Home alarm monitoring is what most homeowners think of when they're considering the monthly cost of a security system. While there's a significant variance in cost, a general rule of thumb is to budget about $30 to $60 per month, although the cost can run as low as $20 and as high as $100+ per month.
A home security system costs around $230 on average for a starter kit of equipment. You can monitor some systems yourself for free, pay around $10 a month for added features such as smart notifications and video recording, or pay about $25 a month on average for professional monitoring.
The total cost for the ADT Secure Home Package starts at:
$599 to $899 upfront + $45.99/month; or. $55.97 to $60.97/month.
Pro Plan - $20 per month.
How much does home monitoring cost per month? We charge from €34.95 per month.
Are home security systems worth it? In short, yes, they are. They don't just ensure that you'll receive faster police response time and help increase the likelihood that a criminal will be caught and prosecuted. They also can help to deter a burglary from ever occurring in the first place.
Monitoring & Pricing Overview for Vivint
Vivint's monitoring service can cost anywhere between $30 to $50 per month, which is about the same range as ADT but a little more expensive than SimpliSafe.
Ring's Subscription Costs
Ring's monthly subscription plans are among the most affordable that we've ever seen. Ring Protect Basic costs $3 a month or $30 a year, Plus costs $10 per month or $100 a year, and Pro costs $20 a month or $200 a year.
Based on our experience testing both systems, ADT is a little better when it comes to features and tech. It offers more control options and a larger selection of equipment with more highly specialized functionality. For a little more information, check out our ADT review.
ADT cancellation requires a customer service phone call to 800-238-2727. During the call, the customer service agent gives you instructions and may ask you to submit a written request. This call is the best time to ask if you're eligible for a refund or a break on the 75% termination fee.
If the alarm is verified, an ADT agent sends the alarm information to the 911 center for dispatch. If your session expires, we will only call your designated emergency contacts that have not been notified via Alarm Messenger. If we still do not get a response, we will dispatch first responders.
Let's recap – ADT packages start at $269. The monthly fee for professional monitoring ranges from $24.99 to $49.99. The installation fee is optional, but starts at $100. There's also a three-year contract if you get your system installed by a technician.
Home insurance providers typically offer insurance discounts for alarm systems that can range from 2-10%, largely depending on what kinds of security and safety devices and systems you install. More preventive measures usually add up to bigger discounts. You shouldn't install these items just for the discount, however.
SimpliSafe is the only one of our picks to offer true self-monitoring, which means you can arm or disarm the system from the app and receive smartphone alerts when a sensor is triggered without having to pay a monthly fee.
Monitoring Winner
Price-wise, Ring is more affordable and offers more features at the same price point as SimpliSafe. However, SimpliSafe offers more advanced features, albeit with pricier subscriptions. Both are great options, but for different types of users.
Featuring affordable packages and smart home automation, ADT tops our list as the best home security system in 2025, especially with its new Trusted Neighbor feature.
Integrating SimpliSafe with other smart home brands requires a subscription. Professional monitoring costs have gone up three times in four years. Limited selection of security cameras.
ADT and Vivint rank neck-in-neck for their professionally installed systems. However, Vivint's contracts are more flexible, and the company earns better customer reviews and has a better privacy record.
According to the FTC, Vivint's sales representatives helped unqualified customers get financing for the company's home security products by misusing other people's credit reports. As a result, people who had never interacted with the company found Vivint accounts on their credit reports.
The Standard Monitoring plan is $21.99 per month and comes with 24/7 emergency dispatch, among other useful features. We'll get into more detail on SimpliSafe's monitoring plans later. For now, let's review the equipment packages.
The equipment you get from SimpliSafe comes outfitted with two features that make your life safer and easier: SmashSafe and SimpliLock™. If the alarm goes off and an intruder destroys the equipment , SmashSafe will still send the signal to SimpliSafe (if you have professional monitoring).
The best SimpliSafe alternative depends on the reason you're looking for an alternative to SimpliSafe. If you want better professional installation and monitoring, we recommend ADT. For better smart home capabilities, Vivint offers some of the most advanced smart features available.