Vivint and ADT both charge a premium but approach pricing differently. With Vivint, your monthly fee will be lower than it would be with ADT. And even Vivint's most basic packages include remote access to your security system through a mobile app plus a cellular connection, smoke and CO monitoring, and two-way voice features.
It will cost you if you want to avoid a contract—you can pay around $1,000 for equipment up front. But unlike ADT, you own your equipment outright so you’re not paying all that money for equipment you’ll have to give back later.
ADT has six monitored plans with all the essentials (like a $27.99 landline monitoring plan) and some add-ons to boot. Like Vivint, ADT offers live video, app control, and home automation, but you’ll pay $62.99 a month for these features and to lease your equipment.
Both companies charge a premium for video. Vivint’s video monitoring and storage plan starts at $44.99 for one camera. Each additional camera costs $5 more a month and tops out at six cameras or $69.99 a month. Still, ADT’s video plans start at $58.99 a month.
Here’s a look at the comparable packages with mobile app access from each brand. You can see all ADT plans in our full ADT review.