While this is the most basic setup on our list, it’s still perfectly suitable for smaller homes (and rentals) with easy installation. The brand says the doorbell lasts for four months between charges and includes two-way talk, while footage is streamed directly to the Hey app. The doorbell – which records in 1080p – also has night vision and motion detection. One of SimpliSafe’s major selling points is its easy setup. The entire process took us just 20 minutes, although we estimate it would take someone inexperienced about 30-40 minutes to manage. For three days, the Abode app stored our system activity for free. Longer storage was available to us with paid contracts. Professional Monitoring The Smart Hub can also create automation rules, schedules, and scenes, allowing your smart home to run on its own. Just set them up once, and any time they are triggered, automations will run automatically. Want your lights to turn red when an intruder comes in? You can set that up with smart bulbs and Vivint’s sensors.

SimpliSafe is just as easy to dismantle, which comes in handy if you ever have to move. Combined with no-contract professional monitoring, that makes SimpliSafe a favorite for both renters and homeowners. Let’s start off with Vivint’s most obvious strength: home automation. The Vivint Smart Hub houses the system’s brain, which is capable of connecting with things like smart thermostats and smart outlets. From there, you can create automation rules, schedules, and scenes so you can manage all connected smart home products easily. The sensitivity of the motion sensors in this 8-piece kit is adjustable to account for pets of up to 25kg and it has a piece of tech the brand claims can tell the difference between false alerts (like a football hitting your front door) and a real break-in scenario. For extra convenience, you get a keyfob that automatically disarms your system when you enter your home.

Self Monitoring vs. Professional Monitoring

We controlled our Brinks system using Alexa and Google Assistant, because who doesn’t love a good voice command? After figuring out that Brinks only works with the Alarm.com Google Assistant action, we used Google to: The next thing you’ll want to consider is exactly what equipment you’ll need. There are a lot of different components to consider, but we’ll let you know what’s most important and what can be considered “extra”.

Temperature sensor: While temperature sensors may be built into smoke alarms, they can be sold as separate devices that alert you of rapidly rising temperatures in your home, which could indicate fires. Because of Vivint’s equipment prices — they don’t come cheap — most customers choose to finance and sign a contract. Long-term contracts may not be ideal, but in Vivint’s case, it’s not a deal-breaker. After all, you’ll need a monitoring plan to keep your system running. Next, I tested the connection between each sensor and the central monitoring station. I pressed the button on the side of the motion sensor and the panel displayed a Motion Signal Test Status screen that showed a verified connection. I also received a text message on my phone with a motion alert. I then tested each door/window sensor: All three were verified on the Signal Test screen, and I received text messages for each triggered sensor. I pressed a button on the key fob, held it for two seconds, and it too was verified and a text message was received. Note: You’ll need a subscription to SimpliSafe’s Interactive monitoring plan to access home automation features. Open/close sensors are for windows or doors. They’re made up of two parts that form a connection when you close the door or window. If the connection breaks – in the event of an intruder opening the door – the siren goes off.It's also compatible with a number of other smarthome devices, which can be configured so that even when you are away, indoor and outdoor lighting can be programmed to simulate someone at home. Dahua runs on a local windows computer. This might be more cumbersome but slightly cheaper if cost is the primary concern Access control systems typically refers to key fob and key card access to the common area of an apartment building. If you are a developer, property owner or property manager looking to control access to the building, and limit unauthorized access, you would need to put in an access control system. Keys

FYI: Due to a global computer chip shortage, the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera is in limited supply. For now, you can buy it with a SimpliSafe system, but not individually. If you decide to use Verisure, you will have a choice of self-monitored and professionally monitored systems, although the professionally monitored option can be expensive. Prices aren’t openly advertised, which means you will have to request a quote if you want to know how much it will cost you. However, reports suggest that it is slightly more pricey than some competitors.Many of the app-first solutions will let you set up individual PIN codes for the different members of your household, while others will include access tags in the box. If this is of particular concern, the Nest Secure is one of the better choices, since even the most technophobic will be okay with merely scanning a keychain every time they exit and enter the house. Glass Break Sensor: These acoustic sensors detect the unique sounds of breaking glass. If a glass break sensor is triggered, Frontpoint is notified immediately.

Simplisafe is another full service provider of alarm system for homes. Simplisafe system is specially designed for single family homes and apartment unit dwellers. It has built in features for alarms, monitoring and camera systems. Modern, attractive amenities for residents like mobile app access, face recognition door access, video intercom etc.Good old keys. They work great for very small apartment buildings. e.g. If you have a 4 unit apartment building, keys might be the most cost effective solution. Turnover is not going to be very common, so managing keys won’t be a massive hassle. Visitor access is not possible with keys. You would need to compliment it with an apartment doorbell system that can connect to all residents via a buzzer or a call. Key fob access control On test, the 93db siren built into the hub went off without a delay when anything triggered the window, door or motion sensors – as alerts are beamed to your smartphone. Like most of the kits on our list, installation is easy and mostly wireless, although the hub pairs via the ethernet port on your home wifi router to enable a secure connection.