ADT Home Security Systems Pricing and Package Costs
How Much It’ll Cost You Monthly and More
- Professional installation on all systems
- 24/7 monitoring centers nationwide
- 150+ years of home security innovation
One of the things we all want when buying a security system is the most value for our money. Having lived with an ADT system for more than a month, we can say with confidence that it offers good value to those who can afford it. It’s a well-rounded security system that offers high-quality hardware. And ADT offers reliable monitoring on systems that are installed by the pros.
Of course, that’s only good if ADT is in your budget. Unfortunately, ADT’s top-tier packages are more expensive than the competition. So how much does an ADT security system cost, and what do you get with it? That’s what we’re covering today. So let’s get right into it!
Before we go on, note that ADT sells two types of security systems. This page is all about ADT Control, a whole home security system with professional installation. Their second product line is called ADT Self Setup, which is a DIY system like SimpliSafe and Ring Alarm. To learn more about our experience with this new ADT system, read our ADT Self Setup review.
Monitoring plan information | ADT |
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Monthly cost | $25 to $35 |
Contract length | 3 years |
Money-back guarantee length | 6 months |
What We Like About ADT
- Smart home: ADT is now a close partner with Google, a premiere brand in the smart home industry. But ADT has kept its integrations with products from Amazon, Kwikset, Liftmaster, and more.
- Pro installation: You can rest assured that your system works post-installation, as professional technicians will take care of the whole process. And if it doesn’t work for you, you’re covered by an industry-best six-month money-back guarantee.
- User-friendly app: The ADT Control app makes it easy to monitor and control your home’s security from your phone.
Packages & Monitoring
ADT offers three main packages1: Build Your Own, Smart Home, and Video and Smart Home. Each one comes with a varying number and type of security equipment. But, one thing we like about ADT is that you can customize your system to make it your own. The packages just give you a place to start; in particular the Build Your Own package. It’s like an open floor plan for those who want a custom security system.
On top of that, you can get the help of an ADT security expert if you need some advice on building a system for your home. They will talk you through the functions of each device, help you choose which sensors to place where, and help you find the key areas of your house that need extra protection.
ADT Packages and Monitoring Analysis
Package name | Build Your Own | Smart Home | Video and Smart Home |
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Learn more | View Packages | View Packages | View Packages |
24/7 Professional monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Environmental monitoring | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Professional installation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Remote arming and disarming | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Customizable alerts, schedules and automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Livestreaming from mobile devices | No | No | Yes |
Record and save clips | No | No | Yes |
Digital panel | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Entryway contact sensors | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Keychain remote | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Motion detector | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Yard signs | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Window decals | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Smart light bulb | No | Yes | Yes |
Smart thermostat | No | Yes | Yes |
Garage controller | No | Yes | Yes |
Smart plugs | No | Yes | Yes |
Doorbell camera | No | No | Yes |
Outdoor camera | No | No | Yes |
Indoor camera | No | No | Yes |
ADT Equipment Pricing
One of the main parts of ADT’s pricing that we liked was its flexibility. While the prices are set in stone, you have options on how you want to pay for your equipment. You can pay up-front, which will put a hole in your wallet since the price for the Build Your Own package starts at $375. You can also get financing and pay over the course of 24, 36, or 60 months. At the end of the day, it’s your call on how you want to pay for your ADT system.
The latter option gives you more flexibility since it lets you spread out the cost of your system which really comes in handy when you need a lot of components. It will allow you to get all the equipment you need without shelling out a huge sum up front. Instead, you’ll pay an extra fee that pays for the hardware and ranges from $10 to $23 for the main packages plus the cost of any add-ons you want. Bear in mind that the monthly equipment fee is separate from the monitoring fee, which comes with its own cost.
Paying upfront, on the other hand, lets you keep your monthly costs low. You’ll only pay a monthly fee for monitoring because you’ll have already paid the full cost of your equipment.
ADT Monitoring Pricing
As for the monitoring service fee, it covers the cost of 24/7 professional monitoring and could cost you from $24.99 to $34.99. The price depends on the features you want like cloud storage and the hardware in your home’s system. A system that’s smart home capable with video monitoring will cost you the most at $34.99 per month, while a system with neither of those will cost you the least at $24.99 per month.
To be honest with you, those aren’t the cheapest 24/7 monitoring rates you can find. But, it’s also not the most expensive or over-priced choice. For instance, Frontpoint only gives you one choice. All systems cost $49.99 per month for 24/7 monitoring. That means you pay the same price if you just have one sensor or ten cameras.
We also think the price that ADT charges is fair since its monitoring service is one of the best out there. But, how does ADT’s service beat the rest? For starters, ADT has nine monitoring centers, each in a different state. They all have multiple backup generators and servers as well. And even if one should fail, the others can take over with ease. This ensures ADT stays up and running 24/7, 365 days a year no matter what happens at any one center.
On top of that, ADT uses the latest in tech to make their monitoring better. There’s the SMART Monitoring feature, for instance, which is a text-based system for communication that aims to reduce false alarm dispatch. (Did you know that you can get a false alarm fine if police are sent to your house on a false alarm? SMART Monitoring keeps that from happening.)
FYI: ADT cameras are pretty good and far from the worst security cameras we’ve tested. But if you want more options, ADT partnered with Google Nest to bring Nest Cams into the ADT system. Check out our Google Nest Cam (battery) review, and if you like the camera, you can add it to your ADT system.
We have to warn you that ADT systems still need a monitoring plan, so that $25 to $35 monthly fee comes with all systems and you can’t avoid it. If you want to have a system that lets you get rid of the monthly fees, there are ADT alternatives with optional monitoring. Abode security comes to mind. It offers home security without monthly fees. But, if you want 24/7 monitoring, you can sign up on a month-to-month basis to avoid a contract. This lets you opt in and out as must as you want.
In contrast, ADT comes with a contract. That’s why we don’t suggest it if the monthly fee will stretch your budget or if you think your budget might change in the next few years. Most of the contracts are for three years, so make sure you can keep up on the payments for the whole time. On the bright side, though, signing a contract means your rate is locked in for the whole term. This protects you from raising rates and let’s face it, most prices go up over the years, not down. Case and point, SimpliSafe’s plans and Cove’s plans both just went up in price. Cove’s monthly rates jumped from $14.99 to $17.99, while SimpliSafe’s monitoring fee was raised to $19.99 and $29.99 for the two plans that it sells.
Pro Tip: Read our answers to common questions about ADT and our ADT system review to see what our experts think of it.
ADT Pricing vs The Competition
Security system | Professional monitoring cost per month |
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ADT | $24.99- $35.99 |
Vivint | $29.99- $49.99 |
Ring | $10 |
Frontpoint | $49.99 |
SimpliSafe | $17.99- $27.99 |
ADT’s pricing for its equipment and 24/7 monitoring service tend to run higher than the competition. But, when it comes to your home’s security, we think it’s better to pay a bit more to get top-tier service than to pay a lot less and put your home at risk. It’s all about getting the most value for your money. And in that case, ADT is a clear top choice.
Not only does ADT provide good equipment, it also offers good monitoring. The $25 to $35 that you pay per month gives you access to ADT’s monitoring network. Like we talked about before, it has a lot of backup measures in place to keep the network up at all times.
Here’s one more thing that gives ADT its value. It gives a wide choice of security equipment. And better yet, the system itself works together to give you and your home a high level of protection. For instance, with a video package, ADT cameras can record every event that happens in your home.
Of course, if you want to keep your costs down, make sure to check out all of the ADT deals. ADT’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals in the past have included free security camera or video doorbells, $100 prepaid gift cards and free system installation, which costs around $100.
Smart Home
Being an old company doesn’t mean that ADT is out-of-date. In this case, you can teach an old dog new tricks. In fact, it’s still one of today’s industry leaders for innovation and technology. ADT showed this off with the new smart home technology and home automation it added in the ADT Pulse system. Back in the early 2010s when other brands were still working on adding smart home products, ADT beat them to the punch with the ADT Pulse system. We tested it back then and we can say now that it was a strong precursor to the smart home security system ADT offers today, called ADT Control.
As for ADT Control, it just keeps getting better. On top of third-party smart products like smart locks and lights, ADT works with one of the leaders of smart security, Google Nest. This Google-made brand offers smart security cameras with face recognition, person detection, and a bunch of other features that can make your home smarter and more secure. Aside from cameras, ADT also works with smart thermostats, speakers, and displays from Google Nest.
Voice control is a strong focus of ADT as well. It works with Google Assistant so you can use your voice to arm, disarm, and check the status of your ADT system. ADT is not closed off to other voice assistants, though, as it also works with Alexa,2 the other popular voice AI.
Sadly, ADT doesn’t work with Siri, so it may not be the best choice for users that own Apple smart home products. If that’s you, check out our list of the best security systems for Apple.
FYI: ADT works well if you own a bunch of Amazon smart home products and know how to use them. That’s one of the reasons it made our list of the best Alexa security systems. Now that ADT has Google as one of its partners, it works great with those products as well.
Aside from Google and Alexa, ADT also works with home automation devices from Kwikset, Liftmaster, Sonos, and anything that supports Z-Wave. Here are just a few of ADT’s add-on smart home options:
- Smart light bulbs: ADT’s smart light bulbs let you control your lights remotely and even dim them with either the app or your voice. You can make custom scenes which lets you group lights with each other to set them all to the brightness level. This lets you turn all of them on and off with one button as well. On top of that, you can set up schedules so that the lights turn on and off at set times. You can change the time they turn on and off based on the day of the week too. There’s even an away mode that mimics the normal light patterns you use when you’re home. Using this mode can make it seem like you’re home, even when you’re not.
- Smart thermostats: One way to bring down your heating and cooling costs is to use a smart thermostat that can be put on a schedule. ADT’s version lets you control your home’s climate from your phone and set schedules to cut down on your energy bill. We liked that the system told us if the house got over 75 degrees. We loved to make scenes that connect the thermostat to the lights. For instance, we had our lights turn off as soon as the thermostat was set to 60 degrees since that’s the temperature we use when we aren’t home. Combining these two IoT devices made our lives more convenient and saved us money on bills, a win-win! ADT’s smart thermostat works with most HVAC systems as well as heat pumps. You can find out if ADT works with your system or heat pumps from your expert installer.
- Garage door gadgets: Next, ADT offers a garage door remote that sends you an alert if you leave the door open. When you get an alert, you can use the built-in controls to close it. It connects to the ADT app so you can control the door right on your phone and get notified when it closes or opens.
- Smart plugs: Finally, ADT sells one of our favorite smart home devices, smart plugs. Smart plugs can turn off lights along with any of the device you plug into an outlet remotely. We found it easy to set up the plugs with our non-IoT devices which turns them into smart home devices. We used the plugs to dim lights, even on lamps that don’t have a dimmer switch. These plugs are can be used for a lot of things from lighting to coffee makers to flat irons. You can also set the plugs on schedules and use Alexa to control them with your voice.
In fact, ADT sells most of these IoT products, like smart locks and smart plugs, on its website.
Although ADT is the oldest security company in the United States, it can compete with the best of them in terms of smart home integrations. And that’s great news, as smart home tech keeps getting more popular year after year.
Find out if ADT can protect your home like other home security systems
Are you still not sure if ADT is right for you? We squared it up with the best systems on the market to help you make a smart choice.
Overall Value
It’s no secret how ADT has stayed in business for so long. With robust 24/7 monitoring, hardware you can count on, and professional installation through Dish, we felt confident our home was secure at all times with ADT. Although ADT isn’t the most affordable home security system around, given how long the brand has led the market, you know you can trust their service. That’s true particularly when it comes to 24/7 professional monitoring and cellular backup. That being said, ADT has made a ton of changes through the years. It stayed in front of the rest of the market by integrating with Alexa and Google as well as making easy-to-use apps for control from your phone. So while there are options you can choose that cost less, ADT still gives you a ton of value.
FAQ
That’s not all there is to know about ADT’s pricing. The lightning round starts now!
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Does ADT have a monthly fee?
ADT does have a monthly fee. All of its systems require full 24/7 professional monitoring. The price for this service varies based on the hardware you buy with your system, but it starts at $24.99 per month. In addition, ADT lets you finance the cost of your hardware for up to 60 months. If you buy your equipment this way, you’ll have an extra monthly charge.
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Is ADT worth the cost?
We think that ADT is worth the cost. With more than 140 years in business, it’s one of the most trusted security brands around. It includes professional monitoring and installation through Dish with all of its systems.
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How much does ADT charge for cameras?
ADT doesn’t list its camera prices on its websites. That means you need to talk to a salesperson to price out cameras with your system.
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How long are ADT contracts?
ADT’s shortest contract is 36 months (24 months in California). That can seem like a long time for a lot of us. So, ADT comes with a six-month money-back guarantee which lets you test the system before you commit.
ADT. (2021). Compare our home security systems.
adt.com/compareAmazon. (2021). ADT Pulse App.
amazon.com/ADT-LLC-Pulse/dp/B01NARHJWE