Vivint and Wyze sit at opposite ends of the home security market. Vivint is a premium, professionally installed smart home security system starting at $45/month with $1,000+ in equipment. Wyze sells ultra-budget cameras starting at $20 with optional $10/month monitoring. This comparison breaks down exactly what you get — and what you give up — […]

Abode is a full alarm system — door sensors, motion detectors, siren, professional monitoring from $0-6/mo. Blink is a battery-powered camera brand owned by Amazon — no sensors, no alarm panel, no monitoring. Abode starts at $140 for a complete kit. Blink cameras run $30-100 each with $3/mo cloud storage per camera. 3-year cost: Abode $140-356 for alarm + cameras. Blink $120-400 for cameras only + $108-432 cloud. If you want actual security (sensors that trigger before someone is inside), Abode wins. If you just want cheap outdoor cameras, Blink is fine — but it is not a security system.

Cove charges $15-25/month for 24/7 monitoring with no contracts. ADT charges $28-45/month on 3-year contracts with $199+ professional installation. Over 3 years: Cove runs $540-900. ADT runs $1,200-1,800+. ADT wins on brand trust (150 years), monitoring response (own dispatch centers), and technician setup. Cove wins on price, flexibility, and simplicity. Neither supports Apple HomeKit or Z-Wave smart home control. Abode ($6/mo, no contract) undercuts both with better smart home integration for $415 over 3 years.

Vivint starts at $599 equipment + $45/month monitoring. ADT starts at $599 equipment + $28-45/month depending on the package. Over 3 years with contracts: Vivint runs $2,219-2,819 total, ADT runs $1,607-2,539. Both require professional installation ($99-199 for Vivint, $0-199 for ADT). Vivint has better smart home tech (indoor/outdoor cameras, doorbell, thermostat built-in). ADT has Google Nest integration since 2024 but less polished software. Neither offers free self-monitoring. Abode does the same job for $199 + $0-6/month — saving $1,400-2,400 over 3 years.

SimpliSafe offers free self-monitoring and sells at Best Buy with no contract. Cove has the cheapest pro monitoring at $17.99/mo but no free tier. SimpliSafe has cameras; Cove barely does. We compare every plan, sensor, and 3-year cost ($249-$1,257 for SimpliSafe vs $647-$1,207 for Cove). Plus why Abode ($0/mo free tier, HomeKit, Z-Wave) beats both on value and smart home breadth.