Cove vs. Vivint 2024

We loved the quality of equipment from Vivint and a key feature was the level of AI technology in these devices. For example, the Vivint cameras were able to learn the difference between us approaching the front door, and a random person looking to get us to switch internet providers.

But Cove put up a good fight. We were shocked at how easy it was for us to install and set up the Cove system. We also did it without paying for a professional installation service, unlike with Vivint.

But there’s so much more to these systems than AI and ease-of-use. In this guide, we’ll highlight the similarities and differences based on our in-home testing as well as run through the monitoring and equipment costs. We’ll also compare how they handle an emergency situation.

Let’s take a look.

How Are Cove and Vivint Similar?

Cove and Vivint have more in common than being home security systems. These are some of the features both offer.

Professional Monitoring

To keep our equipment from being collections of bricks, we had to pay for a monitoring plan with both Cove and Vivint. These plans connect your devices to a monitoring center that is staffed with security professionals who respond to system alerts. Each monitoring plan is part of a larger package, and there are key differences between the packages from Cove and Vivint.

With Cove, there were two options to choose from. Both include 24/7 monitoring, protection from fires and flooding, text notifications, 24/7 customer support, 24-hour battery backup, and smartphone control.

With Vivint, there are three subscription tiers. All three include 24/7 monitoring, cellular backup, intrusion detection, a touchscreen control panel, and access to the mobile app. Home automation and video security features are reserved for the upper-tier plans.

They are pretty even thus far, except that Vivint actually offers home automation, which really is its greatest advantage over Cove. But as you’ll see later, that comes at a cost – literal cost because of the price.

>> Recommendations: The Best Professionally Monitored Home Security Systems

Cellular Backup

If your Wi-Fi tends to drop out at the climatic moment of the latest binge-worthy TV show, you can rest assured your security system will stay online even if your Wi-Fi cuts out just as someone’s getting bumped off in “Only Murders in the Building.”

Cove and Vivint have cellular backup in case your internet disconnects. They also have a 24-hour backup battery for their control hubs if the power cuts out, too.

User-Friendly Apps

While Cove and Vivint have a control hub, we could manage every aspect of our security system through their apps as well. Some of the commands we used most in the apps were:

• Arm and disarm the system
• Receive notifications
• Livestream from the cameras
• Review footage from the cloud
• Speak to visitors from the video doorbell
• Adjust sensors and connected devices

The best part was that with both apps, we didn’t have to be connected to our home Wi-Fi to operate our systems. We could’ve been sitting on the couch in our living room or lying on a pool lounge chair at a resort, waiting for our third cocktail to arrive, and the app would’ve worked as long as it was connected to the resort Wi-Fi or a cellular network.

>> Read More: Best Home Security System With a Mobile App

Voice Activation

When we left our phone in the other room, we could still get status updates or see what was happening on the cameras by using Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands. (We have both in our home, don’t judge us.)

Both voice assistants allowed for voice-controlled arming and disarming, but we found more use for Vivint’s integration. That’s because Vivint works with non-Vivint smart home devices we already have, such as the Nest Thermostat and our Yale smart lock. Thanks to that, we were able to create a routine we named “Good Night!” that arms Vivint to Home mode, locks the front door, and sets the temperature to 72 degrees. Whenever we’d go to bed, we could just say “Alexa, good night!” to trigger all those actions.

Storage

Cove and Vivint offer multiple storage options for the footage their cameras capture. Cove offers the option to store locally with a microSD card or in the cloud. If you prefer the Cloud option, Cove sells cameras with cloud storage capabilities that are a separate service from what Cove provides.

Vivint also offers the ability to store videos in the cloud. We paid $5 per month per camera for 30 days of storage.

Cove and Vivint Differences

There are significant differences between Cove and Vivint that may make it easier to decide which home security system is right for you. These are the three that stand out most.

Installation

The biggest difference between Cove and Vivint is how equipment gets installed. With Cove, we could either pay up to $129 for a professional to do it or set up the system ourselves.

We’re always looking for ways to save on our home security, so we installed our system, and we’re glad we did. Cove’s devices are some of the easiest to install and don’t require any trade skills. We got our system up and running in about 20 minutes with just a handful of tools, which shows us that installing a home security system is easier than you might think.

As for Vivint, we needed to arrange an appointment with a specialist to come out and configure our devices. Professional installation was needed, and it wasn’t free. We paid $200 for the service. On the bright side, we’ve seen Vivint offer free professional installation deals before. So if you see one like that, grab it. You’ll save a lot of money.

Contracts

When we got our Cove system, we didn’t need to sign our name on any dotted lines. All we had to do was pick our equipment, choose a monitoring plan, set up the devices, and let it do its thing. There were no contracts, so we could cancel our plan any time.

It was slightly more complicated with Vivint. The main reason was that their equipment was expensive, so we chose to finance it. This meant that in addition to the monthly monitoring costs, an additional payment with a contract was required to pay off the devices.

A Vivint contract can last up to five years. The silver lining is that unlike other security systems, which lock you into plans and then hike the price yearly, Vivint charges the same amount for the life of the agreement. This also acts as a buffer against periods of rapid inflation. Even if everything else around you is getting more expensive, your Vivint monitoring fee will remain the same.

If you have the money to pay for the devices upfront, you don’t need to sign a contract with Vivint. You can pay month-to-month like you would with Cove.

>> Check Out: The Ins and Outs of Home Security Contracts

Smart Home Add-Ons

If you want to transform your place into a Smart Home, you’ll want to choose Vivint. Cove doesn’t integrate with third-party devices besides Alexa and Google Assistant.

Vivint, on the other hand, offered us a range of smart devices they sell directly, including:

• Smart thermostats
• Lighting controls
• Smart garage controls
• Smart locks

We could also integrate third-party equipment such as smart locks, light bulbs, and other Z-Wave compatible devices. When we tested Vivint, we set up automations for our lights to switch off and our doors to lock automatically at 10 p.m. every night to make our home more secure and energy efficient.

Comparing Monitoring Costs

For the products to work, you have to purchase a monitoring plan with Cove or Vivint. But what’s included in these packages differs between brands.

Cove Monitoring Costs

Here’s an overview of Cove’s two monitoring plans, both of which are available for every Cove system:

You’re not missing out on much if you choose Cove Basic. However, some bonuses in Cove Plus can reduce the cost of your Cove security system in the long term.

The lifetime equipment warranty means you can replace devices with defects in the materials and workmanship at any time. Plus, if you choose to add more items to your security system in the future, Cove gives you a $5 credit each month to help cover the costs.

Vivint Monitoring Costs

Monitoring fees with Vivint start from $29.99 per month. It’s 24/7 monitoring, so when we went out to a late dinner and an alarm triggered at 11 p.m., Vivint’s monitoring team quickly got in touch with us to see what was going on. Fortunately, we also bought security cameras. We pulled up our indoor camera feed and saw that it was just the babysitter, so we called off the alarm. But it was good to know we would get a fast alert in case it was a criminal.

Equipment Costs

Cove and Vivint let you build your own home security system. These are some of the products we recommend from each company:

There is a significant price discrepancy between Cove and Vivint. But there’s also a big difference in the quality of the equipment. Vivint’s devices are state-of-the-art and powered by AI to keep your home safe while Cove’s are designed with a lower price point in mind.

Cove has partnered with Eufy to offer serviceable products with some good features. The outdoor camera can distinguish between people and objects using AI. But the indoor camera can’t, so when our curtain gently blew in the breeze, it triggered a recording. This made it difficult to go through our clips and find the moments we wanted to keep.

Our cameras from Vivint were top-of-the-line. They featured powerful zooming and impressive image quality no matter the time of day. Impressively, the outdoor cameras were able to identify prowlers and light them up with a spotlight for both the camera and nearby potential witnesses to see. The camera’s spotlight can follow a suspicious person until they move out of range, lighting them up like a lone figure on a Broadway stage the entire time. We tested this by having our friend slowly creep by our house and sure enough, our Vivint spotlights pointed them out.

Unlike the Cove cameras, the AI technology on the Vivint camera was able to distinguish potential prowlers from innocuous movement, which saves storage space. Also, you won’t get a notification whenever a dog strolls past your place because the Vivint cameras know the difference between humans and animals.

What Happens When an Alarm Is Triggered?

Both systems use the internet or a cellular backup connection to notify their respective monitoring services. Monitoring agents will then reach out to you over text to see if it's a false alarm. If you don't respond, an agent will call you to check in. If needed, they may contact first responders to respond.

We saw the results firsthand when cops wound up at our house following one of our tests. After finishing our test, we forgot to tell our monitoring agent what we were doing until it was too late. But it sure made us feel safe knowing help was only minutes away. Best of all, the technology works regardless of whether you have power or not.

We set up the Vivint system to send text alerts to us and our listed contacts. While we were on vacation, we included our nephew who was housesitting for us in our listed contacts. That way, he would get our security system’s alerts as well and could check them out for us immediately.

Cove and Vivint don’t respond to just security alerts though. They offer equipment that monitors safety concerns such as fire and gas leaks and can call fire and medical responders to the scene.

Cove or Vivint: Which One Should You Choose?

Cove is an excellent, affordable security system you can not only design but install yourself. It might not have an extensive range of equipment or smart home automation features, but it has the standard features you need to protect you and your home.

However, if you want a more comprehensive security system, we recommend Vivint. Its AI-powered equipment can integrate with all your smart home devices. You can check if doors are closed properly, turn on a fan when you need fresh air, and manage every aspect of your equipment in its app.

Plus, your Vivint cameras won’t record every movement that occurs. It’s smart enough to know the difference between you hanging around outside and a suspicious loiterer. While you might pay a little extra, the safety measures and peace of mind it offers are priceless.

Frequently Asked Questions