Home Security Radar

Vivint vs ADT: The Two Big Pro-Install Systems Compared on Price

Both are professional-install, quote-driven companies, but Vivint publishes more of its math. As of August 2026 Vivint lists package equipment prices ($749.99 to $1,899.99 upfront for its standard packages, or $199.99 for the entry HomeProtect bundle) alongside monitoring fees it labels as approximations ($24.99 and $29.99 on HomeProtect, approximately $47, $52 and $57 on the three standard packages). ADT, as of October 2026, lists pro-install monitoring from $49.99 per month on its plans page, on a 36-month contract (24 in California), with the rate for your tier set by quote; its DIY line, ADT Blu, charges $24.99 per month for professional monitoring ($34.99 with video), month to month. Of the two, by what is published, Vivint is more transparent about total cost; ADT has the larger company-owned monitoring network. Neither can be fully priced without a quote.

Figures researched 2026-08-19, page updated 2026-10-29; each source below carries its access date. Prices change; treat any price here as "as of" its date.

Published costs, side by side

Both companies ultimately price by quote, but here is what each publishes, from official pages: Vivint as of August 2026, ADT as of October 2026.

Vivint (from its official pricing article, last updated April 2026):

PackageEquipment upfrontMonitoring and service
HomeProtect (hub, 3 entry sensors, motion, keypad)$199.99 with 36-month agreement, or $349.99 no contract$24.99/mo (36-month path) or $29.99/mo (no contract)
Security Starter (hub, 2 entry sensors, motion)$749.99 (or from $16.67/mo financed at 0% APR)Approximately $47/mo
Doorbell Security (adds doorbell camera, 4 entry sensors)$849.98Approximately $52/mo
Safety & Security (adds smoke/CO, water, outdoor camera)$1,899.99Approximately $57/mo

Vivint states it offers professional installation with all its home security systems (the HomeProtect no-contract path lists installation at $199), equipment financing runs at 0% APR for up to 60 months for qualified buyers, and the equipment warranty is 120 days. Vivint labels the monitoring figures on the three standard packages as approximations ("approximately $47/month" and so on), so treat them as its own estimates rather than firm prices.

ADT publishes three pro-install monitoring tiers (Secure, Smart, Complete) as a feature matrix without per-tier prices. Its monitoring plans page lists Pro Monitoring from $49.99 per month for Pro Install, and the rate for your tier comes by quote; its offer terms quote $44.99 per month for the Essentials Kit offer and $45.99 for Secure Monitoring on a reactivation. Pro install requires a 36-month monitoring contract (24 months in California), and ADT's terms state that early termination may cost 75% of the remaining monthly charges. ADT's DIY line, ADT Blu, is month to month: Pro-Protect, with 24/7 professional monitoring, is $24.99 per month or $34.99 with video, while Self-Protect ($14.99) and Video Connect ($9.99, cameras only) send alerts to you only.

Both companies fund a large sales apparatus on quotes, so the published starting price is rarely what you will pay once cameras and automation enter the picture. Our quote funnel can fetch real monitored-security quotes for your home through a short questionnaire, which is the only way to compare these two on actual numbers.

Brinks Home is another contract-based alternative to ADT; Brinks vs ADT compares their published prices and cancellation terms. Ring Alarm costs much less, while Vivint charges more and includes professional installation; Vivint vs Ring Alarm compares them.

Contracts, monitoring networks, and smart home depth

Contracts. Vivint's discount paths involve a 36-month services agreement (the $199.99 HomeProtect price requires one), but month-to-month service is available when you buy equipment upfront. ADT's professionally installed systems likewise require a 36-month monitoring contract (24 months in California) with an early termination charge, while its DIY line, ADT Blu, is month to month. Vivint's contract-free path does not get its advertised headline pricing, and ADT's is a separate self-installed product line rather than a no-contract version of its installed service.

Monitoring. ADT runs six company-owned US monitoring centers and calls its network the largest company-operated one in the industry, with 150 years of history and its Alarm Messenger text verification (over a 50% reduction in false alarm events versus non-enrolled sites, per ADT). Vivint's 24/7 monitoring includes two-way talk through the panel, false alarm management from phone or panel, and built-in cellular with battery backup. One caution on Vivint's published monitoring figures: its pricing article carries two blocks with the identical label "Vivint 24/7 Professional Monitoring", one reading "Starting at $24.99/mo" and one reading "Starting at $44.99/mo", with no statement of which service tier each applies to. We report both numbers and do not map them to tiers.

Smart home. This is Vivint's traditional pitch: its own hub, doorbell and outdoor cameras with proactive deterrence features (Smart Deter warning tones and lights), smart locks and thermostat integration, all professionally installed and configured. ADT's answer is its ADT+ platform with Google Nest devices, live video verification on the Complete plan (with Nest Aware 30-day clip storage), and Trusted Neighbor temporary-access features. On paper both cover the full smart-home surface; the ecosystems differ (Vivint proprietary plus integrations, ADT built around Google Nest).

Both models bundle equipment financing into the monthly bill, which is exactly how long-term costs creep past the headline number; see our subscription creep index for how bundled financing and monitoring fees compound over a contract.

For Vivint against a DIY system on a contract, see Vivint vs Frontpoint. If Vivint's contract is the sticking point, Cove vs Vivint sets it against a cheaper no-contract DIY system.

Which one to pick

Of the two, by published pricing and terms (Vivint as of August 2026, ADT as of October 2026):

  • Pick Vivint if you want the fuller smart-home build (cameras with active deterrence, locks, thermostat) with one installer, and you value knowing the package math upfront. Its published equipment-plus-monitoring figures ($64 to $110 per month all-in on financed standard packages, per Vivint's own examples) let you budget before the sales call.
  • Pick ADT if the monitoring network is your priority: six company-owned centers, US-employee agents, text-based alarm verification, and the Theft Protection Guarantee of up to $500 toward your insurance deductible after a burglary while armed. ADT's Google Nest integration is also the stronger choice if you are already in the Nest ecosystem.

Budget reality check, all of it our arithmetic from published rates: a 36-month Vivint HomeProtect term costs about $1,100 total ($199.99 plus 36 x $24.99), while ADT pro install at the $49.99 per month on its plans page is $1,799.64 in monitoring alone over 36 months before equipment, or $1,619.64 at the $44.99 Essentials Kit offer rate. Real quotes for camera-equipped systems on either brand will land well above both starting figures. Compare against DIY alternatives in home security cost per month before committing to a 36-month agreement, and use the quote funnel to get both companies' real numbers side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Is Vivint cheaper than ADT?
At the published entry points they are similar (Vivint HomeProtect monitoring $24.99 or $29.99 per month as of August 2026; ADT Blu, ADT's DIY line, $24.99 per month for professional monitoring or $34.99 with video as of October 2026). For pro-install systems, Vivint's package figures (which Vivint labels as approximations, roughly $47 to $57 per month monitoring plus equipment) and ADT's published starting rates ($49.99 per month on its plans page, $44.99 and $45.99 on specific offers, plus quoted equipment) overlap. Both price real systems by quote, so neither is reliably cheaper on paper.
Do Vivint and ADT require contracts?
Both have contract and no-contract paths. Vivint's discounted HomeProtect pricing requires a 36-month agreement; buying equipment upfront allows month-to-month service. ADT's professionally installed systems require a 36-month monitoring contract (24 months in California) with an early termination charge; its DIY line, ADT Blu, is month to month.
Who owns the monitoring centers?
ADT operates six company-owned US monitoring centers and calls its network the industry's largest company-operated one. Vivint operates its own 24/7 monitoring with two-way talk through the panel; we could not find a published monitoring center count on Vivint's pricing or monitoring pages, so we do not compare on that figure.
Does Vivint publish its prices?
Partially, and more than ADT does for pro install. Vivint's official pricing article lists package equipment costs ($199.99 to $1,899.99), HomeProtect monitoring at $24.99 or $29.99 per month, and monitoring on the three standard packages that it labels as approximations (about $47, $52 and $57 per month) as of August 2026. It also shows two identically labeled monitoring blocks, one starting at $24.99 and one starting at $44.99, without saying which tier each covers. For pro install, ADT publishes starting prices only, with tier pricing by quote.
What warranties do they offer?
Vivint includes a 120-day equipment warranty with in-home service by its technicians. ADT publishes a six-month money-back guarantee (after attempts to resolve an issue, per its terms) and a Theft Protection Guarantee up to $500 of your insurance deductible; equipment warranty terms depend on your service plan.

Sources

  1. Vivint package pricing: HomeProtect $199.99 with 36-month agreement and $24.99/mo monitoring, or $349.99 upfront with $29.99/mo and no contract ($199 install); Security Starter $749.99 equipment, approx $47/mo monitoring, approx $64/mo all-in; Doorbell Security $849.98, approx $52/mo; Safety & Security $1,899.99, approx $57/mo, approx $110/mo all-in; 0% APR financing up to 60 months; 120-day warranty; professional installation with all systems; monitoring blocks listing starting at $24.99/mo and $44.99/mo: https://www.vivint.com/resources/article/vivint-monthly-pricing (accessed 2026-08-19)
  2. ADT Pro Monitoring starts at $49.99 for Pro Install; Secure/Smart/Complete tier matrix without per-tier prices; six company-operated US monitoring centers and largest company-operated network claim; 150 years; Alarm Messenger over 50% false-alarm reduction vs non-enrolled sites; Complete plan live video verification with Nest Aware 30-day clips; Trusted Neighbor: https://www.adt.com/monitoring-plans-security-services (accessed 2026-08-19)
  3. Pro Monitoring starts at $49.99 for Pro Install; Secure (no smart home devices or cameras), Smart (smart home devices, no cameras) and Complete (cameras) tiers with no per-tier prices; Complete includes live video monitoring and 30 days of stored clips with Nest Aware; Trusted Neighbor requires Complete and compatible devices; MySafety on all tiers; six company-operated 24/7 monitoring centers, all US-based and not outsourced, largest company-operated network claim; 2x more customers than next closest competitor; Alarm Messenger over 50% reduction in false alarm events vs sites not enrolled and over 10 million prevented false dispatches per ADT monitoring data; verified alarms sent for faster response vs unverified; cellular alarm event backup; 24-hour battery backup: https://www.adt.com/monitoring-plans-security-services (accessed 2026-10-29)
  4. Essentials Kit offer: 40% off, requires 36-month monitoring contract starting at $44.99/mo (banner on the same page says $49.99/mo), $599 standard price, minimum purchase $359.40 after discount, includes 1 ADT Base, 3 door/window sensors, 1 motion sensor; 36-month contract (24 months in California); ADT AutoPay; must call; add-ons eligible for 40% discount up to total max discount of $550; expires 12/14/2026; early termination may cost 75% of monthly service charges for the balance of the initial term; $8/mo guard response fee where required; permit cost plus one-time $8 processing fee; free virtual reactivation $99 off, requires 36-month monitoring contract for Secure Monitoring service starting at $45.99/mo; professionally installed system remains property of ADT; money-back guarantee conditions (attempted resolution within six months, continual QSP and monitoring payments, equipment return); Theft Protection Guarantee up to $500 of homeowner's deductible, requires continual monitoring and a request within 60 days; some insurers offer homeowner's discounts; 40% off Select ADT Blu Kits with Pro-Protect plan (Build My System $99, Video Essentials $199, Outdoor Video $229, Total Safety $419), additional products eligible for 40% off up to a total max discount of $550 per order, offer expires 11/18/2026; Security Starter Kit $249 with 1 Base, 3 door/window sensors, 1 motion sensor; Life Safety Kit $279; Blu month-to-month plans, one month minimum; professional installation not available for Blu; Blu devices only compatible with Blu systems; Self-Protect and Video Connect deliver alerts only to the user: https://www.adt.com/about-adt/legal/residential-terms-and-conditions (accessed 2026-10-29)
  5. ADT Blu monitoring plans, no long-term contracts: Video Connect $9.99/mo (cameras only), Self-Protect $14.99/mo, Pro-Protect $24.99/mo without cameras and $34.99/mo with video; only Pro-Protect includes ADT 24/7 Pro Monitoring; adding cameras to a system costs an additional $10/mo; life safety professional monitoring +$3/mo; Google Nest Cams not compatible with ADT Blu; Blu described as protection you can take with you when you move: https://www.adt.com/blu/monitoring (accessed 2026-10-29)
  6. Professionally installed system equipment can be financed for up to 60 months and Self Setup system equipment for up to 36 months (residential customers); Affirm pay-over-time rates from 0 to 36% APR subject to eligibility; Theft Protection Guarantee available to pro-installed customers in all ADT markets but to Self Setup customers only in limited markets; Theft Protection Guarantee: if a burglary occurs while the ADT system is armed, ADT will pay up to $500 of the insurance deductible, subject to the Residential Services Contract: https://www.adt.com/own-vs-rent-security/self-setup (accessed 2026-10-29)

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