Plus, if you want a system that supports home automation and cameras, then Frontpoint is cheaper than ADT on both equipment and monitoring. Just keep in mind its monitoring plans are still pretty pricey compared to other security companies out there. It’s 2022. Home security shouldn’t be complicated. We want to know exactly what equipment we’re getting, exactly how much it will cost, and exactly who we’re getting it from. So ADT could do better on this front. ADT also has multiple monitoring centers across North America, which makes its system super reliable. Even if one center goes down, it has multiple backups so someone always has an eye on your system. Professional installation is not necessarily a downside. Who wouldn’t rather sit back and let someone else do the work? Plus, that way you know you didn’t put a sensor on upside down or mess up the wiring on your doorbell camera. But we think the DIY installation is easy enough, and we like not having to wait around for someone to show up. Frontpoint includes pretty good tutorials, and we got our test system up and running with no problems, minus some confusion on wiring our doorbell camera. For the most part, Frontpoint’s installation process is peel-and-stick, and the equipment package comes with paper instructions if you don’t feel like pulling them up online. From start to finish, our system installation took us about an hour. Plus, DIY installation is free. ADT charges at least a $99 installation fee. (We’ve seen that fee run as high as $199.) And not just higher than Frontpoint—ADT’s top Command plan is more expensive than almost every other provider we’ve reviewed. Frontpoint offers three plan options, and they’re also pretty expensive by industry standards. (The average price for professional monitoring is around $40 per month.) But compared to ADT, Frontpoint’s a budgeter’s dream on the whole. We don’t like when any provider requires a high monthly subscription cost for mobile control. Newer security providers like Nest and Abode give you full access to their mobile app, and mobile control of the system, even if you have no monthly plan at all—let alone an expensive one. Nobody (us included) really likes signing a multi-year contract for a service. And a number of newer security companies (like SimpliSafe, Scout, and the aforementioned Nest and Abode) have abandoned them entirely. Frontpoint followed suit in 2019 by letting its customers do month-to-month monitoring agreements. If you opt for ADT, be prepared to sign on for 36 months. And if you need to cancel early, you’ll still have to pay 75% of your remaining contract. ADT contract length: 36 months Frontpoint contract length: None The ADT Control mobile app also makes it easy to arm and disarm your system no matter where you are, and you can set specific rules for home automation. For example, if you want the lights to turn on when you arrive home from work, the system can do that for you. Frontpoint also gives you full mobile control via the app, and you can set similar rules for smart home devices as you can with ADT Command. If all you want is a decent security system with home automation options, Frontpoint wins the day. Check out our stand-alone Frontpoint review for more information on the company’s home security system.
