- The home security giants ADT and Vivint
have a lot in common.
They're both professionally installed,
professionally monitored, require contracts,
and have multiple levels of security service.
They also both have complex contracts
and lots of loopholes to decipher
before you find a plan that's right for you.
So let's get into it.
Today I'm talking about ADT versus Vivint,
Vivint versus ADT.
Which has the better equipment, monitoring plans, prices,
and customer service?
If you wanna learn more,
check out the links in the description below.
There you can find a ton of resources, articles,
and helpful guides on safewise.com that we've added.
Let's start by getting to know Vivint and ADT
a little better.
(relaxed music)
Vivint Home Security started in 1999 with solar panels
and has since become a household name.
This professionally installed brand makes its own equipment,
something you don't see often in the industry,
but its claim to fame is its smart home capabilities
and powerful cameras packed with unique features,
but none of this tech comes cheap.
Its first-tier plan starts at $29.99 per month
for basic monitoring and sensors.
If you want to get any of that smart home goodness
or cameras included, you'll have to pay much more
for equipment and monitoring.
Vivint has won awards for its innovation,
but the brand's business model still needs updates.
It's new-ish month-to-month contract option
is an improvement,
but its ratings are mixed from customers and organizations.
We've seen this from viewers in our own comment section.
The ADT name has been around
for nearly a century and a half.
In that time, it's made a huge mark
on the home security industry,
becoming the best-known brand for protecting homes today,
but if you wanna start with ADT's lowest price point,
you'll need another kind of outdated technology:
a landline phone.
Basic home security service from ADT
starts at $28.99 a month, a dollar cheaper than Vivint,
but it's landline-only service.
If you want cellular monitoring
for your home security system,
that price jumps to $45.99 per month,
which also includes cameras and the ADT app.
But ADT's partnership with Google
does ensure your equipment will be compatible
with the latest tech from Google Nest.
While ADT's name and equipment
might be enough to protect your home,
we still have a bone to pick with the hefty fees
and confusing process customers have to go through
to cancel service, and compared to Vivint,
ADT hasn't impressed our viewers much, either.
Now, let's get into the meaty part:
pricing, equipment, and customer service.
(relaxed music)
ADT charges for monitoring, installation, and equipment
when you sign up for service.
Monitoring ranges between $30 to $60 a month,
each tier adding a little bit more equipment
to sweeten the deal.
A build-your-own starter kit costs around $600 over time
with installation upfront, varying between $99 to $199.
That basic plan is a landline-only option,
so if you don't have one and need cellular monitoring,
you need to bump up to the Secure package.
One of the best parts of ADT monitoring
is its nine centers across the US,
and it's not just helpful for call volume.
Whether it's rolling blackouts
or hurricanes near the closest one to you,
that many monitoring centers ensures
that you'll always have an ADT professional to call on.
Vivint also charges for monitoring,
installation, and equipment,
but its price range is a little tighter
on the monitoring side.
Its entry plan isn't landline-only,
and you get access to the Vivint app from the start.
Vivint's equipment is more lease-to-own
than lease-only like ADT's,
so once you pay everything off, it's all yours,
making service cheaper over time.
Vivint also offers a flat installation rate
versus ADT's wide ballpark range.
Vivint's mid-tier service starts at $39.99
and gets into smart home capabilities
like lighting, garage door controls, and smart thermostats,
but it's not until the top tier
that cameras come into the picture.
That $49.99 is just a minimum for three cameras,
cloud storage, and live viewing.
You can add more cameras, but monitoring prices will go up.
As far as this category goes, we've gotta give it to Vivint.
Both services are expensive upfront
and have similar price ranges.
ADT has more monitoring centers than Vivint,
but Vivint gives you a little more bang for your buck.
(relaxed music)
So what do you get from ADT and Vivint
for all of that monthly dough?
Both brands have a lot of home security basics,
like motion sensors, door sensors, apps, and control panels.
But again, Vivint outshines ADT in this category.
If you're comparing the two on a basic,
no-frills home security system layout,
Vivint offers more options from the start.
For example, we didn't see devices like freeze sensors,
tilt sensors, or key fob controls from ADT.
Vivint also makes its app available to customers
at its most basic level,
something that you won't have from ADT
with its budget landline plan.
One of my favorite things from Vivint in this category
is its recessed door and window sensor.
If your doors aren't flush with the wall,
a traditional contact sensors won't always work,
so it's great to have this option available.
These days, smart home and home security go hand in hand,
and ADT's partnership with Google
is a great example of this.
However, we haven't seen much innovation
since the relationship started years ago.
It all kind of stops with what's available from Google now.
Thankfully, ADT still works with other smart home gear
like Z-Wave or Alexa-compatible devices,
but Vivint takes the smart home game a little bit further.
Smart home fare from the brand includes its own locks,
lights, appliance switches, and smart thermostats,
all of which can work with your home security system
when you arm or disarm your home
or create automations through the app.
Both Vivint and ADT offer indoor, outdoor,
and doorbell cameras for the home,
but with the exception of the Vivint Doorbell,
you'll need to pay a higher price point
from either company if you want them.
So are they worth it?
On ADT's side, the cameras are all from Google Nest.
If you have a Google Nest Hub, you can stream camera feed
to its screen or to your ADT app.
But again, the price for these features
land at over $50 a month
and without anything terribly groundbreaking.
Vivint also ups the price to add cameras to your system,
with video monitoring starting
at around 44.99 per month for three cameras.
But Vivint's cameras come with Smart Deter,
one of our favorite features from the brand.
If someone lingers a little too long
within the camera's sight,
Vivint will let them know they're being watched.
So driveway lurkers beware.
You're on notice.
On one side, there's ADT Medical Alert system,
and on the other, there's Vivint Car Guard.
We've dropped links to our reviews
on both of these extras if you wanna learn more,
but it's great to see both brands expanding the boundaries
of what we think of as traditional home security.
Again, Vivint takes this category with its innovative spin
on smart home gear, cameras, and traditional sensors.
Plus, with Vivint's lease-to-own policy,
you end up owning the gear you paid for.
I'm curious to see how the ADT-Google partnership
will develop further,
but as of now, it just seems like an easy pipeline
for ADT to improve its offerings
and Google to reach ADT customers
but that's just my theory.
Hopefully, as the partnership develops further,
we'll see newer, more exciting stuff.
(relaxed music)
Looking at customer support options for Vivint and ADT,
you'll find both brands have phone lines,
live chat, support pages, and articles.
Pretty standard, but getting in touch isn't the issue.
Many of our viewers, reviewers on Trustpilots,
and complaints filed to the Better Business Bureau
cited cancellation and contracts
to be the biggest pain points.
Both ADT and VIVNT require contracts.
ADT requires a minimum three year,
while Vivint offers month-to-month or full contract options.
Vivint allows for no money down
if you're okay with a three to five-year contract,
but if you cancel early for either brand,
you're on the hook for the remaining balance.
Vivint charges you everything,
while ADT leaves it at 75% of that remainder.
A lot of this could boil down to the differences
in equipment leasing versus owning.
Since you're essentially buying Vivint's stuff over time,
they're more likely to hold you accountable
for the full amount.
But ADT has Vivint beat with its six-month trial period
versus Vivint's non-existent one,
but that trial period only applies
to issues ADT is unable to solve
within that first six months.
Be sure to read the fine print from either company
because unfortunately, neither has a spotless track record
when it comes to customer service.
But at least ADT never had to answer to the FTC.
In the customer service category,
we're giving the crown to ADT.
I like seeing such a generous trial period,
and canceling without being on the hook for everything
is a relief, depending on how long you've been a customer.
With both brands being so large
and charging as much as they do,
I would hope they could show customers some mercy
under situations like moves, divorces, deaths,
or an honest change of heart,
but the lesson we could all take away from this
is that reading everything before you sign
is the golden rule.
(relaxed music)
Despite a less than ideal customer service track record,
Vivint remains the winner of this face-off.
The brand's awesome proprietary equipment is hard to ignore,
and its flexible pricing makes it easier for everyone
to get a recognizable security system guarding their house.
Smart home capabilities from Vivint
also go beyond the home security world
and into your driveway and vehicle itself.
While it's pricier than DIY brands,
Vivint's personal touch added to your system
can help many folks out there.
ADT, on the other hand, has proven decade after decade
to be a reliable name in home security,
but compared to Vivint, ADT still feels old-fashioned.
It misses out on some of the basic sensors,
keeps its app behind a paywall, and requires a landline
for its most affordable monitoring plan.
Its partnership with Google is still fairly new,
so we're excited to see what will come from their teamwork.
Vivint and ADT are among the biggest names in home security.
Each hire experts to install their equipment
and trust trained monitoring professionals
to watch over your home.
Just be sure to read the contract first.
That's it from me this week.
Let us know in the comments which home security systems
you wanna see in a future face-off like this one.
Thanks for watching, and stay safe.
- [Narrator] Let's get started.
(relaxed music)