SimpliSafe review
The default recommendation — reliable, contract-free, with live agent intervention.
Read reviewBrand reviews
Home security and smart home reviews
Fourteen brands assessed against the same framework. Every review states who the product is not for, because that is usually the more useful half.
We score on equipment quality, monitoring, contract terms, app experience and value — the same five criteria every time, described in our methodology. Scores are ours; nobody pays for a rating or sees a review before publication.
14
Brands reviewed
Updated through 2026
5
Scoring criteria
Applied identically
16
Head-to-head comparisons
Cross-linked throughout
0
Paid placements
Ever
Security systems
Full alarm systems with monitoring options.
Vivint review
The most capable installed system, and the most expensive. Read the financing terms.
Read reviewADT review
The deepest monitoring network, behind a three-year contract and a dealer network.
Read reviewRing review
Best cameras with a competent, very cheap alarm attached.
Read reviewAbode review
Apple Home, Z-Wave and on-demand monitoring for people who like tinkering.
Read reviewCove review
The cheapest professional monitoring, with modest hardware.
Read reviewCameras and doorbells
Video-first brands, from premium to budget.
Google Nest review
Outstanding devices and the best notification filtering — but no alarm system any more.
Read reviewArlo review
The wire-free specialist. Best image quality, subscription effectively mandatory.
Read reviewEufy review
Local storage and no monthly fee — with a 2023 disclosure worth reading about.
Read reviewWyze review
Extraordinary value, weighed against a repeated pattern of security incidents.
Read reviewKangaroo review
The cheapest way to cover a small flat, with clear limits.
Read reviewLocks, climate and lighting
The rest of the smart home.
ecobee review
Room sensors that genuinely fix the cold-bedroom problem, plus Apple Home support.
Read reviewAugust review
The retrofit lock that keeps your existing keys — usually the right answer for renters.
Read reviewLutron review
The one brand professional installers never argue about. Lighting and shades.
Read reviewHow we review
Every brand is assessed on the same five criteria and scored out of five. We state the limitations plainly, including the ones companies would rather we did not — Ring’s FTC settlement, Wyze’s cross-account exposure incidents, Eufy’s cloud-upload disclosure, Vivint’s sales practices.
We earn money through affiliate commissions and installer referrals, and neither affects a score. The full arrangement is set out in our disclosure, and our process in our methodology.
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