Vivint vs ADT: Ultimate Home Security Systems Comparison

After buying a home or an investment property, you need to ensure that it is properly secured and protected against outside intruders and household accidents like fire and flood. There are many companies that offer home security systems, and Vivint and ADT are two of the most popular names in the US market.

In this article, we will compare the systems provided by these two companies. We’ll look at the products and services that Vivint and ADT offer, the setup process, the third-party integrations, the costs, and the contracts that homeowners need to sign with each. We’ll also consider customer reviews to check whether Vivint and ADT meet the promises that they make on their websites.

In brief, our review shows that Vivint Security is the better smart home security system provider which covers all the needs of a smart home and a secure home from a single platform. Vivint provides more customizable and more reliable products and services and has generated a lot more positive reviews.

Vivint vs ADT: Overview

Both Vivint and ADT provide smart home security systems and 24/7 monitoring services tailored to the specific needs of each property and each owner.

Vivint Overview

The objective of Vivint is not simply to record crime but to proactively prevent crime from happening at all. That’s why their home security systems feature tools that detect suspicious behavior, scare away trespassers, and inform both the homeowner and the Vivint team.

Unlike other home security system providers, Vivint does not offer pre-configured packages. All systems are specifically designed and customized for the specific home they secure and protect by one of Vivint’s professionals. This happens after a call between the homeowner and a Vivint Smart Home Pro to go over the property specifications and the owner requirements. The Vivint team installs all systems and hands over control to the owner.

What sets Vivint apart from many of its alternatives is that it combines all the features of a smart home and a secure home that can be controlled and monitored from a single platform.

After installation, Vivint provides 24/7 smart home monitoring services with the readiness to dispatch a response team whenever needed.

ADT Overview

With ADT, homeowners can choose between preset home security systems and one that they build on their own through the company website. ADT professionals do not design systems for customers.

To deliver a smart home experience in addition to home security, ADT has partnered with Google Nest, so many of the products included in the security systems are Nest products.

Property owners can install the system on their own or have an ADT professional set it up for them.

ADT also offers 24/7 smart monitoring services with monthly subscriptions.

Vivint vs ADT: Costs

When choosing the best smart home security system, it’s important to compare prices and what’s included in these costs. There are four different costs we need to consider in our Vivint vs ADT comparison: security system, installation, monthly monitoring services and solar energy system.

Vivint Costs

Vivint does not provide information on the cost of the smart home security systems sold by them or the individual items included in the systems. This is because each system is designed and tailored to the exact size and type of home and the needs of the homeowner, so packages can vary widely. In order to understand how much their smart security system will cost, homeowners need to contact Vivint via the website or by phone and talk to one of their professionals. As an estimate, Vivint requires a $599 purchase to qualify for the monitoring services offered by them after installation.

All installation are done by Vivint pros, and they include the cost in the price of the security system, so owners don’t need to worry about this.

Vivint allows customers to pay over time with help from one of their third-party financing partners.

In terms of 24/7 monitoring, Vivint provides three different packages:

• Smart Security Monitoring: Effectively starting at $29.99/month
• Smart Home Monitoring: Starting at $39.99/month
• Smart Home Video Monitoring: Starting at $49.99/month

Besides home security, Vivint also offers smart solar energy systems. The cost estimation provided by the company is between $15,000 and $25,000 for installation plus panel costs for a 6kW system.

ADT Costs

With self setup, ADT offers three security system packages:

• Starter: Starting at $479.99
• Premium: Starting at $579.98
• Build Your Own: Starting at $194.98

With ADT Pro Install, there are also three packages:

• Smart Home: Starting at $14.15/month
• Video & Smart Home: Starting at $23.12/month
• Build Your Own: Starting at $9.98/month

The cost of installation is included in the price of the packages with the second option.

With regards to monitoring, monthly subscriptions start from $29.99 and reach up to $61.99, depending on the home security package.

ADT customers can choose to pay over 24, 36, or 60 months, but in this case they have to sign up for the 24/7 monitoring for the duration of the payment period.

ADT does not provide information on the cost of the solar energy systems that it installs. There are options to pay in cash, use a solar loan, or borrow solar equipment.

With both Vivint and ADT, homeowners need to build their customized system to know how much exactly they will need to pay. A major difference is that the Vivint professional team will do all the design and customization work, while this level of help is not available with ADT.

Vivint vs ADT: Equipment

Homeowners need to know what products will go into their home security system, who the manufacturer is, and what characteristics they have.

Vivint Equipment

Vivint systems include Vivint’s own products and items that can provide exceptional security to homes and their inhabitants, whether owners or renters. There is a wide range of products to choose from, which is unmatched by competitors.

Vivint products include:

• Vivint security cameras including doorbell cameras, outdoor cameras, and spotlight cameras. All Vivint cameras for outdoor use are designed to not simply record crime but to prevent it altogether. The unmatched video quality, the intelligent face detection and alerts, the 180 x 180 degree field of view, and the weather-resistant technology ensure crime detection and prevention. Moreover, all Vivint security cameras come with video recording stored in the Vivint Smart Drive for 30 days.
• Vivint indoor cameras: The Vivint indoor cameras work to ensure not only the security of the home from outside intruders but also the safety and wellbeing of family members and pets. When they are away, homeowners can communicate with people inside the house directly through the indoor cameras.
• Vivint door and window sensors: This type of security sensor knows who’s coming in and going out, detects unexpected motions, triggers an alarm, and sends notifications to the homeowner and the Vivint team. 
• Vivint motion sensors: Through infrared technology, the motion sensors provided by Vivint detect body heat, start an alarm, and inform the homeowner and the Vivint team of potential threats. They can also be used to automatically adjust the smart thermostat and smart lighting and to start video recording.
• Vivint glass break sensors: These sensors detect glass breaking by a trespasser rather than an accident through three-level sensitivity and dual-shatter recognition, after which they sound an alarm and send notifications.
• Vivint smoke and carbon monoxide combo detectors: This is a single detector that protects simultaneously against fire and carbon monoxide leakages. As soon as a threat is detected, notifications are sent, and the HVAC system is shut off to stop the spread of flames, or the HVAC fan is started to clear the carbon monoxide.
• Vivint water sensors: These Vivint security sensors detect water leaks and standing water in order to notify homeowners and connect them with emergency water mitigation services when needed. This helps prevent one of the most expensive home damages.
• Vivint alarm systems: An alarm sounds as soon as a threat is detected, and notifications are sent to both the homeowner and the Vivint team to decide who needs to respond. This contributes to preventing crime rather than simply recording it.
• Vivint Smart Hub: The Vivint Smart Hub is the comprehensive interface where homeowners can control all smart home and security products and features. This is where the coordination and integration between all products ensures they provide a superior, smart home security experience. In addition, owners communicate with the Vivint support team through the Smart Hub. It’s available as a mobile app for additional convenience.
• Kwikset smart locks: Vivint smart home security systems use Kwikset smart locks to secure the front door, let visitors and delivery people in and out, distribute up to 30 unique access codes to friends, family, or renters, and monitor who goes in and out. This feature makes Vivint particularly suitable for the needs of landlords and Airbnb hosts. The smart locks can automate the switching of lights, the adjusting of the thermostat, and the arming of the security system for a truly smart home experience.

• Vivint garage door control: With this Vivint product, homeowners can open and close the garage door through voice commands as well as remotely. In this way, they can easily access their own garage or let visitors in and out.
• Vivint smart thermostat: The Vivint smart thermostat works seamlessly with the sensors to adjust the heating and the cooling in order to provide the most convenient temperature based on homeowners’ preferences without wasting energy.
• Vivint smart lighting: Vivint smart lighting brings together Philips Hue smart light bulbs and Vivint smart plugs to allow homeowners to automate the turning on and off of lights as well as to switch them remotely or with their voice.
• Vivint car guard: With this product, Vivint protects not only homes but also vehicles, through trouble-free integration. Vivint uses GPS technology to know the exact location of a car and notify owners when the vehicle is on the move (in case another family member uses the car). The car guard also detects if a vehicle is bumped, towed, or stolen and notifies the owner in addition to identifying the exact issue when the engine light goes on.
• Vivint smart solar energy systems: Vivint can design and install a customized smart solar energy system based on the specifications and needs of any home. This gives homeowners access to clean, reliable, renewable, cheap energy. These systems come with a 25-year production guarantee.

Vivint smart home security systems cover all the tools and features to satisfy the needs of both homeowners and real estate investors, whether long-term rental landlords or short-term rental guests.

ADT Equipment

Unlike Vivint, ADT does not produce and provide all smart home and security products. For some products, they use Google Nest items.

All ADT home security systems include:

• ADT touchscreen panel: The ADT Command touchpad brings together all the smart home and security tools and features provided by the company. Homeowners can access it when they are away through the ADT mobile app.
• ADT door and window sensors: The door and window sensors can send message alerts in case a door or window gets opened when it shouldn’t be.
• ADT motion sensor: This ADT product can send an alert and video clips when unexpected motion is detected. Sensitivity can be adjusted based on the size of household pets.

Additional ADT products include:

• Google Nest Doorbell: ADT uses the Nest doorbell to send alerts when needed by differentiating between people, animals, vehicles, and packages. Video recording of the front door is stored for 30 days.
• Google Nest Cam: This outdoor camera can detect familiar and unfamiliar people, animals, and vehicles to notify homeowners when needed and to allow them to let in visitors. Video recording is stored for 30 days.
• Google Nest Indoor Camera: The indoor camera provided by Google Nest allows ADT customers to monitor family members and pets activities.
• Google Nest Cam with floodlight: This outdoor camera can send notifications based on the detection of people (frequent visitors and unknown faces), animals, and vehicles. Nest Aware provides 30 days of event video history, while Nest Aware Plus offers 60 days of event video history and 10 days of continuous video recording.
• ADT key fob: This product allows homeowners to access their home with no access codes by arming and disarming the system from a button. It also features a panic button that sends an alert to the ADT monitoring center.
• ADT smoke detector: This ADT product detects quickly rising temperatures as an indicator of a possible fire while minimizing false cooking alarms.
• ADT carbon monoxide detector: This detector uses electrochemical sensing to detect even low levels of carbon monoxide.
• ADT flood detector: The ADT flood detector minimizes flood home damage by early detection of leaks and instant notifications.
• ADT emergency 2-button panic: ADT offers a wireless, wearable panic button that can call for police, fire, or medical help.
• Google Nest Thermostat: The smart thermostat allows owners to automate the management of the temperature of their home as well as to control it from both inside and remotely, including with voice command.
• Google Nest Mini: This Google Nest product helps control an ADT home security system and Google smart home devices with voice command.
• ADT smart light: The ADT smart light bulbs work with regular fixtures to allow homeowners to automatically switch on and off lighting and to dim lights, even remotely.
• Google Nest Wifi router and point: This Wifi router provides internet coverage across the entire home and has a built-in smart speaker to talk to Google to control an ADT system and smart devices.
• Google Nest Hub and Google Nest Hub Max: These two hubs, with the second one being more advanced, allow hands-free control of the entire home including but not limited to arming and disarming the ADT home security system, managing smart home devices, and keeping an eye on things at home through a single display.
• Kwikset smart lock: ADT uses Kwikset smart locks to allow keyless entry for homeowners and visitors, virtual locking and unlocking, and notifications in case of unexpected entries.
• ADT solar: ADT also provides solar energy systems, made possible through the acquisition of Sunpro Solar. ADT provides three different options to get solar panels: paying in cash, solar loans, and solar leasing.

A major difference between the home security systems provided by Vivint and ADT is that Vivint largely depends on its own products, while ADT uses a lot of Google Nest items. Moreover, the former offers car security that integrates with the home security system, while the latter does not.

Vivint vs ADT: Services

Vivint and ADT provide similar services including smart home automation, home security system installation and monitoring, and solar energy system setup. However, there are some differences in how exactly they deliver these services.

Vivint Services

Vivint offers four main types of services:

• Vivint smart home security system design and customization: Vivint Smart Home Pros are an integral part of the services provided by the company. If you’re interested in hiring Vivint for your smart home and home security setup, you’ll have a call with a company representative to understand your exact needs, after which they will build a fully customized system for your home. Vivint does not offer preset packages as they know each home has unique features and requirements.
• Vivint smart home security system installation and setup: Each system designed by Vivint is installed by one of their professionals. Upon installation, they set up the devices, check that everything works as expected, and teach the homeowner how to make the most out of the smart home security system.
• Vivint smart home monitoring: Vivint offers three different levels of 24/7 monitoring to ensure the safety of properties and their residents. The Vivint team is ready and available to dispatch help at any moment, as needed.
• Vivint Solar energy system design and installation: Vivint designs solar energy systems based on each home’s structure and needs. These systems offer a 25-year guarantee.

Vivint offers some of the most comprehensive services in the market, combining all the requirements of a smart home, home automation, renewable energy production, and home security.

ADT Services

ADT provides the same broad categories of services like Vivint:

• ADT smart home security system: Customers can visit the ADT website to choose from pre-configured packages or build their own. The preset packages can also be customized. However, extensive help from smart home security professionals is not provided.
• ADT smart home security system installation: ADT offers installation for homeowners who’d rather outsource this task to a professional. However, the cost is not included in the security's price system as indicated by the different pricing model for home security systems that come with installation.
• ADT smart home monitoring: ADT offers monthly 24/7 smart home monitoring services including police, fire, and medical assistance.
• ADT solar energy system customization and setup: ADT can design and install customized solar energy systems.

While the two companies provide comparable services (integrating the smart home and secure home functionalities), Vivint services are superior because of the help by home security experts and the better customization options. This guarantees that your property will get the exact devices that it needs, whether it’s your primary residence or an investment rental property.

Vivint vs ADT: How to Get Started

Although Vivint and ADT offer somewhat similar products and services, they work in a very different way.

Vivint: How to Get Started

Making use of Vivint products and services is very easy, even if this is the first time you look for a smart security system for your home.

You need to go through the following steps:

• Submit an online form or call 833-427-7652: As a first step, get in touch with Vivint by filling a contact form on their website or calling them.
• Talk to a Vivint Smart Home Pro: You will have a call with a representative to answer a few basic questions so that Vivint can learn about your home and your preferences.
• Get a customized design: Vivint Smart Home Pros will design a fully customized smart home security system to meet the exact needs of your home.
• Have your system professionally installed and set up: Vivint Pros will install the devices, connect them, set them up, ensure that everything works properly, and teach you how to use the system in the best possible way.
• Subscribe to 24/7 monitoring services: You can opt for different smart home monitoring services on a monthly basis to know that your home and your family are protected at all times.

All aspects of getting started with the Vivint smart home security system are handled by the company to maximize the quality of the system and the comfort of the homeowner.

ADT: How to Get Started

To get products and services delivered by ADT, you have to:

• Choose a home security system: You need to visit the ADT website to choose one package or build your own.
• Install the system yourself or schedule professional installation: You can decide to install the devices by yourself if you have the skills or have an ADT professional take care of it.
• Sign up for monitoring: You can get 24/7 smart home monitoring from ADT by paying a monthly fee.

The process is largely driven by the homeowner which could lead to a low security level if they don’t have previous experience with home security systems. Moreover, this can be very time-consuming.

The primary advantage of Vivint over ADT is that the former provides fully customizable products and comprehensive support to homeowners throughout.

Vivint vs ADT: Integrations

A smart home security system must integrate with various third-party products and services in order to provide maximum value to the user.

Vivint Integrations

Vivint home security systems integrate with:

• Google Home
• Amazon Echo
• Google Nest thermostats
• Kwikset smart locks

The available integrations allow Vivint customers to benefit from a seamless smart home experience.

ADT Integrations

ADT security systems work with:

• Google Home
• Amazon Echo
• Kwikset smart locks

Both Vivint and ADT integrate with the two most popular smart home automation systems.

Vivint vs ADT: Contract

Homeowners should understand if they will be required to sign a written agreement and what the terms and conditions of this agreement are before opting for any specific home security system.

Vivint Contract

Under the Vivint contract, 24/7 monitoring services are available with a minimum equipment purchase of $599. Homeowners can opt out of the monitoring services at any time when they buy the security system in cash. However, if they choose to pay in installments, they need to commit to 60 months of monitoring services provided by the company. Early termination of the services is subject to a cancellation fee. Extenuating circumstances apply in this case, and customers need to get in touch with a company representative should such a situation occur.

Under the agreement, Vivint gives homeowners the opportunity to move their smart home security system in case they purchase a new home, both within the same market and anywhere across the US.

ADT Contract

According to the ADT terms, monitoring services are offered with a minimum purchase of $449. There is a minimum requirement of 36 months for eligibility.

It is not clear whether cancellation is possible and - if so - how it works.

We recommend you contact Vivint and ADT to ask for a copy of the contract that you’d need to sign and read it carefully before moving forward. It’s important to understand your exact rights and responsibilities before entrusting the safety of your home and your family with any company.

Vivint vs ADT: Reviews

Customer reviews are a crucial indicator when choosing the best home security system. Most importantly, they show whether a company actually delivers on what it promises.

Vivint Reviews

There are multiple thousands of online reviews of Vivint.

You can find Vivint reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 3.9/5 stars based on 30,850 reviews
• ConsumerAffairs: Currently 4.7/5 stars based on 4,313 reviews

Numerous satisfied customers highlight the efficient installation and setup, the comprehensive training provided during installation, the trustworthiness of the system, the long lifetime of the devices, the expertise of the customer services team, and the adequateness of customer support. Many positive reviews are provided by homeowners who have switched to Vivint after using other home security systems unsuccessfully, but now they’ve stayed with Vivint for years.

Dissatisfied Vivint customers mention the slow operations of the app, occasional technical glitches, difficulty in canceling services, and poor customer support.

ADT Reviews

There are a few thousand online reviews of ADT, and most of them are rather negative.

You can find ADT reviews on:

• Trustpilot: Currently 1.3/5 stars based on 3,269 reviews
• Yelp: Currently 1.0/5 stars based on 1,020 reviews
• ConsumerAffairs: Currently 4.2/5 stars based on 624 reviews
• Sitejabber: Currently 1.16/5 stars based on 486 reviews

The vast majority of positive ADT reviews focus on good experiences with individual company representatives. Happy customers praise the professionalism, expertise, accurateness, and politeness of the customer support team members when providing advice, installation, or fixes to reported issues.

Meanwhile, negative reviews complain about the lack of timely response during alarm activation, the inability to manage all functionalities from a single app or panel, unexpected charges, being unable to cancel services, and the overall terrible customer support.

While thousands of customers have evaluated both Vivint and ADT on third-party websites, Vivint reviews are more numerous and reveal more positive experiences.

Takeaway

While both Vivint and ADT cover the basic requirements of a smart home security system, Vivint offers superior and more comprehensive products and services. Importantly, they provide car protection fully integrated with home security, while ADT doesn’t have this option. The better quality of the Vivint smart home security system is proven by the thousands of positive reviews available on third-party websites, whereas most ADT reviews are rather negative.