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.

Vivint costs $45+/month with a 60-month financing commitment and professional installation. Ring starts at $5/month with no contract and 10-minute DIY setup. We compare everything: 4K cameras vs 1080p, pro monitoring vs self-monitoring, Z-Wave smart home vs Alexa-only, and real 3-year costs ($2,219-$3,620 for Vivint vs $199-$919 for Ring). Plus why Abode splits the difference.

Cove vs Wyze 2026: Budget DIY Alarm vs Ultra-Budget Cameras — Plans, Equipment & 3-Year Cost Compared If you’re shopping for affordable home security, Cove and Wyze sit at the bottom of the price spectrum — but they’re fundamentally different products. Cove is a budget alarm system with mandatory professional monitoring. Wyze is an ultra-budget […]

Nest vs Vivint 2026: Google’s Smart Camera Lineup vs Premium Pro-Install Security — Full Comparison Comparing Nest and Vivint is like comparing a camera company to a security company — because that’s exactly what they are. Google Nest makes excellent smart cameras and thermostats but has no dedicated alarm system anymore. Vivint is a full […]