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SimpliSafe
SecureScore™: 9.2/10
With SimpliSafe, there are no monthly fees, installation costs, or long-term contracts required. Buy your equipment upfront and self-monitor your system if you want with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Optional monitoring plans start at just $1 per month.
To add Abode cameras to your home or apartment, the only upfront cost is equipment. Basic packages range from $279-$639, but you can usually find deals, like the 50-percent-off sale Abode is offering right now. Professional monitoring is available for a low monthly fee with no long-term contracts.
Ring’s indoor and outdoor video camera surveillance system has no required monthly fees. Just pay the upfront cost of the cameras and monitor the feeds yourself. Want to see what’s happening at the front door? Ring sells video doorbells starting at $49.99.
With SimpliSafe, there are no monthly fees, installation costs, or long-term contracts required. Buy your equipment upfront and self-monitor your system if you want with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Optional monitoring plans start at just $1 per month.
To add Abode cameras to your home or apartment, the only upfront cost is equipment. Basic packages range from $279-$639, but you can usually find deals, like the 50-percent-off sale Abode is offering right now. Professional monitoring is available for a low monthly fee with no long-term contracts.
Ring’s indoor and outdoor video camera surveillance system has no required monthly fees. Just pay the upfront cost of the cameras and monitor the feeds yourself. Want to see what’s happening at the front door? Ring sells video doorbells starting at $49.99.
We’re going to be straight with you from the start. The best way to protect your family and your home is to invest in a home security system that includes 24/7 professional monitoring. You never know when you’re going to be too busy to answer an alert yourself. With professional monitoring, that’s not a problem.
We get it, though. We’re not independently wealthy either, and it seems like the cost of everything is going up these days, from streaming services and food delivery to daycare and lawn care. Feeding our Bridgerton fix becomes more expensive all the time, and it sometimes feels like we’re buried beneath a pile of monthly fees. So, we say you need to invest in home security, and you say, with what sort of crumbs left over from my paycheck?
You do need to invest in home security, though. Life isn’t getting any safer, and a quality system can protect you from possible home invasions as well as other emergencies like flooding and fire.
So, we’ll make a deal with you. You promise to invest in a home security system, and we’ll tell you about some great systems that don’t require monthly fees. You’ll have to be in charge of your own monitoring, and you may have to live without some of the fancier technology that’s out there on the market, like facial recognition software. With the right system, you won’t even notice you’re lacking these extras.
Which ones are the right systems? We thought you’d never ask.
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert
“Self monitoring is better than no monitoring at all. A good home security system can definitely be self-monitored and reliable. And having loud alarms is the first step to a good system. Deterring criminals upon entry requires a siren of about 100 db. Most criminals will flee once they hear that ear piercing sound. Thankfully, the top security systems available (SimpliSafe, ADT, Ring, etc.) all meet this requirement.” Learn more about Anthony.
Our Methodology – How We Test and Rank Security Systems Without Monthly Fees
Our Approach
There are two essential components to any trustworthy home security system review. First, you have to actually test systems yourself. We know it seems obvious, but you might be surprised at how many people claim to know what they’re talking about when they don’t.
Second, and just as important, you have to spend your own money purchasing the systems you review. Let a company send you a system for free, and you never can tell when they may want you to say something nice about them. It sort of undercuts the objectivity of the reviewer.
We purchase systems with our own money, and we review them ourselves, from apps to door sensors to cameras to smoke detectors. We can give you an honest evaluation of these systems because we’ve lived with them, we’ve put them to the test, and we’re beholden to one.
Our Testing Setup
It’s important to compare apples to apples. So we make sure to install all of our test units in the same environment – in this case, a two-story, 2,200-square-foot home owned by one of our security experts. We believe that testing security systems in a real home yields the most accurate results.
We also try to buy the same components from each brand we’re testing (cameras, sensors, etc.) and set those up in the same locations. You can see below where we typically install each piece of equipment we buy:
We also used our industry expertise to decide which features are most important to no-monthly-fee security systems. These features and factors should be top-priority:
Affordability (40%): Security systems without monthly fees almost always require upfront equipment purchase. So reasonably affordable equipment is a must.
Equipment options (30%): You’ll rely heavily on your security equipment if you self-monitor your home, so keep an eye on equipment quality and available options.
Self-monitoring features (30%): It’s also critical to know what each security system can do if you forego monthly fees and do the monitoring on your own.
We compared our top picks based on those criteria, and here’s our verdict.
Ranking the Best Security Systems Without Monthly Fees
Why You Can Trust Us
We are a team of home security and safety experts. Unlike most other review sites, we spend all our time testing and reviewing security and safety-related products only – you won’t find smartphone and mattress reviews on our website. Safety and security are on our minds 24/7. Our security experts include:
Derek Prall, Home Security Expert & Testing Coordinator
Paul Frew, Home Security System Expert and Security Camera Expert
Jaime Fraze, Security Camera and Video Doorbell Expert
Andrew Garcia, Lead Editor & Home Security Researcher
Rob Gabriele, Editorial Director & Home Security Expert
Joshua Lee, Former patrol officer and detective for a large municipal police department in Arizona.
Combined, we are the most experienced home security team on the internet, hands down. We started SafeHome.org back in 2016, and since then our work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNBC, and other major outlets. Collectively, we have:
75+ years of combined experience
10,000+ research hours
60+ published security system reviews
40+ industry research and studies published
Dozens of home security guides created
Rest assured, our recommendations are always based on hands-on product experience and a deep knowledge of the home security industry and the brands we cover. So keep reading to find the best no monthly fee security system for your home and budget.
SimpliSafe originated the no-monthly fee home security mode way back in 2006, and to be honest, no one has really managed to do it better since. The company combines reliable equipment with affordable pricing. Installation is DIY, which saves you even more money, but it’s also simple and straightforward enough that any homeowner can do it. You always have the choice to self-monitor your equipment for free, but SimpliSafe now offers one of the best professional monitoring plans in the country, which means you can take advantage of it when you need it and save money when you don’t – the best of both worlds.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Offers no-monthly-fee self-monitoring
Stylish wireless equipment
Allows DIY setup but offers professional installation
Equipment packages start at $250
Live Guard Protection feature for the Smart Alarm indoor camera and outdoor camera
Cons:
Missing a few types of equipment, like garage door sensors
Offers only a battery-powered option for outdoor video security
Monitoring price increased three times in the past four years
No touch screen keypad
Our Experience:
Price
SimpliSafe is the best system on this list. So, as you might expect, it also comes with the highest system prices on this list. The good news is that those prices are affordable, and SimpliSafe offers different packages, so it’s easy to choose one that fits your budget. The Foundation, SimpliSafe’s entry-level system, costs $250, but if you need more equipment to outfit your home, you can choose systems all the way up to the $700 Beacon.
SimpliSafe offers plenty of monitoring options – again, designed to suit anyone’s budget. Self-monitor for free, of course. That’s a given. Self-monitoring doesn’t include any video storage options, but you can add that for just $10 a month. Go with professional monitoring for just $20. Invest in the Fast Protect plan with 24/7 live guard protection for $30 a month.
FYI: SimpliSafe is almost always running a sale. Equipment packages are sometimes up to 60 percent off. SimpliSafe’s Black Friday/ Cyber Monday sale included 70 percent off all equipment plus a free outdoor camera.
Equipment
SimpliSafe equipment
SimpliSafe probably wouldn’t want us to tell you this, but there was a time when the company’s product line was so limited it didn’t even include an outdoor camera. You had to buy an outdoor “skin” for the indoor SimpliCam and hope for the best. SimpliSafe’s camera line not only includes an outdoor camera, but it’s one of the best-equipped outdoor cameras on the market, with HD video, night vision, 10x zoom, and available Active Guard protection. Add a wireless indoor camera with two-way audio and a video doorbell with smart sensors and no one is getting by your perimeter.
Of course, if you’re looking for a bargain, you can still get the entry-level SimpliCam, now known as the Wired Indoor Camera. Plus, SimpliSafe manufactures everything else you need to protect your home.
Monitoring
We don’t know any home security systems that offer professional monitoring for free. If you’re going to avoid monthly fees, you’ll need to self-monitor. The question is just what features you get. SimpliSafe’s no-fee plan gives you instant alerts and livestreaming so you can always find out what’s going on at home. In addition, you can use the app to turn your system on and off.
FYI: It’s easy to switch SimpliSafe monitoring plans. We went on vacation in the middle of testing the system and didn’t feel like dealing with alerts while we were lounging at the swim-up bar. So we tried the Fast Protect plan for a month. When we got back relaxed and refreshed, we switched back to the free self-monitoring plan.
Our Experience Testing SimpliSafe
SimpliSafe is a system that’s designed to give you control over your own home security. That starts with giving customers lots of choices. There are eight different prepackaged systems, the most of any company on this list. Installation is in your hands as well. You put equipment where you want it, and you can move it when you need to. You can even move it to a new home. And equipment is designed to be set up easily, which gives you a sense of control as well. We managed to do the whole thing in around half an hour, and that included the time we spent thinking about the best place to put our indoor camera.
Testing out SimpliSafe’s keypad.
We had control over our monitoring too. Since we were putting this list together, we went with true DIY self-monitoring. No monthly fees, but we were still in charge of our entire system. We got real-time alerts when the outdoor camera noticed someone lurking on our lawn and were even able to pull up live footage from our SimpliCam. Turns out it was just a neighborhood kid whose bike had gotten a little off course, but at least we knew what was happening.
The nice thing about SimpliSafe is that the company lets you add monitoring features if you need them. Heading out of town for a business trip? For $30 per month, you can have your home professionally monitored, and since there are no long-term contracts, you can cancel it once you get back home.
But SimpliSafe is by no means perfect. On our SimpliSafe wish list are free video storage options. If we could save video to a local storage device or to the cloud, we’d truly have control over our system, even without having to pay monthly fees. For now, video storage requires a fee. Although $10 per month for five cameras worth of recordings isn’t outrageous, free is always better.
Expert Examined
From Wes Hartkemeyer, Co-Founder at Ireport
“When responding to a residential alarm, officers often get minimal information on their way to the call. Most of the time all police get are notification of an alarm from the security company, and we respond to whatever comes along the way. Having immediate access to live video footage is a game changer, providing crucial details before police even arrive. Having confirmation of an intruder and a suspect description gives officers the ability to request backup, set a perimeter, call for k9, etc.” Read more about Wes Hartkemeyer →
Abode offers smart home features normally only found with more traditional (read: expensive) companies like Vivint. We’re talking integration with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, and even IFTTT. You get voice control over smart locks, lights, and appliances. And while Vivint requires you to invest in long-term professional monitoring, abode gives you those features for free. As with other systems on this list, you have to monitor your own security for free, but all those smart features make it considerably easier.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Home automation powered by abode’s CUE engine
Multiple hubs to choose from
Integrates well with third-party smart home products
Innovative iota All-in-One hub comes equipped with a camera and motion sensor
Cons:
Only one security camera offered
Setup could be more intuitive
No touch-screen panels; app reliant
Limited equipment in starter kits
Our Experience:
Price
These days everyone needs a home security system, homeowners and renters alike. Abode is dedicated to making sure a system is within everyone’s reach. The company’s lowest-priced system starts at just $159, and even the most expensive packages are just $379.99. These sound like sale prices. That’s because most companies’ sale prices are more expensive. You’ll pay these prices every day with abode, though, making these systems among the most affordable on the market.
Of course, you can also get your system for no monthly fees if you’re willing to self-monitor. That’s why you came to this page in the first place, right? We wouldn’t be doing our job, though, if we didn’t point out that abode also offers affordable monitoring plans. For just $5.83 a month, you get cloud storage for an unlimited number of cameras plus a ton of additional smart home features. $5.83 is just $5.83 more than free. And not to nag, but you can also get full-service professional monitoring for under $20 a month. You’re not going to find a better deal than that.
Equipment
abode Equipment
Most companies offer a range of equipment packages. The more money you’re willing to spend, the more equipment you get. Abode does things differently. When you pay for a more expensive package, you don’t just get more equipment – you get smarter equipment. Take the Iota, for example, abode’s top-tier package (starting at $379.99). The Iota hub comes with a built-in HD camera and Z-Wave technology. If you’re willing to forgo fancy features, you can get abode’s cheaper Security Kit starting at $159.99.
Abode offers just one camera, which has to double-duty as both an indoor and outdoor device. The abode camera is rated IP65, though, so it can withstand the elements if you decide to place it on your home’s exterior. In addition, the company offers a wireless video doorbell for under $100. And like all abode equipment, cameras are fully compatible with smart home ecosystems like Alexa and Google Home as well as thousands of other smart home devices.
Pro Tip: My favorite abode feature is the CUE automation platform. I’ve accumulated my share of smart devices over the years, so I connected them via the app. I don’t even turn off the lights when I go to bed anymore. I set up a rule to do it for me.
Monitoring
Like SimpliSafe, abode offers a choice of self- or professional monitoring, plus a third option that lets you add some useful self-monitoring features. We always recommend professional monitoring because you just never know when you’ll be changing a kid’s diaper and won’t have a free hand to check a system alert.
We get it: There is something freeing about no monthly fees, and you can go that route with abode. And it’s nice to know you can let the professionals take over if you want to, with no long-term contracts. Or maybe once you get that big raise at work, you can bump up to professional monitoring full time.
You just aren’t going to find any self-monitored, no-monthly-fee systems that offer the kinds of smart features abode does. The truth is that abode offers a lot of the same smart home integrations you’ll only get with more expensive systems like ADT and Vivint. Heck, those two don’t work with Apple HomeKit like abode does. And with Z-Wave technology, you can connect to literally thousands of smart home products or take advantage of IFTTT functionality.
Abode Cam 2
We connected our abode app to our alarm system so motion detection shut off when we got up in the morning. Just for good measure, we also connected the toaster. We put a couple of bagels in before bed, and they were ready for cream cheese by the time we got out of the shower.
Some of the best smart functions require you to pay for abode’s Standard plan, and that’s a bit of a bummer. If you’re going to be a no-monthly-fee system, why not go all the way? Even the free Basic plan let us control our system using just our voice. It’s one reason why we selected abode as one of our best self-monitored systems. One word from us on the way out the door, and the system’s motion detectors snap back into action. That makes us feel pretty powerful — maybe too powerful, if we’re honest.
We should also point out that there’s always a give and take when it comes to security systems. Yes, you’ll get lots more home automation with abode than you get with, say, SimpliSafe. But abode doesn’t offer the same level of customer support as SimpliSafe. For one thing, you don’t get access to live support at all unless you sign up for a monthly paid plan. And you may need that support. abode’s DIY installation isn’t quite as intuitive as SimpliSafe’s.
Pro Tip: The abode hub I tested (iota All-in-One) sounds like a dial-up modem with the amount of beeps it makes. I suggest jumping into your system settings and selecting mute all sounds. You can thank me later.
Most no-monthly-fee systems embrace the DIY mindset – DIY installation, DIY monitoring… Ring takes DIY to another level altogether, though. Everything about this system is under your control. Buy a little equipment, buy a lot of equipment. Choose from tons of different camera models. Install everything exactly where you want it. And, of course, monitor everything yourself for free if your want, at absolutely no cost. If you’re a person who likes having control over your own security, Ring is the perfect fit.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Plenty of security and doorbell cameras to choose from
Affordable professional monitoring ($20 per month or $200 per year)
30-minute DIY installation
Seven-day practice mode for new professional monitoring subscription
Loud built-in siren
Cons:
Limited sensor options
Has had privacy and security breaches (which have been resolved)
Cameras need a subscription to record
Slower professional monitoring response times
Our Experience:
Price
Ring offers a variety of equipment packages, and these are available at a variety of price points. If you’re looking for a simple, affordable system that offers great protection, you might invest in the Basic Kit, which includes a stickup cam and a wireless doorbell. It starts at $199.98. At the other end of the spectrum, you can get a Whole Home Deluxe Kit with 14 separate pieces, including a Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, for under $1,000. In between, there are alarm bundles, doorbell bundles, and even Pet Starter Kits.
Ring is perhaps best known, though, for ala cart, single-device purchasing. Whether you’re looking for one entry sensor or twenty-two floodlight cameras, Ring has you covered.
Full-service monitoring is just $20 a month, $18 if you sign up for an annual plan. Of course, you’re here for the no-monthly fee package. You should keep in mind that, while this package costs you nothing, it doesn’t include video storage. For that, you’ll have to cough up $4 a month per camera, or $10 for unlimited camera feed storage.
Pro Tip: Ring is owned by Amazon, so I managed to grab a bargain when the system was on special during the Prime Day sales. But keep your eye on their website as they have discounts and bonuses running all the time.
Equipment
Ring Alarm (2nd Gen) Equipment
Ring’s real strength is its cameras. After all, this is a company that made its name by inventing the doorbell camera. The company offers a large selection, with models that come with unique features and functions. If you’re looking for a great indoor camera, for instance, you might dig further into our complete Ring Indoor Cam review. As we note there, this is a camera you can set up and forget about.
FYI: I watched videos on how to set up the equipment in the Ring app. They went for about two minutes each and took me through each step in the setup process.
If you’re looking for outdoor cameras, you’ll find even more options from Ring. There are models with two-way audio, models with floodlights and spotlights, wired models and wireless models. You can even get solar panels and save time and money dealing with batteries. Everything is rated to withstand the elements including rain, shine, and even blizzards. As we note in our full Ring camera review, whatever your security needs, there’s probably a Ring camera for you.
And while Ring may not be known for its other home security equipment – entry sensors, glass break monitors, and smoke detectors – the company offers everything you could need to set up a complete home security system. You can even purchase front door locks and smart thermostats.
Monitoring
If you’re looking to self-monitor your Ring system for free, you can do that pretty easily. The Ring app includes real-time rich notifications when a motion detector or entry sensor is triggered. You can also view live footage from any of your installed cameras. Or you can connect Ring to Alexa and pull up footage using just your voice. If you add cloud video storage, you’ll have proof to show to law enforcement, though that costs extra. Or take the plunge and add complete protection with Ring’s 24/7 monitoring plan.
Our Experience Testing Ring Alarm
Ring began life as the Ring Video Doorbell company. It didn’t sell entry sensors or smoke detectors. It didn’t even sell other cameras. So, as you might imagine, all monitoring through Ring in the early days was self-monitoring. These days, the company offers a wide range of equipment and monitoring options, including full professional monitoring. But Ring still very much understands the self-monitoring niche and gives customers plenty of options to make self-monitoring as easy as possible.
Ring Alarm sensors
We self-monitored to see what it was like and found that we had a good amount of control over the system. Everything runs through the Ring app, which is intuitive and easy to use. When our Ring doorbell notified us that the Girl Scouts had come around selling cookies, we were able to chat with them via two-way audio. We got our Thin Mints ordered, and no one even knew we were out to dinner with friends while we did it.
We sometimes think Ring is a little too DIY-centered. This is not a company that’s going to help you out if you’re having trouble deciding what equipment you need. Installation is mostly DIY as well. Ring will track down a local installer if you really need one, but you can do it easily yourself. And customer service is a bit … corporate. If you want no monthly fees, you’re probably a do-it-yourselfer anyway, so all of that may be right up your alley.
Expert Examined
From Wes Hartkemeyer, Co-Founder at Ireport
“Quick response by a homeowner is crucial when it comes to alarms. Responding officers likely don’t know who should be at the house, and will assume anyone onsite to likely be an intruder until confirmed otherwise. I’ve stood by while a son had to call his parents while they were on vacation because they forgot to tell him the passcode to the alarm.”
Arlo has always offered a wide variety of high-tech cameras at affordable prices. More recently, the company expanded to offering entire home security systems, including hubs, sensors, and keypads. When they added these new components, they also began offering full-service 24/7 professional monitoring. You can still monitor your system yourself, though, and if you do, you pay no monthly fees. Buy the equipment and be done.
Pros & Cons:
Pros:
Detailed 2K resolution
AI-friven detections
Wi-Fi connectivity
Long battery life
Great app experience
Cons:
Expensive
Requires a subscription to access all features
Mounting hardware a little flimsy
Our Experience:
Price
Arlo isn’t just a no-monthly-fee system. It’s one of the more affordable systems on this list. Again, the company is new to the system game, and there’s only one package to purchase. It’s reasonably priced, though, at $200. For that price, you get a keypad sensor, two of Alro’s all-in-one sensors, and a central hub. The idea is that you add equipment to this base package to fill out your individual needs. And of course, you want to add Arlo cameras to your system. After all, cameras are what Arlo does best. Here again, though, prices are affordable. For example, you can get an Essential wired indoor camera for $40.
Pro Tip: If you’re going to buy Arlo’s cameras, make sure you have a good internet connection. 2K and 4K cameras need reliable Wi-Fi, otherwise you might be reviewing pixelated footage.
As for monitoring, you can self-monitor for free. But Arlo also offers two paid plans as well, and you can purchase a single month of either one any time you need it. The basic plan costs $18 a month, and activates smart features like person recognition and package detection. The Pro plan, which costs $25 per month, includes 24/7 professional monitoring and emergency response notifications.
Looking for ways to save more money? Don’t forget to check Arlo regularly for their current sales. Even an affordable home security system can be cheaper. For example, during Arlo’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale all equipment was discounted by as much as 50 percent.
Equipment
Arlo Pro 4: What’s in the box?
Arlo is still fairly new to the home security game. Traditionally, Arlo has been known for cameras, so its equipment selection is fairly limited. The company has made up for that by introducing some revolutionary sensors that perform up to eight detection functions. One single sensor can perform eight separate functions, from motion detection to smoke detection. Talk about streamlined shopping. That leaves you free to browse Arlo’s large camera selection. Whether you’re looking for a no-frills wired indoor camera or a fully loaded wireless camera with LED floodlight, Arlo has you covered.
Monitoring
If you’re looking to self-monitor to avoid monthly fees, you can certainly do that with Arlo. All of Arlo’s equipment connects to the mobile app, so you can check alerts and take a look at live footage any time you want. Add video storage for one camera for $8 per month or an unlimited number of cameras for $13 per month with the Secure plan. Arlo smart features and emergency response are available for $18 per month with the Secure Plus plan. Or for just $2 a month more, you can get full 24/7 monitoring with the Safe and Secure Pro plan. We’ve mentioned this once or twice already, but we always recommend a full monitoring plan for maximum security, and $20 is a great price.
Our Experience Testing Arlo
If you’re searching for no-monthly-fee home security systems, it’s probably occurred to you that you could just outfit your entire home with security cameras and call it a day. Not everyone out there needs entry sensors, glass break sensors, and hubs to run them. There are plenty of great camera systems out there that give you full access to live and recorded footage.
As we note in our Lorex review, for example, that company lets you outfit your whole home with the latest camera technology, but it offers no sensors of any kind. If you’re going to go that route, why not get the best of both worlds? Go with a company that started out making cameras but has transitioned into a full home security company. Arlo fits the bill.
Arlo makes great cameras for an affordable price (for proof, check out our Arlo camera review). Even the $40 wired indoor camera comes with a 130-degree field of view, and some cameras max out at 180 degrees. We installed an Arlo Ultra with 4K resolution and were astounded. We could make out the return address label on the smart coffee maker we ordered from Amazon because, yes, Arlo equipment works with lots of smart home devices, including coffee makers. Turns out, it wasn’t our coffee maker in that box, though; it was a box with dog toys. Because of Arlo, we were able to text our neighbor from work and let them know their dog toys arrived. We’re sure Fido was pleased.
FYI: I make sure anyone approaching my home can see my security cameras, even at night. The Alarm Industry Research and Education Foundation revealed that 60 percent of convicted burglars said the presence of a security system would cause them to seek another target.1
The Arlo Pro 4
We should point out that you’ll give up some features if you plan to self-monitor your Arlo system. Without a paid monitoring plan, you won’t get person detection, for example, or Google Home integration. It’s pretty unusual to find a no-monthly fee system, though, that includes all the extras. No monthly fees is definitely nice, but you have to be willing to take care of your own monitoring, and you usually have to do it without a lot of tools to help you.
We stand by SimpliSafe, abode, Ring, and Arlo as our top picks for the best home security systems with no monthly fees. There’s a new option on the market, though, that we think has the potential to join this list. ADT sits at the tip-top of our list of best home security systems. We’ve never put it on this list, though, because traditionally, the company required customers sign up for a three-year professional monitoring plan. In the last several months, though, ADT began offering the option of self-monitoring with no monthly fees.
This is such a big shift for ADT that we’re not ready to fully endorse it. We should point out, for instance, that cloud storage costs extra, and it’s not as affordable as these other companies make it. Given ADT’s history of excellence though, we expect that the company will soon be giving the other systems on this list a run for their money.
Setting up an ADT motion sensor.
You can learn more in our ADT Self Setup review, but for quick reference, here’s what the system can do if you skip paying a monthly fee:
Remote arm/disarm via the ADT+ app
Custom alerts
Security camera live streams
App functionality
ADT Self Setup didn’t make our top recommendations because unlike SimpliSafe, abode, Ring, and Arlo, it doesn’t offer affordable cloud storage. You have to sign up for a full-on monitoring plan to playback security camera footage. But other than that, ADT Self Setup is as solid a choice as our other top picks.
Doing Your Own Research
You’re into self-monitoring; otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this. So it makes sense that you might want to do a little home security system research for yourself. Here’s what we might suggest you look for during your search.
Obviously, you want to start by finding systems that offer no-monthly-fee security. Plenty of systems out there require you to sign up for paid professional monitoring — ADT and Vivint, for instance. You want to avoid those brands.
On the other side of the coin, you want to make sure that eliminating monthly fees won’t compromise your safety. A DIY system should be straightforward for you to operate. It should also have a few minimum features to help you police your own property such as:
Push alerts: If you aren’t going to get real-time notifications when a motion detector or entry sensor picks up activity, you aren’t going to know when to take action to protect your home.
Live video: If your home security system includes cameras, you don’t just want alerts. You want to be able to see what’s happening at your house. Any time your system notifies you something’s going on, you should be able to pull up the live feed and see for yourself.
System control: Finally, you should be able to use your smartphone to turn your system on and off. If you’re at the office and there’s a 120 dB siren blaring at your house because your sister stopped by to say hello, you will drive your neighbors crazy unless you can disarm the system remotely.
Of course, you want all the other aspects of your system to be top tier as well. There’s no reason to have a home security system if it’s not going to do its job. So, as we’ve talked about here, you also want to consider:
Price: What does your system cost and, more importantly, what does it deliver for that cost?
Equipment: What kind of equipment does the company offer, and how reliable is that equipment?
Monitoring: If you’re looking at no-monthly-fee systems, they’ll definitely offer self-monitoring. Do they also offer professional monitoring if you need it?
If you’re starting to question whether a home security system is worth the money, we suggest reading some studies. Some of the data that surprised us included:
One in four Americans have a security system protecting their home.
Approximately 2.5 million burglaries occur every year, leading to an estimated loss of $3.4 billion.2
Stolen TVs and office equipment are the least likely items to be recovered in a burglary.3
41 percent of burglaries are spur of the moment, and 12 percent are planned in advance.4
Once you’ve got a list of systems that meet all these criteria, you can start comparing features, like how much home automation a particular system offers and whether or not you get a cool key fob and yard signs when you sign up. The main thing is that you and your family are protected. And, if you’ve looked carefully at price, equipment, monitoring, alerts, video feeds, and system control options, you will be protected.
How Exactly Does Self-Monitoring Work?
We’ve mentioned it a couple of times already: If you’re looking for a home security system with no monthly fees, you’re going to need to monitor it yourself. Companies don’t give professional monitoring away for free. Of course, having no monthly fees is going to save you money over the long haul (maybe a lot of money). You’ll have to do the setup and monitoring yourself if you want to keep your home and your family safe. What’s involved?
System setup: Most self-monitored systems require DIY installation. Luckily, there are plenty of great DIY systems out there that make installation simple and easy. You want to make sure that you position equipment where it will do the most good. Motion sensors, glass break sensors, and cameras need to be placed where they can pick up as much activity as possible. The more your system detects, the more control you have over your security.
System monitoring: When your system picks up activity — whether that’s smoke detection, a potential home flood, or a break-in — it should send you an alert. It’s then in your hands to decide how to respond to that alert.
Add a camera: Your real-time alerts may tell you what particular sensor has gone off, and that can suggest how you should react. However, you’re probably going to want to add a camera to your system at some point. This will allow you to pull up live footage and actually see what’s happening. You can make more informed decisions that way. Do you need to call the police, or do you just need to tell the delivery person where to set the package on your porch?
Finally, keep in mind that you’re on your own when it comes to monitoring your home security; that means you need to get into the habit of checking when alerts come through. That includes nighttime alerts. It also includes all those times when you’re busy getting your teeth cleaned, sitting comfortably in your movie theater seat, or out biking. It can be helpful, in these situations, if you have someone to back you up, someone who can watch for alerts until you can take over again.
Expert Examined
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert
“Having cameras is definitely a good way to self monitor. When you get a notification of an alarm, having cameras can help you see what the issue is and whether or not to call the police. Getting the police there asap is always the best way to stop and or catch a burglar or burglary in the act. The faster officers can arrive in the area and on scene the better chance they have at apprehending the criminal.”
The Bottom Line
There’s something to be said for no-monthly fee security systems. There’s the saving money bit, and maybe that’s the best part, but there’s also the don’t-have-to-worry-about-your-system bit as well. You don’t have to keep up with bills, or worry about automatic debits when you’re short on cash. And you don’t have to worry about pushy customer service agents trying to upsell you on new products and improvements when they contact you about your bills.
If you’ve learned anything reading through this guide, let it be this. There are affordable systems, and then there are cheap systems. Just because a home security package comes with a low sticker price doesn’t mean it’s going to protect you. For that, you have to do your research. You have to know what you’re getting and you have to think about value rather than just the bottom line. Or, you can trust us to do that for you.
No. Most no-monthly fee security systems don’t offer video recording. Many of these systems offer real-time viewing for free, but most require a monthly fee if you want to add video recording.
No. Security systems without monthly fees don’t usually offer professional monitoring, at least without adding a fee. Many security systems without monthly fees do offer professional monitoring, but they include it as an add-on service that you must pay for. This would be an upgrade from the free self-monitoring option. Prices vary among companies.
Generally, the cost of a no-monthly-fee security system is the cost of the equipment you choose to install. That can vary greatly from one home to another. A single security camera may cost less than $100. Equipment for an entire DIY home security system averages between $250 and $400.
Yes, in many cases, you can, but it depends on the insurance company. Many offer a discount no matter what type of home security system you have. The discount may be higher if you subscribe to a professional monitoring service. Check with your insurance company for guidelines.
SafeHome.org only uses high-quality sources to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
As a home security expert and Managing Editor for SafeHome.org, Rob Gabriele has written and edited over 1,000 articles related to home security. His expertise is in smart home protection with thousands of hours of testing and research under his belt. Formerly a reporter and producer for the USAToday network, Rob has been a writer and editor for over 10 years. He holds a Master’s of Science with an emphasis on writing from the University of Montana, and he currently lives in Indianapolis, IN.
