Most Affordable Home Security Systems in 2025

SimpliSafe Pricing

SimpliSafe’s retail prices only tell part of the story. Their real prices change based on their current sale. For instance, as of June 2025, all SimpliSafe packages are 50 percent off, bringing the most basic package down to $125. You’ll also get a free $100 Visa gift card if you add professional monitoring, which can be bumped up to a $200 Visa gift card if you spend at least $300 on equipment.

Here’s a comparison between their retail prices and their current sale prices:

SimpliSafe Equipment

SimpliSafe doesn’t offer as many equipment options as other companies, but they cover all the necessities. When it comes to cameras, for example, choose between two different SimpliSafe indoor cameras, one SimpliSafe outdoor model, and one SimpliSafe video doorbell. Everything you could need without any fluff.

SimpliSafe makes up for its limited selection by letting you choose how you put the equipment together. It offers several packages, or you can start with a base station and a keypad and add whatever devices you want.

We bought SimpliSafe’s Foundation package and added a Wireless Indoor Camera and a smoke and CO detector.

SimpliSafe Monitoring

When it comes to monitoring, you can self-monitor and access real-time alerts and live footage for free. You can add video storage for $9.99 a month. For professional monitoring, you can pay $21.99 for basic services or $31.99 per month for monitoring, storage, and Intruder Intervention. That’s the most value-adding package from SimpliSafe, in our opinion. It’s cheaper than similar monitoring plans from other companies by as much as $18.

With Intruder Intervention, SimpliSafe’s monitoring agents can access your Wireless Indoor Camera during active alerts. They’ll assess the situation, then use the camera’s two-way talk to guide you to safety or scare off intruders.

>> Find Out More: Best Self-Monitored Systems

Our Experience Testing SimpliSafe

SimpliSafe offers professional installation, but we recommend doing it yourself. They pioneered DIY installation, and now it’s easy as can be. It only took us 30 minutes to install our six-piece system and outdoor camera. We didn’t do anything special, either, just plugged in the base station and followed the step-by-step instructions.

Just a piece of advice, if you don’t plan on moving anytime soon, use the included screw mounts instead of the peel-and-stick adhesive to attach sensors to walls. While the adhesives hold up well, we’ve had a motion sensor fall to the ground a few months into testing. The screw mounts are more secure.

This is the same Entry Sensor we use for our garage door.

Living with SimpliSafe day-to-day was pretty much stress-free. We like how the keypad is easy to use, even if you’re not techie. It’s not a touch screen, and there are buttons dedicated to arming and disarming the system.

Alerts came in quickly, too. Text alerts are included in professional monitoring plans. They typically arrive within 5 to 10 seconds of a sensor being triggered. The same is true for app alerts, which are included in all plans (even the free, self-monitoring plan).

SimpliSafe does have its downsides, too. For example, the equipment selection is more limited compared to brands such as Vivint and ADT. We had to put an indoor camera in the garage because SimpliSafe doesn’t have a garage door sensor. If you’re in the market for solid equipment at affordable prices, though, SimpliSafe is the best option.

>> Compare: SimpliSafe Vs. ADT

Cove Pricing

We appreciate that Cove doesn’t force customers to buy pre-built packages, which might include things you don’t need. Instead, you’ll build out a system from scratch, starting with the only two components absolutely necessary – the hub and the touch screen keypad. Those are valued at $300, but are on sale for $90 during Cove’s ongoing Summer Sale (70 percent off).

From there, you can add as many or as few components as needed. The discount applies to almost all equipment types, except the security cameras. Unlike SimpliSafe, which manufactures its own line of cameras, Cove gets them from Eufy. That’s why the discounts don’t apply to them. We also noticed that smoke and carbon monoxide detectors don’t enjoy the discounts.

Overall, it’s entirely possible to build a comprehensive, sensor-heavy security system for under $200 with Cove. It has the most affordable equipment out of all the security systems we tested.

Cove Equipment

Cove equipment is sleek, which means it’ll suit most decors. It has a nice heft to it, too. The touch-screen hub, for example, weighs a full three pounds. We live in an older home, so that’s too heavy to mount on our walls. So, we let our hub sit nicely on an end table in our living.

There’s a nice range of equipment as well. It includes indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras on top of all the standard home security sensors and some environmental sensors, too.

Cove’s low prices meant we could afford tons of equipment while sticking to our budget.

>> Also See: Video Doorbell Buying Guide

Cove Monitoring

Cove offers two affordable monitoring options. Both give you professional monitoring, environmental monitoring, InstaText notifications, cellular backup, access to the app, and hourly automated check-ins.

The premium, $29.99-per-month plan adds smart features and camera support. We only recommend it if you buy cameras with your system. Otherwise, Cove’s smart features are not worth the extra $10 per month. It only enables voice control through Alexa or Google Home.

>> More Options: Best Systems With Cellular Connections

Our Experience Testing Cove

We found that Cove’s lack of experience came with both pros and cons. The biggest benefit is the price. Their low prices make a full security system affordable. We bought an entry sensor for every door and window in our home, since they only cost $4.50 a piece. Check out our guide to window alarm sensors to find out if you need sensors for your windows.

That said, Cove’s lack of experience showed in the technology they offer. Or, rather, the lack of technology. Their cameras that we tested did not include any AI capabilities to filter out alerts. So, one day, we got about two dozen false alarms at work because the neighbor’s dog was roaming through our yard. They also didn’t work with the Cove app, and instead required us to install a third-party app just for camera monitoring.

Our Cove security system came shipped neatly organized in a box for easy installation.

ADT Pricing

No question that ADT’s prices are more competitive than they were in the past. Entryway sensors that used to cost $30 to $50? They now cost only $20, roughly the same price as SimpliSafe’s door/window sensors. You can get motion sensors now for only $40, devices that used to cost $100.

Even better, ADT regularly offers huge discounts on their packages that compete with SimpliSafe’s sales. They regularly discount packages over 60 percent off, making their premium packages cost as much as their basic packages. If you DIY your install, you don’t need to sign a long-term contract either.

ADT Equipment

ADT offers some of the best equipment on the market, though it doesn’t necessarily offer a wide selection of devices. They offer every component we use to protect our home, though, and they’re some of the highest-quality versions we’ve tested.

As for cameras, those all come from Google Nest, one of the best manufacturers of security cameras, doorbell cameras, and smart home accessories. They also offer other smart home devices like thermostats. However, if you’re looking for niche equipment like garage door tilt sensors, you won’t find it through ADT.

Here we are DIY-installing our ADT entry sensors ourselves to avoid their professional installation fee.

ADT Monitoring

ADT has always offered the best professional monitoring in the business. The company employs a dozen monitoring centers across the country. That way, even if 11 went down, your monitoring would stay intact.

They also use what they call SMART monitoring, which is a text-based alert. It’s sent to everyone you choose in your home as a group message, keeping each member of your household informed. This also encourages faster responses, as anyone in your house can verify an alarm.

In terms of value, ADT reduced the price of their monitoring. You can now get the same monitoring that used to cost up to $60 per month for as little as $24.99 per month. For systems with cameras, though, expect to pay $39.99 per month if you DIY your install or $49.99 per month for professionally installed systems.

Our Experience Testing ADT

We’ve been testing ADT for years, so we’re used to their white-glove professional installation. It was weird installing our ADT system ourselves, but the experience went off without a hitch. We followed the instructions on the app step-by-step and had our system up and running in about 30 minutes.

After finishing the install, it worked like any other ADT system we’ve tested in the past. Everything functioned in harmony; even the Google Nest Cams worked well with the ADT system. We particularly liked their Trusted Neighbor feature that automatically lets in particular guests using our Nest Video Doorbell’s facial recognition capabilities.

Here’s everything that came with our Google Nest Cam.

abode Pricing

abode is cheaper than SimpliSafe, and that’s true across the board. For instance, abode’s cheapest camera costs just $60, $40 less than SimpliSafe’s cheapest offering. Their subscriptions are about 25 percent lower than SimpliSafe, too, including monitoring and cloud storage plans.

Even abode’s premium iota hub that enables their advanced home automation capabilities costs the same as SimpliSafe’s base station and keypad, which can only integrate with Alexa and Google Home for basic voice control.

abode Equipment

All of abode’s equipment offers great value. It’s not the highest quality on the market, but for the price, it’s hard to beat. They offer a huge selection, too, including everything from glass break sensors and smart locks to security cameras and video doorbells.

Where abode’s equipment gets confusing is with their three hubs. There’s the Security Hub, Smart Security Hub, and Iota Hub. Each hub offers different levels of smart home capabilities, but we recommend the Iota for abode’s full suite of capabilities. It only costs $50 more than the other two hubs, too.

We bought the abode Iota Security Kit along with a few extra entry sensors and a motion detector.

>> Find Out More: Best IFTTT Systems

abode Monitoring

If you’re looking for an affordable security system, avoiding a monthly fee is a major plus. abode’s free plan offers more capabilities than SimpliSafe and ADT. They include full access to their app and all their smart home integrations in their free plan. SimpliSafe and ADT lock app features and smart home integrations behind their subscriptions.

As for professional monitoring, abode keeps their prices low, as long as you’re willing to sign up for a year upfront. An annual plan brings their monitoring price down from $24.99 per month to $16.58. Or, for just cloud storage, they charge $7.99 per month or $6.25 when billed annually.

>> Head-to-head: Abode vs. SimpliSafe

Our Experience Testing Abode

There’s no question that abode is affordable, but it’s intelligent, too. Their smart home capabilities are one of their main selling points, and, after testing it ourselves, we can see why. We integrated our system with all of our current smart home equipment thanks to their ZigBee and Z-Wave compatibility, which supports over 4,000 smart home devices.3

After integrating our equipment, we used abode’s CUE system to set up all of our home automation. Since their camera features AI that can differentiate between people, pets, and packages, we set an automation that turned on our porch light when there was a package at our doorstep to deter porch pirates.

>> Read About: Can Smart Lights Deter Burglars?

We like the design of the abode Keypad, and the tactile feel of the buttons is surprisingly satisfying.

We should point out that even though abode supports smart home integrations with their free plan, they require a subscription to access their CUE automation system. That said, the free plan still supports IFTTT, which is a similar open-source home automation system, keeping them on our list of the best no-monthly-fee security systems.

Frontpoint Pricing

Let’s be clear. Sometimes affordable is a relative term. It’s a full-service home security system, and that means a full-service home security system price. Monitoring, for instance, costs $49.99 per month. That’s more than ADT charges for monitoring. It’s also more than Vivint charges.

The good news is that Frontpoint keeps their equipment prices low. Frontpoint packages start at just $69 after discounts. That’s less than SimpliSafe charges even during the best sales we’ve seen them run.

Frontpoint Equipment

Frontpoint systems center around a proprietary hub that connects their equipment sourced from several manufacturers. Most of their equipment is made by Alarm.com but not all of it. For instance, their smart lock is made by Yale. Either way, Frontpoint sources some of the highest-quality equipment on the market. You’ll even find Yale on our roundup of the best smart locks.

>> Learn More: Frontpoint Home Security Camera Review, Cost & Pricing in 2025

We bought the Frontpoint Essential Home Security System and added four entry sensors.

Frontpoint Monitoring

In the past, Frontpoint required you to sign up for an expensive, $49.99-per-month monitoring plan to use their security system. They remedied that by adding the option for a $14.99-per-month self-monitoring plan, and they even now have a basic monitoring plan that costs $44.99 per month.

We opted for the premium monitoring plan so we could test all of Frontpoint’s capabilities. But, if you’re buying one of their affordable systems with just sensors, you can definitely get by with the basic monitoring plan. You’ll need to give them a call to get a quote, though.

Our Experience Testing Frontpoint

Even though, in some ways, Frontpoint charges more than most companies on this list, we find that they consistently deliver good value. For instance, their home automation options compete with the likes of Vivint, but they charge less than half the price for equipment. We particularly like their geofencing capabilities that alert us if we leave our front door unlocked after leaving our home’s perimeter.

Here’s a look at the size of Frontpoint’s Door/Window Sensor compared to our hands.

Brinks Pricing

Brinks doesn’t look like much of a discount system – on paper. Its cheapest packages, for instance, cost around $360. That’s not exactly Vivint territory, but it’s more than ADT charges these days for its lowest-priced packages. The company runs frequent sales, though, and that can save you big. If you time things right, for example, you can sometimes get a Brinks camera for 50 percent off when you purchase another camera at full price. Plus, Brinks offers professional installation for free. You won’t find a deal like that with Vivint or ADT.

>> Check Out: Best Systems for Those With Poor Credit

Brinks Equipment

It’s worth pointing out as well that Brinks offers some solidly built, sophisticated equipment. Affordability isn’t always about the bottom line. Value matters too, and you get a lot for your money with this company. For instance, every Brinks device integrates with both Alexa and Google Home, so you can control everything with a voice command or two. The touchpad hub includes its own SD card that records video anytime anyone tampers with the system. Even if someone should manage to take down your hub, you’ve got a record of exactly what happened.

We used to knock Brinks when the company didn’t offer its own video doorbell. That changed in the last year. And when the company decided to produce its own model, it made sure to do it right. This doorbell lets you set up virtual zones so you decide what triggers the motion detection. It comes with intelligent notifications that can tell the difference between people, animals, and vehicles. And it’s compatible with smart home devices. We connected ours to our front room lights so that any time someone stepped foot on our front porch it looked like we were home, even when we weren’t.

Brinks equipment

Brinks Monitoring

Brinks offers two monitoring plans, the Home Complete and the Home Complete with Video. Of course, that means you can’t self-monitor, but we always recommend professional monitoring anyway. You can never tell when you’re going to be too busy to respond to an alert. As an added bonus, both plans also include cellular backup. Even if your Wi-Fi should go down, you can be sure your system will keep working.

>>Check Out: Brinks vs. ADT

Our Experience Testing Brinks

Comparing Brinks to ADT is a serious compliment. After all, ADT is our number one rated home security system. Brinks has a lot in common with ADT, though, beginning with a long history in the industry. Brinks hasn’t been around for quite as long, but the company does date back to the 1800s. In keeping with this long history, Brinks takes an old-school approach to home security. The company doesn’t publish prices online, for instance. You talk with a real honest-to-goodness human being about your security needs and purchase a system that’s custom-designed, especially for you. Then Brinks shows up and installs all of your equipment for free – assuming you’ve signed up for at least three months of professional monitoring.

Yet Brinks is also a forward-thinking company. We got full voice control of our system, for instance, through Google Home. Don’t worry – Brinks also works well with Amazon Alexa, if that’s your preferred smart home ecosystem. Voice control was especially useful when we got an alert on Sunday afternoon while we were up to our elbows in bread dough. Turns out it was just our sister arriving with that extra cup of flour we needed. Luckily, we were able to unlock our Brinks smart lock for her – again, using just our voice.

We’re not saying that Brinks is quite as good as ADT. You get what you pay for, after all. The differences are subtle, but they do matter. For instance, ADT offers its own user-friendly app; Brinks requires you sign up with a third-party app – Alarm.com. In addition, ADT offers a choice between its own cameras and Nest cameras. Brinks’s equipment selection is more limited. ADT has nine monitoring centers across the country, and there’s built-in redundancy; so if one goes down the others step up. Brinks has backup servers and backup generators, but that’s a step down from ADT. In the end, it’s all about price. If you can live without the extras, Brinks makes an excellent backup choice.