SimpliSafe Standard rather than undercutting it. Compare the equipment, camera support and plan requirements in our Cove review.
Wyze is extraordinary value, but a pattern of security incidents — including two events where users saw other households’ footage — means we cannot recommend it as a primary system. Our Wyze review sets out the full record.
Google Nest no longer sells a security system. Nest Secure was discontinued; the devices are excellent but there is no first-party alarm.
Kangaroo is a reasonable budget option for a studio flat, covered in our apartment security guide.
What monitoring actually does
Professional monitoring is widely misunderstood, so it is worth being precise.
When an alarm triggers, the system contacts a central station. An operator attempts to reach you, usually by phone, and asks for a passcode. If you confirm a false alarm, nothing further happens. If you cannot be reached, or you confirm a genuine emergency, they dispatch police.
Two things follow. First, response time depends mostly on your local police, not the monitoring company — a faster central station saves seconds, not minutes. Second, many jurisdictions deprioritise unverified alarms because false-alarm rates are so high. This is why verification features — SimpliSafe’s agent intervention, Vivint’s camera analytics — matter more than the marketing suggests.
Self-monitoring means you get the notification and decide what to do. That is genuinely adequate for many households, particularly in flats with neighbours nearby, and it costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Which home security system is best overall?
SimpliSafe is our overall pick for DIY installation and optional month-to-month monitoring. Outdoor agent coverage requires the higher-priced Pro or Pro Plus plan and eligible cameras. Vivint is worth comparing if you want automation and professional installation.
Do I need professional monitoring?
Not necessarily. Self-monitoring works well for flats and homes where neighbours are close. Professional monitoring earns its cost if you travel, sleep heavily, or want police dispatched when you cannot be reached.
What is the cheapest good security system?
Compare the complete equipment-and-plan cost for your needs. Current monthly monitoring examples are Ring Pro at $19.99 with eligible Alarm equipment, Cove Basic at $22.99 and SimpliSafe Standard at $22.99. These examples do not establish the cheapest system for every household.
Are security systems worth it?
The evidence that visible security measures deter opportunistic burglary is reasonably strong. Whether the ongoing cost is worth it depends on your circumstances — a $250 DIY kit with no subscription is a very different proposition from a $5,000 five-year commitment.
Can I install a security system myself?
Yes, easily, for SimpliSafe, Ring, Abode and most DIY systems. Sensors are adhesive-mounted and need no tools. Professional installation makes sense for large homes, wired cameras, or if you simply prefer not to.
