Cove vs ADT: Monthly Cost, Contract and Install
As of October 2026, Cove monitoring costs $22.99 to $42.99 a month with no contract and DIY setup. ADT's starting monitoring rates run from $24.99 a month (Self Setup) to $29.99 to $56.99 for pro install depending on package and page, usually on a 36-month contract. Cove Basic is below every ADT starting rate we found; Cove Plus and Premium land inside ADT's range.
Figures researched 2026-10-01; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.
Monitoring prices and contracts
All figures are from each company's own pages as of October 2026. Cove publishes per-day prices on its monitoring page and monthly prices in its support FAQ.
| Plan | Monthly | Contract | Notable inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cove Basic | $22.99 ($0.77/day) | None | 24/7 agents, 1-year equipment warranty |
| Cove Plus | $32.99 ($1.10/day) | None | Camera access, 7-day cloud storage |
| Cove Premium | $42.99 ($1.43/day) | None | 30-day storage, lifetime equipment warranty (cameras 2 years), $5/mo equipment credit |
| ADT Self Setup | from $24.99 (also $29.99 to $44.99 by package) | Month to month, one-month minimum | Equipment extra |
| ADT Pro Install | from $29.99 or $44.99 by package in ADT's terms; $45.99 to $56.99 on other ADT pages | 36 months (24 in California); ADT may charge 75% of remaining months | Professional installation, Secure/Smart/Complete tiers |
ADT does not publish per-tier prices for its Secure, Smart and Complete pro-install plans, and its own pages give different starting points ($29.99 or $44.99 by package in its ecommerce terms, $45.99 on the pro install page, $49.99 on the monitoring page, $56.99 in one 36-month offer). See ADT monitoring cost for the full ADT breakdown and our Cove cost guide for Cove's.
Over 36 months, monitoring alone (our arithmetic): Cove Basic about $828, Plus about $1,188, Premium about $1,548. ADT Self Setup from about $900 at $24.99, and ADT pro install about $1,080 at $29.99, $1,620 at $44.99, $1,656 at $45.99, $1,800 at $49.99, or $2,052 at $56.99.
The Cove plans differ mainly in what they do with cameras. Basic is alarm monitoring only. Plus adds camera access and 7 days of cloud storage. Premium adds what Cove describes as AI-powered smart alerts, 30 days of storage, the lifetime equipment warranty and a $5 monthly equipment credit that Cove says rolls over if unused.
Equipment and installation
Cove is DIY. Its FAQ states professional installation is not required, that Cove monitoring works only with Cove-provided equipment, that it does not support Z-Wave, and that outdoor cameras are solar-powered. Cove prices equipment through its online system builder; on October 1, 2026 it was advertising 70% off equipment, and we did not find a fixed package price list on its site, so we do not quote one.
ADT sells the same packages both ways. Its ecommerce terms list, for example, Front Door Protection at $659.98 Self Setup or $1,068.98 pro-installed, and Total Safety at $1,573.95 or $2,568.95, before promotions. The pro-install path adds the 36-month contract (24 months in California). Our ADT Self Setup vs Pro Install comparison works through every package.
The practical gap: with Cove, everything beyond the monthly fee is equipment you buy once and can walk away from. With ADT pro install, equipment, installation and a multi-year contract are bundled, which is why the published totals are higher.
Monitoring centers and guarantees
Cove states it runs six monitoring centers across the US and that if you do not answer its InstaText message or phone call, it sends help within 30 seconds. ADT's monitoring page lists six monitoring centers, all US-based (a comparison table on ADT's pro install page lists nine company-owned US centers). ADT also offers Alarm Messenger text verification and, on its Complete tier, live video verification with Google Nest cameras.
On guarantees, ADT publishes a Theft Protection Guarantee of up to $500 toward your insurance deductible, available to pro-install customers in all markets and to Self Setup customers only in limited markets. Cove offers a 60-day risk-free trial with a full refund. Neither guarantee is a promise that a break-in will not happen.
Which one fits which buyer?
Of the two, by published pricing as of October 2026:
- Cove fits renters and owners who want professional monitoring at the lowest monthly price, no contract, and are comfortable installing sensors. If you are also considering SimpliSafe, see Cove vs SimpliSafe.
- ADT fits buyers who want professional installation, Google Nest camera integration and the Theft Protection Guarantee, and who accept a 36-month contract for pro install. ADT Self Setup is the middle option if you want the ADT name without the contract.
For where both sit in the wider market, see home security cost per month. ADT's pro-install price is set by quote, so if you want real numbers for your home, our quote form collects quotes from professional monitoring providers.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cove cheaper than ADT?
- Cove Basic is, on published monitoring prices as of October 2026: $22.99 a month with no contract, below every ADT starting rate we found. Cove Plus ($32.99) and Premium ($42.99) fall inside ADT's range, which runs from $24.99 for Self Setup and $29.99 or $44.99 by package in ADT's terms up to $45.99 to $56.99 on other ADT pages for pro install.
- Does Cove require a contract?
- No. Cove's FAQ states all plans are contract-free and can be cancelled anytime with no penalties. ADT pro install requires a 36-month contract (24 months in California), and ADT may charge 75% of the remaining monthly charges on early termination; ADT Self Setup is month to month.
- Can I use ADT equipment with Cove monitoring?
- No. Cove's FAQ states its monitoring only works with Cove-provided equipment.
- Does Cove offer professional installation?
- Cove's FAQ describes it as a DIY system and states professional installation is not required. ADT offers both professional installation and a Self Setup line.
- How many cameras does Cove support?
- Cove's FAQ states you can connect up to 10 cameras to a Cove account and that its outdoor cameras are solar-powered, with no fully wired outdoor option. Camera access and cloud storage require the Plus or Premium plan. ADT's camera tier (Complete) is built around Google Nest cameras.
Sources
- Cove monitoring page: Basic $0.77/day, Cove+ $1.10/day, Premium $1.43/day; contract-free, cancel anytime; Premium lifetime equipment warranty (cameras 2-year), Basic and Plus 1-year; Premium 30-day cloud storage, Plus 7-day; Premium $5/month equipment credit; six monitoring centers across the US; dispatch as quickly as 30 seconds if the customer does not respond; InstaText alarm text verification; 60-day risk-free trial with full refund: https://www.covesmart.com/monitored-security/ (accessed 2026-10-01)
- Cove FAQ (updated May 15, 2026): Basic $22.99/month, Plus $32.99/month, Premium $42.99/month; 100% contract-free, cancel anytime, no penalties; professional installation not required, DIY system; Cove monitoring works only with Cove equipment; no Z-Wave support; up to 10 cameras; outdoor cameras are solar-powered: https://support.covesmart.com/simple-pre-purchase-information/frequently-asked-questions-faqs (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT ecommerce terms, same packages priced both ways: BYO $269 Self Setup or $449 pro-installed; Safe & Sound $404 or $674; Water Detection $509 or $929; Outdoor Video $648.98 or $1,098.98; Front Door Protection $659.98 or $1,068.98; Family First $758.97 or $1,268.97; Nighttime Video $928.97 or $1,408.97; Total Safety $1,573.95 or $2,568.95; monitoring starting at $29.99/mo (BYO, Safe & Sound, Water) or $44.99/mo (camera and lock packages) without QSP on either path; pro install requires 36-month contract (24 months in California) and ADT EasyPay; Self Setup month-to-month, one month minimum; early termination of 36-month contract may cost 75% of remaining monthly charges; QSP from $8/mo essential and $13 or $17/mo comprehensive; $99 on-site assessment fee per technician visit: https://www.adt.com/about-adt/legal/ecommerce-terms-and-conditions (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT Self Setup page: ADT Security monitoring starting at $24.99/mo for Self Setup only, pro monitoring plan one month minimum, equipment extra, excludes QSP; pro install starts at $45.99 per month; offer terms cite Self Setup starting at $34.99 or pro install with 36-month contract starting at $56.99/mo; Theft Protection Guarantee up to $500 available to pro-installed customers in all markets and to Self Setup customers only in limited markets; money-back guarantee for Self Setup requires continual QSP and monitoring payments; pro-installed equipment financing up to 60 months, Self Setup up to 36 months; Affirm financing 0 to 36% APR: https://www.adt.com/own-vs-rent-security/self-setup (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT pro install page: ADT monitoring starting at $45.99/mo; comparison table lists 9 company-owned US-based monitoring centers for ADT: https://www.adt.com/own-vs-rent-security (accessed 2026-10-01)
- ADT monitoring page: 'Pro Monitoring starts at $49.99 for Pro Install'; Secure, Smart and Complete pro install tiers without per-tier prices; Complete adds live video monitoring with 30 days of Nest Aware clips; Trusted Neighbor; 6 monitoring centers, all based in the US; Alarm Messenger text verification, over 50% reduction in false alarm events vs sites not enrolled; Video Verification for systems with Google Nest cameras: https://www.adt.com/monitoring-plans-security-services (accessed 2026-10-01)
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