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ADT’s in-home consultation and 150 years of experience installing security systems put it at the top of our list.
Updated March 28, 2025
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With over 150 years of experience, ADT technicians know the perfect locations to install every piece of equipment to protect you and support their industry-best monitoring centers.
When you want a system that does more than keep your home safe, Vivint offers a complete selection of smart home products on top of its industry-leading security equipment.
SimpliSafe’s interactive monitoring allows their agents to actively deter crime on your property and guide you to safety in the event of a break-in or other emergency.
Even the best DIY security systems still take a lot of time to get up and running. From planning out where to place your security cameras to pairing all of the components together, installing a security system takes time that some of us don’t have. That’s where professionally installed security systems come in.
Thankfully, all of the best security systems offer professional installation. But, how do you know you can trust their technicians in your home? That’s where we come in. We tested dozens of security companies in our own home to give you our firsthand experience. After those tests, we found ADT to offer the best professionally installed system, closely followed by Vivint and SimpliSafe. Keep reading to learn what we liked (and didn’t like) about these security systems.
The best way to provide you with trustworthy and unbiased recommendations is by testing home security products ourselves. That means we buy the equipment, install it in our homes, and test it for weeks or even months. We aim to get a good feel for the app, features, response time, and what it’s like to live with each security system. That way, we can give you recommendations you can trust based on our actual experiences.
Multiple factors affect the testing of home security systems, but we do our best to compare apples to apples. We had all security systems installed in a two-story, 2,200-square-foot house owned by one of our team members. That’s where we conducted all our tests since we find that using a real home environment helps gather the most accurate findings.
We even purchased the same devices for every security system and set them up in identical locations. Here is where we typically place components:
We considered multiple factors when narrowing down the best professionally installed home security systems. We determined these criteria should be top priority:
We reviewed each system using these criteria, and here is how we arrived at the top five:
Rating the Best Professionally Installed and Monitored Security Systems
We’re not like those websites that review everything from socks to hedge trimmers. Our experts exclusively review safety and security equipment. This means they uncover details others might miss, giving our readers more accurate recommendations. The experts who contributed to this review were:
With over 75 years of combined industry experience, we are the most accomplished home security team on the internet. Since SafeHome.org began in 2016, our work has been highlighted in several major outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post. Together, we’ve achieved:
Every recommendation is based on first-hand product experience and our understanding of the home security industry. Now, let’s find out more about the best professionally monitored and installed home security systems.
| System |
ADT
|
Vivint
|
SimpliSafe
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranking |
1st
|
2nd
|
3rd
|
| SecureScore™ | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.2 |
| Contract Length | Monthly or 36 months | Monthly or 3 to 5 years | Monthly |
| Installation Type | Professional and DIY | Professional | Professional and DIY |
| Professional Monitoring Cost | Starting at $24.99 per month | Starting at $29.99 per month | Starting at $21.99 per month |
| Equipment Cost | Packages starting at $349 | Packages starting at $599 | Packages starting at $249.96 |
With 150 years of experience behind them, ADT has picked up a thing or two about professional installation and monitoring. Our technician knew the best places to install the equipment for maximum coverage. They even explained how to use the devices and shared details on the monitoring centers. We felt assured we’d be taken care of from one of their 12 locations across the country, which is more than what Vivint and SimpliSafe offer.
ADT even has entryway sensors that match your trim colors.
Our professional installation from ADT started before the installation day. What we mean by that is before we ordered equipment or spent any money with ADT, they sent a professional out to our house to figure out what equipment we needed. That’s something you don’t get if you buy a DIY ADT system. You’ll need to watch for upsells during the process, but we found ADT’s in-home consultation provided a more tailored security system than the phone consultation Vivint offers.
As for the installation itself, ADT’s 150 years of experience showed, although it cost us about $150. Their technician clearly followed a well-established process as they set up our whole system in about an hour. ADT told us to set aside two hours for install, but we think that’s just to give the technician time in case there are any surprises. After installing everything, he walked us through how to use our system and a few of ADT’s unique features like Trusted Neighbor.
FYI: ADT’s Trusted Neighbor is a feature that leverages the facial recognition in the Google Nest Cams that they now offer. Basically, you can make it so your system automatically lets in specific people during events, such as a confirmed alarm, or at specific times. We set it up to let our house cleaner in every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
In the last couple of years, ADT significantly dropped their price for professional monitoring down to as low as $24.99 per month. However, that’s for their DIY systems. They charge $10 per month more to monitor their professionally installed systems, which we don’t really understand. It goes up from there depending on if you want home automation and security cameras. That puts ADT’s pricing slightly above industry averages. Here’s a look at the price of ADT’s monitoring plans:
| ADT Monitoring Plan | Price Per Month for DIY Systems | Price Per Month for Professionally Installed Systems |
|---|---|---|
| Secure Monitoring | $24.99 | $34.99 |
| Smart Monitoring | $29.99 | $39.99 |
| Complete Monitoring | $39.99 | $49.99 |
Here’s a side-by-side look at both the Kwikset (left) and Yale (right) smart locks we tested.
ADT’s recent partnership with Google upgraded its home automation capabilities. It can get overwhelming, but our technician showed us the workflow for setting up ADT automations and helped us create a few after installing our system. For example, he set our front door that had an ADT Security Smart Door Lock to automatically lock when our Google Nest Doorbell detects someone while we’re away. If we’re home, it turns on our entryway light.
Another good aspect of ADT’s home automation capabilities is that the system runs on the Z-Wave platform. That means ADT can connect to over 4,000 third-party smart devices. We own a set of Z-Wave smart bulbs that our technician helped us integrate into our ADT system. This integration is how we turned our entryway light on when someone was at our door.
Did You Know? While we used our ADT Security Smart Door Lock in our automation, they no longer sell that model. Now, they sell the Yale smart lock, which is one of our favorite smart locks.
>> Read About: ADT Video Doorbell Review 2025
| Equipment Cost | Packages starting at $349 |
|---|---|
| Monitoring Options | Professional or DIY |
| Monitoring Cost | Starting at $24.99 per month |
| Contract Length | Monthly |
| Installation Options | Professional or DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
Our Vivint professional installation experience was similar to our experience with ADT. The technician talked us through where he would install the equipment, and explained why they were the best spots. While the monitoring service isn’t to the same standard as ADT, the devices are far more advanced, especially as they’re now powered by AI.
Vivint’s system is so technologically advanced that they required us to have our system professionally installed.
There’s no question about it, the cost of Vivint’s professional installation is high. But, is it worth the premium price? In our opinion it was, but that’s more to do with the complexity of installing a Vivint system than the buying process as a whole.
Instead of sending out a professional to assess our home and figure out what equipment we need like ADT did, Vivint had us give them a call. They asked about our home and recommended equipment. Surprisingly, this led to more upsells. They tried to push each of Vivint’s camera options the most, but a simple “no thanks” got them to stop pushing.
After picking out our equipment, they sent an installation tech to install it all. We’re home security experts and even we wouldn’t have been able to install a Vivint system on our own. There was a lot of complicated wiring and even some drilling involved, so we understand why Vivint requires professional installation. Our install took about four hours with another hour to show us how to use the system.
Pro Tip: You can avoid Vivint’s hefty installation fee by timing your purchase with one of their sales. The last one to include professional installation was Vivint’s Black Friday sale.
To be quite frank, Vivint doesn’t have the same robust system as ADT for professional monitoring. Instead of 12 monitoring centers, Vivint only has two – but those two monitoring centers provide award-winning service.1 So, it’s not that Vivint’s professional monitoring is bad, they just don’t have the same built-up network of monitoring centers as ADT.
Despite the smaller network, Vivint’s pricing is similar to ADT’s. Which one costs more depends on your system, as Vivint provides custom quotes for monitoring based on your equipment. Our system cost us about $45 per month to monitor, so it was a bit less than ADT’s $49.99-per-month rate. One more camera, though, would have brought Vivint’s price up to ADT’s.
>> Read More: Vivint vs. ADT Home Security System Comparison
Our Vivint video doorbell alerts us anytime a package is delivered to our doorstep.
What Vivint might lack in terms of a robust professional monitoring network, it makes up for with its home automation capabilities. Just like ADT, it integrates with Z-Wave devices, but Vivint works with Zigbee devices too, opening up your smart device options even more. They also make plenty of their own smart home devices, from smart locks and garage door controllers to smart lights and thermostats.
We also liked Vivint’s automation system better. It’s easy to use but surprisingly flexible. Our favorite way to use it, as security nerds, was to pair our automation with the AI threat detection in our cameras. Anytime our cameras detected a potential threat, our smart speaker started playing the sound of a dog barking, our living room light turned on, and our Vivint smart lock engaged. That’ll scare any burglar away.
| Monitoring Options | Professional only |
|---|---|
| Installation | Professional |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | From $599.99 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $30 |
| Contract Length | 48 to 60 months |
We know SimpliSafe is known for their top-tier DIY security systems. They offer professional installation services, too, through OnTech. There’s transparent pricing from start to finish from both SimpliSafe and OnTech, which isn’t something we can say for ADT or Vivint. Plus, SimpliSafe offers advanced monitoring that features active intervention.
Setting up a home security system, especially one from SimpliSafe, is easier than most people think. It usually takes us less than an hour to install DIY systems, but we get it if you want a pro to install your home security system. That’s why we tested SimpliSafe’s pro install process. With such an easy-to-install system, we didn’t expect any hiccups from OnTech during our installation day, and we were right. Everything went smoothly.
We appreciated that they used each component’s mounting bracket instead of the peel-and-stick backing. During our DIY installs, we used the peel-and-stick backing since it’s easier, but we’ve had the adhesive wear out more than once, causing the component to fall. After the install, they showed us how everything worked. All together, it took about two hours.
Here’s a look at each component we bought from SimpliSafe.
Sure, SimpliSafe doesn’t have 12 redundant monitoring centers like ADT, but they offer a few features even ADT can’t compete with. Particularly, their Intruder Intervention and Active Guard Outdoor Protection features stand out.
Those features allow SimpliSafe’s monitoring agents to use your cameras during an identified threat. They can assess the situation by accessing the camera’s live feed and then guide you to safety with the camera’s two-way audio or scare off the intruder. Intruder Intervention works with the Wireless Indoor Camera while Active Guard Outdoor Protection works with the Wireless Outdoor Camera.
Here’s a look at SimpliSafe’s pricing for these monitoring capabilities:
| SimpliSafe Subscription | Standard Monitoring | Core Monitoring | Pro Monitoring | Pro Plus Monitoring |
| 24/7 Professional Monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Intruder Intervention | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Active Guard Outdoor Protection | No | No | Overnight (8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time) | 24/7 |
| Monthly Rate | $21.99 | $31.99 | $49.99 | $79.99 |
>> Learn More: SimpliSafe Outdoor Security Camera Review 2025
FYI: SimpliSafe does not require professional monitoring. They offer free self-monitoring or a $9.99-per-month cloud storage plan for your cameras. However, we recommend professional monitoring.
Our OnTech installer used the SimpliSafe app to pair all of our equipment to our base station.
Unfortunately, SimpliSafe’s smart features don’t stack up against ADT or Vivint. The only third-party platforms you can connect to are Alexa and Google Home, and the capabilities are limited. You can only arm your system or check its current status with voice commands. We wish there were more options here. Check out our SimpliSafe vs. Vivint comparison to see how SimpliSafe stacks up against the smartest security system.
>> Learn About: SimpliSafe vs. ADT Comparison
| Monitoring Options | Professional and DIY |
|---|---|
| Installation | Professional and DIY |
| Smart Platform Integration | Alexa and Google Home |
| Equipment Cost | Packages starting at $249.96 |
| Monthly Monitoring Cost | From $21.99 |
| Contract Length | Monthly |
While our top three picks provide the best professional installation service with top-tier monitoring and equipment, there are a couple options we wanted to highlight for their free professional installation.
Brinks has been around for decades. But it still hasn't quite nailed professional monitoring and installation like our top picks.
Here’s all the Brinks components we received prior to the installation.
We love how you can customize your packages and finance the equipment to make it easier on your monthly costs. You can also choose to install the equipment yourself if you want. But we recommend professional installation as their deals usually include it for free. The response time from the monitoring is also good, but you’re going to be paying for it with prices starting from $39.99. Throw in a long-term contract (36 months minimum), and you can start to see why we didn’t rank it higher.
Alder’s claim to fame was its 3.7-second average monitoring response time in 2017, which was certainly faster than the industry average. But now that the company has grown and started servicing more users, we haven’t experienced response times that fast anymore. We’d say it’s more or less within the 30- to 60-second industry average now.
Our Alder security system and security cameras on installation day.
Alder is still fast, but it doesn’t offer a lot of equipment options. That’s mainly why it didn’t make our top three despite offering free professional installation. While it offers all the necessary components like sensors and cameras, it doesn’t offer any smart home devices at all. It could be a good option for apartments and rental properties because of the wireless equipment, but when we reviewed Alder, we just weren’t impressed by the overall selection of equipment.
Most home security systems offer professional installation. And, even if they don’t, you can always hire a third party to install the system for you. So, you’ll need to look for more than just professional installation when figuring out which security system to choose. We recommend considering the following factors:
We managed to install all these Frontpoint devices in under 45 minutes.
The days when you had to have your home security system professionally installed are gone. And, when we review systems like abode that make installing the system as easy as applying adhesives to our door frames, it can seem like professional installation is just an extra fee. But, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
A quality professional installation includes a qualified technician to help you lay out your system, maximizing its coverage on top of the actual installation. This expert advice helps you make the most of your home security system. After all, most of us don’t spend all day, every day obsessing about home security like we do. So, this extra help goes a long way in securing your home.
The decisions don’t end at installation. You’ll also have to choose who is going to monitor the system. Will it be you or a professional monitoring center? Well, we certainly prefer the latter. Here’s what we know about the crimes and dangers that can take place at home:
All those stats show that having a monitored security system that can get help to your residence on your behalf is valuable. It means you won’t have to stay on top of everything. And in case you or your family is in danger and unable to call the police, professional monitoring can also get you the help you need.
The police were called to our place during one of our break-in simulations.
Sure, adding another $20 to $50 monthly monitoring subscription can feel like a lot. Especially right after getting hit with the cost of your home security equipment.
>> Check Out: How Much Does a Home Security System Cost?
It might seem expensive, but you’re also getting a lot from professional monitoring. There’s nothing quite like the confidence that comes with knowing a professional is looking out for your home’s security 24/7. And, how many incidents would your professional monitoring need to prevent for it to pay for itself anyway? Maybe one every 10 years? If you’re anything like me, those two factors make professional monitoring well worth the extra price tag.
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert
However, as much as I would like to tell you professional monitoring takes your home security completely out of your hands, it doesn’t. It puts someone else in the driver's seat, but you still need to stay involved to maximize your security. Here are a few things you can do to get the most out of your professional monitoring:
Sometimes you don’t want to spend the time installing your own home security system. Whether you have a big house and installing an entire system would take hours or you just don’t feel like figuring out the optimal layout for your security cameras, professionally installed security systems take you out of the equation. This gives you the ultimate customer experience where all you need to do is buy the system and enjoy its benefits.
But, not every home security system provider gives the same quality when it comes to installation or monitoring. You’ll often need to sign a long-term contract before you can even try out the system too. After personally testing dozens of security systems, we recommend ADT, Vivint, or SimpliSafe for professionally installed security in your home.
From Anthony Travaglia, Retired Police Officer, Home Security Expert
Most providers do not offer a guarantee with their professional monitoring although ADT and a few others offer reimbursement for stolen items up to a certain amount.
Yes, most homeowner’s insurance includes a discount for a verified professionally monitored home security system. ADT even gives you money towards your homeowner’s deductible.
We won’t lie, getting a professionally installed and monitored home security system isn’t cheap. But, the most affordable home security systems still offer professional monitoring.
Most providers offer Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals that include free professional installation. You might be able to negotiate free installation with your system if you talk to your provider as well.
In our experience, ADT is the best overall system for professional installation and monitoring. Vivint’s great if you want smart home capabilities, and SimpliSafe offers interactive monitoring.
Vivint. (2021, April 19). Vivint Smart Home Named the TMA Monitoring Center of the Year for 2021.
https://www.vivint.com/company/newsroom/press/vivint-named-tma-monitoring-center-of-the-year-2021
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Crime in the United States.
https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/tables/table-23
