Short answer: Compare CPI Security and ADT from two address-specific written proposals, not from an old monthly-price table. CPI currently markets professional installation, a company-operated monitoring center, and service in selected Southeast locations. ADT currently markets professionally installed home security, monitoring plans, connected devices, and ADT+ services. Availability, equipment, promotional credits, monitoring, term, cancellation, and ownership can vary by address, sales channel, package, and contract. The useful question is which proposal covers the same openings and response jobs with clearer ownership and exit terms.
CPI Security vs ADT decision table
| Decision | CPI Security | ADT | Proof to collect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address eligibility | Check the current CPI locations page and written sales confirmation | Check the current ADT sales path for the address and installer channel | Serviceable address, seller identity, installer identity, and move policy |
| Installation | CPI’s current site emphasizes professional installation | ADT’s current home-security pages emphasize professional installation and quote-led packages | Scope, labor, holes/cabling, permit, appointment, change orders, and removal |
| Monitoring | CPI says its monitoring center is company-operated | ADT markets pro monitoring and plan-dependent services | Signal path, verification, dispatch, cellular backup, test procedure, and plan exclusions |
| Equipment | Exact panel, sensors, cameras, locks, and platform must be itemized | Exact hub/panel, sensors, cameras, locks, and ADT+ path must be itemized | Manufacturer/model, quantity, power, radio, storage, warranty, and end-of-service behavior |
| Contract | Use the actual CPI agreement for term, renewal, cancellation, move, and equipment clauses | Use the actual ADT agreement and offer terms; do not generalize across channels | Signed agreement, recurring charges, increases, early exit formula, cooling-off notice, and return obligations |
| Three-year cost | Quote + taxes + installation + monitoring + service + replacements | Quote + taxes + installation + monitoring + service + replacements | One written worksheet using the same property map and assumptions |
First verify the seller and service address
Start with the legal company named on the proposal, the person or dealer making the sale, the installer, and the monitoring provider. A familiar logo does not prove the visitor or caller represents that company. The FTC’s current guide, How To Avoid Scams When You Shop for a Home Security System, warns that dishonest sellers may claim to represent an existing security company or say equipment needs an upgrade. Verify the seller through a phone number and website you locate independently.
CPI’s current site describes a Southeast service footprint and publishes city/location pages. That does not justify copying an old fixed state list into a buying decision. Enter the exact address and obtain written confirmation for installation, service, moving, and monitoring. ADT has a broader sales presence, but address eligibility, technician channel, equipment, and offer details still need written confirmation.
Give both companies the same property map
A quote is not comparable until both sellers price the same jobs. Mark every exterior door, accessible window, garage entry, floor, sleeping area, pet path, smoke/CO need, water risk, camera approach, detached building, and weak internet/cellular area. State who needs temporary access, which phones need alerts, and whether professional dispatch, video verification, cellular backup, fire response, or smart-home control is required.
| Property job | Required quote field | Acceptance evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Intrusion perimeter | Every protected opening and exact sensor quantity | Each opening reports the correct state and zone label |
| Interior detection | Motion detector model, location, pet assumptions, and mode behavior | Walk test with occupied and armed scenarios |
| Alarm communication | Primary and backup signal paths, supervision, and plan dependency | Monitoring-center test receipt and outage test |
| Cameras | Exact model, power, network, storage, retention, and plan | Day/night walk, alert delay, clip retrieval, and export |
| Life safety | Smoke, CO, water, temperature, monitoring, and replacement cycle | Manufacturer-approved test and monitoring confirmation |
| Access | Locks, codes, users, roles, history, deletion, and mechanical fallback | Temporary-user test and safe inside exit |
Compare equipment by model, not category
“Door sensor,” “camera,” or “smart lock” is not enough. Require the manufacturer, model number, quantity, power source, battery type, radio/protocol, hub or panel dependency, environmental rating, storage path, warranty, and replacement availability. Ask which equipment remains useful if monitoring is canceled and which functions require the provider account.
For cameras, write down resolution, field of view, night behavior, power, Wi-Fi or wired path, event versus continuous recording, clip retention, local/cloud storage, export, microphones, privacy masks, and shared users. For sensors, test physical fit and supervision. For the panel or hub, document battery backup, cellular path, tamper behavior, siren, codes, user roles, logs, and what happens after contract or service termination.
Monitoring and verification need an observable test
CPI’s current homepage emphasizes its own monitoring center and professional installation. ADT’s current monitoring-plans page describes plan-dependent monitoring, video, and access services. Marketing language is not a substitute for the exact proposal. Ask both companies:
- Which events reach the monitoring center and which remain app-only?
- What is the primary signal path and what backup path is included?
- How are alarm signals verified before dispatch?
- Can monitoring staff access cameras, and under what event and permission?
- What happens when broadband, cellular service, AC power, or the panel is unavailable?
- How do users place the system on test, cancel an alarm, update contacts, and obtain a signal-history record?
- Which smoke, CO, panic, medical, water, or temperature events are supported by the selected plan?
After installation, call the provider through an independently verified number, place the system in test mode, trigger every agreed alarm class, and obtain confirmation of the zone, time, communication path, and restoration.
Contract and ownership worksheet
| Field | Write the exact answer |
|---|---|
| Legal contracting company | Name, address, support number, and license details where applicable |
| Initial term | Start date, end date, and when installation/monitoring obligations begin |
| Recurring charges | Monitoring, video, storage, cellular, service, taxes, permits, and other fees |
| Price changes | When and how recurring charges may change |
| Renewal | Automatic renewal or month-to-month language and cancellation notice window |
| Early termination | Exact formula, exceptions, move/death/disability terms, and equipment return |
| Equipment ownership | Purchased, financed, leased, subsidized, or provider-owned by line item |
| Service cancellation | What continues locally and what stops in the app, cameras, cellular path, and integrations |
| Warranty/service | Parts, labor, truck rolls, batteries, damage, replacement, and excluded work |
| Cooling-off documents | Applicable notice, deadline, address, and required cancellation method |
Do not rely on a salesperson’s verbal summary. Read the actual agreement and offer terms. Keep the signed proposal, contract, disclosures, cancellation form, installation inventory, serial numbers, and photos in one folder.
Build an equal three-year cost
Old fixed-price tables age badly because promotions, equipment, plans, taxes, installation, and contract terms change. Use a written worksheet:
- Add equipment purchases, financing, lease/subsidy obligations, activation, installation, permits, taxes, shipping, and required network or electrical work.
- Add 36 months of the exact monitoring, video, storage, cellular, service, and app charges shown in the proposal.
- Add expected batteries, camera storage, smoke/CO replacement, service calls, and warranty exclusions.
- Model one move, one service visit, one camera/storage change, and an early exit at months 12 and 24.
- Write what equipment and local functions remain after cancellation.
Use the same property map for both proposals. A lower quote that omits windows, cameras, life-safety devices, cellular backup, or service is not a lower price for the same system.
Installation-day control sheet
- Match every box and installed device to the proposal by model and quantity.
- Photograph serial numbers, panel/hub placement, power supplies, network connections, and cable routes.
- Reject unapproved substitutions or obtain a signed change order before installation.
- Create owner-controlled administrator credentials; do not leave a generic installer account active without a documented reason.
- Label zones in plain language and test each opening, motion path, alarm class, camera, lock, siren, and user.
- Confirm the monitoring account, contacts, passcodes, permit, test-mode process, false-alarm procedure, warranty, and support number.
- Receive the signed contract, final equipment inventory, manuals, cancellation notice, and test record before the installer leaves.
Outage and recovery tests
| Failure | What to observe | Pass condition |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband off | Panel path, app status, cameras, automation, and monitoring receipt | Every promised backup function works and the failure is visible |
| AC power off | Panel/hub battery, router, cameras, siren, locks, and restoration | Documented runtime assumptions and clean restoration |
| Cellular path unavailable | Supervision, alternate communication, local alarm, and notification | Failure appears and the written fallback matches the quote |
| Phone unavailable | Second user, panel/keypad control, codes, and monitoring contacts | Household can arm, disarm, cancel, and exit safely |
| Camera/storage unavailable | Alarm dispatch boundary, live view, clips, privacy, and restoration | Intrusion detection does not silently depend on missing video |
| Provider account handover | Admins, contacts, codes, app devices, and recovery | The owner controls access and can remove former users |
60-minute CPI vs ADT quote and system acceptance test
- 0–10 minutes: Verify the contracting company, seller, installer, address eligibility, monitoring provider, support number, and licenses where required.
- 10–20 minutes: Match both proposals to the same property map, device models, quantities, alarm classes, camera jobs, network/power work, and plan features.
- 20–30 minutes: Read term, renewal, recurring-price, cancellation, move, ownership, warranty, service, and cooling-off fields; flag every blank or verbal promise.
- 30–40 minutes: Trigger every opening, motion path, alarm class, panic path, siren, code, lock, and camera. Verify zone labels and monitoring receipts.
- 40–50 minutes: Disable broadband and AC power separately. Check panel communication, app status, cameras, local control, battery behavior, and restoration.
- 50–56 minutes: Test a second user, temporary code, user removal, administrator recovery, camera sharing, clip export, and safe manual exit.
- 56–60 minutes: Save the signed contract, inventory, serials, test record, contacts, cancellation method, primary responder, and next test date.
Pass only if every required device and service is written, installed as quoted, owner-controlled, observable during failure, and tied to a response procedure. A logo, review score, promotional price, or salesperson’s confidence is not an acceptance test.
Where a no-contract DIY quote fits
If neither professional-install proposal makes ownership, term, or exit behavior clear, price a DIY and optional-monitoring path against the same property map. The Abode Smart Security Kit and current Abode plans provide one current comparison route. Verify exact device compatibility, self-monitoring functions, professional-monitoring terms, cellular backup, cameras, installation work, and three-year cost rather than assuming DIY is automatically cheaper or sufficient.
FAQ
Is CPI Security better than ADT?
There is no universal winner. CPI’s current positioning emphasizes Southeast service, professional installation, and its monitoring center. ADT offers a broader national brand and its own package, device, and monitoring paths. Compare address-specific written proposals and test the installed signal, ownership, outage, and exit behavior.
Does CPI Security serve my address?
Use CPI’s current location checker and obtain written confirmation for the exact address. Do not rely on an old state list because service boundaries and installer availability can change.
How much do CPI and ADT cost?
Use current written quotes. Equipment, promotions, installation, monitoring, video, taxes, service, and contract terms vary. Compare the same property map over three years and model early exit.
Who owns the equipment?
Ownership depends on the actual agreement and line item. Require each device to be labeled purchased, financed, leased, subsidized, or provider-owned, and write what remains useful after service cancellation.
What should I test before accepting either system?
Test every opening and alarm class, monitoring receipt, siren, code, camera, clip export, secondary user, broadband failure, AC-power failure, battery behavior, restoration, and administrator recovery. Save the result with the signed inventory and contract.
William is a tech buff and former corporate security officer turned cybercrime analyst. Computers have few secrets left for him, but home security and alarm systems… Well, those have plenty of secrets for their users, which William is now uncovering and explaining. His articles on home security helped many people take the matter seriously, invest in highly performing systems, and avoid becoming victims of burglaries.
Dave says
We have had the system now for over a year and cannot wait for the contract period to end so we can get rid of them. they are the WORST!
First off, they installed an old style (UGLY) control panel in spite of our protesting that we wanted the newer style (which my daughter had installed at the same time as we had ours installed). In spite of repeated request to replace it we have always been refused until today when they said it would be an additional $300!
Second, we have had a continuous problem with sensors going bad, malfunctioning and going off in the middle of the night for no reason. Techs have been to our home a half dozen times over the past year replacing them.
Third, we have a ;Smart Home; and CPI’s system is NOT Smart Home friendly unless you buy all their equipment which costs thousands.
I wish I had never heard of them and the end of the contract period cannot come soon enough for me. YOU SHOULD NOT BUY their service IMO.
Jeff F says
I disagree with several of your reviews. I did extensive research on alarm companies for my new home. I had a list of things i wanted in a home security system and only CPI fit the bill. I agree it was expensive upfront. I had specific things I wanted, glass break sensors for a sun room full of windows, window break sensors in on room because of my gun safe, live video feed without a bulky hard drive with the capability of reviewing past video. When i ran this by the sales person on the phone they hid nothing from me. I put out a thousand dollars for the equipment but the monthly fee was comparable to other systems without the video feed. The installer was great and did an a 1 job, He was there for over 7 hrs. Great system and great installation. now I get text messages whenever anyone goes near my house. The front door is motion sensor and the rest of the video is live feed. Try to find that with any other system, Most are only motion activated. Very happy with CPI
Alarm Reviews says
Good to hear Jeff! Congrats on your new system and hope it’s good for years to come. Thanks for feedback.
Jacqueline Wade says
I was a loyal customer of CPI for years. They are shady, my system started not acting right, going off in the middle of the night and police rushing out for no reason. I complained…asked to cancel and was deferred day after day. Finally was told you’re in the middle of billing …payment can’t be stopped. My payment w asnt due for another 4 days…I was told I had to give 5 days notice. Then told…you have to give 60 day notice.
SAM says
I have found CPI service calls are fast and free. Never had a problem getting help when I needed it. Most of my neighborhood has CPI and loves them. I would recommend.
Steven Rosso says
I just relocated from Chicago to Greenville, SC. In my opinion, most of the comments in this thread are nonsense. I contacted CPI and they were straightforward about their equipment and pricing. I was using FrontPoint in Chicago (also a very good service) but was persuaded that CPI was local to the South. Their equipment and software app are excellent, and in all of my interactions with them I have found them to be highly professional and responsiveness. And this across a number of different individuals. Also, their installer (Adam) was awesome, installation was smooth. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend CPI. Stop whining!
Steve McMahel says
Great insight and thank you
Lakefastongirl says
Worst experience of my life. I sold the house where service was there over 6 months ago and they still continue to bill me and harass me. Get another service company for your alarm
Bethany Peters says
If you like using an app on the go, don’t go with CPI. I have the Galaxy s7 with Verizion. No issues with connection ever and my phone is perfectly fine BUT no matter what, this app always crashes! I am over it. I feel like this is something they need to get fixed because most people rely on mobile perks these days!!
Sean Prax says
CPI is very fishy. I checked all over online and everyone was quoting different numbers almost as if they charge a person based on how much they can get out of them which is not right! I was a bit mad when I spoke to a rep on the phone who told me 3 different prices as well. I do not recommend them.
Phil Frankfort says
The same thing happened to me as well. I called 4 different times as I was still decided and each time I got a quote it was a little different. Maybe they
have issues with people who do the quotes like because i called different time and spoke to a few different people things were mixed up. I am not sure.
Caroline says
CPI’s customer service won be over. I will be honest in saying I had no idea what I was doing or what I needed. They didn’t try to oversell me anything or lie to me about my needs for my home. I made sure because my brother in law is in the field but in another state. It has only been a few weeks but I like it. The devices they use are super reliable.
Maddy says
Do you remember who you spoke with? The man I spoke to was very rude. His name was Mark something. I don’t know what his problem was but he was getting frustrated with me for asking so many questions. I don’t want to call and speak to the same person again.
Belinda says
Some don’t like you to ask questions because they won’t be honest. When I started with CPI almost three years ago i could not get the guy to answer me on chat the exact panel I was getting. I kept pressing and finally he did it. I printed out the chat. Good thing I did. I was supposed to get window sensors in addition to my already hardwired glass break sensors. Install guy did not show them. CPI changed their tune REAL QUICK when I brought out the chat room printout. The salesman lied about that and a couple of other things thinking he could get away from it. Get anything they promise you in writing.
Gary says
The starting prices were hard for me. I am on a tight budget but I made it work. I have no complaints with the company or the hardware but I do with the rates were cheaper. I had to cut out a few things but with CPI, I feel safer over all.
Willy says
I know someone who works with the company and the starting prices more than pay for themselves. There are some areas that will offer discounts to long standing customers as well which is a huge bonus. I am not in need of a security system now as I am still a renter but when I buy my first home (likely this fall) I will be getting set up with CPI Security for sure!
Kerri says
Worst customer service ever!! It takes me a few days to get through to them. I’ve never have been so frustrated with a company before in my life. I should have done my homework before I went with them.
Missy says
I had no issues with the customer service myself but the person I spoke with seemed like they had no idea what was going on either. I had a lot of charged for things I didn’t even have in my package. I think they got me confused with someone else. The issues were eventually taken care of but it was a bit annoying.
Jeff says
I had the same issues Kerri! I had tried reaching out to these people for DAYS! And when I finally would speak to someone they would put me on hold and then I would get disconnected. I had a friend of mine pretend he wanted to sign up and the customer service was ON IT. Seems like they only care about making sales and that is it.
Sam says
Every time I have called the 800 number I got through right away….not sure who you are calling
Jose says
That is right i have never had a problem with them.
Sam says
I get through within seconds of each call I have made…SMH…sounds like a competitor got their employees to make these comments trying to make these good people look bad. Shameful.
Grace says
I don’t like any site that doesn’t put their prices online. That usually means that they prices are high or they plan on suckering you into purchasing more. I always stay away from these sites, but that’s just me.
Sam says
Genuine consumers do not mind calling a company to get a quote, or better yet have a professional consultant come to your home like I had and see what they say and recommend. I realized areas of my home that didn’t need protecting like I thought like high off the ground windows. I was impressed with the quality of the employee and the pricing and have not regretted choosing CPI
Alarm Reviews says
Yeah we recommend calling several. However, they should still openly display information such as equipment rates, monitoring rates etc. Forcing the customer to get on the phone with a sales rep is not beloved by most consumers. Take for example a car lot. Sometimes it’s nice to just browse rather then being one on one with a sales rep. Same thing as home security systems.
Ellen Porter says
This is a very good point! I just finished reading a few of your reviews. I feel like some companies are very dishonest and it is easier to trick people about pricing on the phone then reading it in black and white. I am still on the hunt for the company I will choose but I am keeping this in mind.
Steve McMahel says
Grace, not sure what you saw but I saw their pricing with the free installation clearly labeled. Starting rates are posted as well. They do not show every level of service online so a phone call makes I simple.
LaraM says
Though I like the high rating of CPI, I’m not sold on their shady pricing practices. Price is a big consideration when it comes to choosing home security systems. And if they have a difficult to contact customer service, prospective buyers will be put off by this. It’s probably not worth the higher price point.
Cassey says
CPI looks nice but why hiding price from users? It implies the bad impression of the company in the users mind. I put this company at bottom in my list.
Sam says
website lists the pricing- no cost to install or $99 if you get an outdoor camera. Pretty easy to read if you look.
MM says
And if you learn to read, you would notice people are pointing out the lack of monthly monitoring fees.