In business for more than 150 years, ADT is one of the biggest names in home security today. And there’s a good reason for ADT’s longevity: The company has been offering the highest-quality protections and it’s continuing to do it with the latest in home security technology. On top of that, ADT’s professional monitoring is top-in-class for the industry, with six separate call centers across the country. ADT also scores high marks for its friendly customer service and user-friendly devices that leverage the latest automation features.
Yet, for all its quality, ADT is surprisingly affordable, particularly since the company recently lowered its prices and started offering more packages. While the company has been known for professional installation, it now offers a line of self-installed equipment packages. This lets cost-conscious folks save on installation fees and have complete control over how their system is installed. As for monitoring costs, plans start at $29.99 per month. Although, we recommend the $44.99 per month plan that has cellular backup, smart platform integration, and more.
Here’s the thing, if you know what you’re doing, you can save even more over standard ADT pricing and plans. By the time you take everything into account, it’s possible to get ADT, the system that sits atop our list of best home security systems, for not much more than you’d pay for an average home security system.
We know the tricks of the trade for getting the best deals, and we’re happy to teach you. Read on.
Did You Know? Most of these discounts and sales include the stipulation that you sign an ADT contract. This is just par for the course with ADT, whether you take advantage of one of their deals or not. All of their security systems include a contract for 24/7 professional monitoring. The standard contract length is three years, except in California, where it's two years.
Current ADT Deals
As we mentioned, ADT runs lots of sales throughout the year, sales designed to help blunt the high cost of the company’s systems and monitoring plans. You’re not interested in what might happen at some point in the future, though. So what is ADT offering right now?
ADT is rolling out a new feature called Trusted Neighbor. Basically, it allows you to provide friends, family, and trusted neighbors with easy access to your home. Just supply them with individualized entry codes, and they can let themselves in to feed your fish while you’re out of town.
To help promote this feature, ADT is offering a deep discount on its Front Door Protection Package. For a limited time, the package is $7.99 per month for 36 months or $287.59 upfront, compared to $19.97 per month or $718.98.
Discount Codes and Discount Coupons
Of course, sales come and go. They aren’t meant to last forever. If you’re not quite ready to commit to an ADT contract today, you might miss this one. Don’t despair. There’s usually another one around the corner. Here are just a few of the deals we’ve seen from ADT in the past:
- Free Nest Doorbell and Free Nest Cam when you buy a system package and sign up for a 36-month contract (you can read more about these powerful pieces of security equipment in our Google Nest review.
- 30 percent off a Build Your Own system, with professional monitoring starting at $45.99 per month
- 30 percent off a Smart Home system, with professional monitoring starting at $49.99 per month
- 30 percent off and a free video doorbell with a Video and Smart home system, with professional monitoring starting at $59.99 per month
- 30 percent off site-wide equipment holiday sale
- 40 percent off select DIY systems
- Buy one get one free security cameras
FYI: If you’re an ADT customer who’s moving, ADT will typically have you leave your equipment behind at your old house, and they’ll set you up with a new security system and a custom plan at your new place. Plus, you’ll get a nice discount too. Here’s everything you need to know about moving with ADT.
ADT Self Setup
We wouldn’t put this in the category of deal or discount, but if you know your way around a power drill, installing your ADT system yourself could save you money in professional installation fees. DIY installation is a relatively new option for ADT, and the company has some kinks to iron out. Still, these packages come with straightforward setup and mounting instructions. Heck, even if your power drill makes you nervous, you can always check out our guide to ADT Self Setup if you get stuck.
Moving Specials
ADT has been around for nearly 150 years, and it still maintains a lot of traditional values, like the idea that solid customer service is more likely to earn you long-lasting customers. For example, The company offers moving specials for current and past ADT customers who are relocating.
Here are all of ADT’s current deals:
- Free Nest Doorbell and Free Nest Cam when you buy a system package and sign up for a 36-month monitoring contract
- Referral bonus. If you’re an ADT customer that isn’t moving but know someone who is and needs security, you’ll get a $200 referral bonus if they sign up with ADT.
Moving into a home that already has an ADT system installed? ADT will activate it for you at no charge. No installation fees and a fully operational system from the best home security company in the business? Not bad. Course, that all depends on whether your home’s previous owners were wise enough to invest in ADT.
USAA Member Discounts
If you’re a member of USAA (United Services Automobile Association), you’ve got several special deals to choose from. Deals are limited to one per household and cannot be combined with other offers.
- 10 percent off installation and monthly monitoring charges: If you’re a new customer, this offer is for you. Just sign a 24-to-36-month contract to get 10 percent off installation and monthly monitoring charges.
- 15 percent off self-installed systems. If you’re handy with a power drill, you can save a few bucks by doing it yourself as a USAA Member.
Did You Know? ADT ranks among the best home automation security systems. You can use it to automate your smart lights and thermostats, and to monitor your smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors and more. You’ll manage everything with ADT Control (formerly ADT Pulse) — ADT’s handy security and automation toolset, including a website, app and in-home touch-screen panel.
Lennar Homeowner Discounts
If you live in or are moving to a Lennar Homes community, ADT just might have a special offer for you. In the past, they’ve installed their Safewatch® QuickConnect Plus wireless security system for free when you sign a 36-month contract for professional monitoring. They’ve also offered a $5-per-month discount on your monitoring plan, plus a 10 percent discount on extra equipment and feature upgrades. Give ADT a call to see if they’re still offering Lennar homeowner specials.
Refer-A-Friend Deal
Get a $200 Visa Rewards Card for referring new customers. Just use ADT’s official referral process1 and you’ll receive your $200 prepaid card two to three weeks after your friend’s new security system is installed and their bill is paid. The more friends you refer, the more gift cards you get.
Pro Tip: Read our hands-on ADT review to learn what it’s like living with ADT. Then, compare them to their top competitor, Vivint. Our Vivint home security review is a good place to start.
WeSalute Discount
ADT is committed to paying veterans back for their service. WeSalute members are eligible to save on installation fees and receive a free hardware package. In the past, that package has included door sensors, a motion detector, a keypad, a backup battery, a keychain remote and a window decal. Veterans have also qualified for a $100 Visa Rewards Card and one free year of VetRewards added to their current WeSalute subscription term.2
Senior Discounts
ADT offers a few deals for AARP members. These include:
- 30 percent off a new ADT system
- 5 percent off monthly monitoring
Not extensive, but it’s something.
The company also offers several discounts on ADT medical alert systems, which are popular with seniors. They have three systems to choose from: Medical Alert Basic (in-home/landline required), Medical Alert Plus (in-home/no landline required) and On-The-Go (mobile/no landline required).
Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
We mentioned that there’s a great sale going on right now, but if you are looking to hold off a little to purchase equipment, Black Friday and Cyber Monday always offer great opportunities to save some serious dough.
To be clear, you’ll still have to spend some money to take advantage of the usual holiday deals. Hopefully, you’ve been a good elf all year and set aside a few bucks for home security. In the past, we’ve seen 10 percent off package deals, discounted installation and free pieces of equipment for new customers. We can’t guarantee anything, but we’d be shocked if we didn’t see some sort of deal once again this year.
Homeowner’s Insurance Discount
Many insurance providers offer discounts for homes that are protected by a security system — particularly one with professional monitoring, like ADT. When you sign your ADT contract, they’ll supply you with a certificate to present to your insurance company as evidence of coverage. However, call your insurance carrier before choosing your ADT system so you can find out which security features will get you the best discount. Some insurance carriers offer as much as a 20 percent discount, which can be a huge savings.
And it turns out in some cases, you can get the opposite deal. That is, you might be able to get discounts on ADT products and services when you sign up for a new homeowners’ insurance policy. For instance, ADT has offered a free system, free installation, and $19.99 per month monitoring when a new customer signs up through their insurer.
Pro Tip: If you want to optimize your savings, check out our handy blog post on insurance discounts for home security systems. Advanced features like environmental sensors and professional monitoring may get you a bigger discount than a basic home security system alone.
Theft Protection Guarantee
Though this isn’t really a deal or discount, it’s worth mentioning that ADT offers a guarantee against theft. They’ll pay up to $500 of your homeowner’s insurance deductible if you’re the victim of a burglary while your ADT system is active. This is a truly rare guarantee in the home security business, and proof that ADT believes their system will keep your home secure.
Final Thoughts
You can’t do much better than an ADT home security system. The company’s advanced home automation features and best-in-the-industry 24/7 professional monitoring have put the company at the very top of our list of best home security systems. There’s no denying, though, that you’re going to pay a bit more for ADT than going the full DIY route with a system like SimpliSafe.
The thing is, there are ways to lessen the hit your wallet takes. ADT lets you pay for your equipment in monthly installments so you don’t have to come up with a big down payment right up front. Plus, if your credit qualifies, you can get zero-percent financing. Add some of the ADT discounts, deals, special promotions and sales we’ve talked about here, and there’s no excuse not to give your family the best safety and security.
