Vivint vs ADT Home Security: An Expert Comparison
Read our in-depth comparison of Vivnt and ADT Home Security. We will go over each company’s equipment, monitoring plans and more.
There are many ways for you to keep your home safe. There are small things you can do like making sure that your door locks are up to date. The best way to protect your home though is to provide it with some home security. There are many companies out on the market that offer security solution for homes and offices. Shopping around for the perfect security system can be stressful and a little overwhelming. We are dedicated in making that process easier for our readers by providing all of this much information and most importantly, solutions.
ADT Control Panel
The first control we will be taking a look at is the one that is offered by ADT. The control panel that ADT uses is pretty basic but they do offer a digital keypad upgrade. The control panel and digital keypad allow you to arm and disarm their system, and it has the capability of hands-free two-way communication with ADT emergency dispatchers.
The digital keypad can be wall mounted or placed on a desktop. It is powered by being directly plugged into an AC power source. This control panel also includes a 24-hour back up battery just in case the power goes out. The keypad has built in Z-Wave technology which allows you to expand the system to include smart home automation devices.
You can connect over 250 devices to the panel with the ability to make up to 99 users codes. The system also includes a built-in high decibel internal siren that can be easily heard no matter where you are in your home, and will alert you to not only security alerts but also for smoke and CO2 events. You do have the option to upgrade the panel and add a cellular backup up in case the landline stops functioning.
Alternative: Click here to see Link Interactive’s control panel >>
Vivint Control Panel
Vivint’s control panel is a little different than other control panels that are currently on the market. Vivint decided to design their own control panel which they call the SkyControl. The SkyControl panel has a 7-inch HD touchscreen display that shows the current status of the security system. The control panel’s display has all the options and features for a user to fully control all their home security and automation devices right from the control panel.
The SkyControl also has a built-in two-way audio feature which allows you to directly communicate with Vivnt’s central monitoring station. The control panel is cellular with WIFI backup, so it will work even if your internet goes down. The SkyControl Panel is powered by an AC power source, and has a backup battery just in case the power goes out. The panel also offers up to 48 different user codes and is Z-Wave/home automation compatible.
Alternative: Click here to see Link Interactive’s control panel >>
Who wins?
Both ADT and Vivint offer really nice control panels that allow you to connect and control your home security and Z-Wave equipment. ADT’s base control panel is very simplistic, easy to use, and doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles. Their digital keypad however has a great touchscreen, and has way more features.
Vivint on the other hand offers all of the bells and whistles in their hub. It has a lot of zones which allows you to really expand its functionality. We also like the fact that this is Vivint’s base panel, and you don’t have to upgrade to get all of these features like ADT.
Vivint is our winner when it comes to their hub due to its outstanding features that are all-included in the control panel.
ADT Equipment
ADT has a great selection of basic equipment that it easy to use and is built to last. ADT has door/window sensors that come in wired or wireless form. Their door/window sensors are battery operated (unless you use the wired versions), and they are UL so you know you will get a high-quality sensor. They have a wide variety of styles for these types of sensors which gives you the consumer the ability to find a sensor that will fit any door or window frame in your home.
ADT also offers wired or wireless motion sensors which are perfect for covering wide areas of your home. Their motion sensors have a detection range of 35’ x 40’ and are pet immune. They are battery operated with a battery life of up to 7 years.
If your home has glass windows that you would like to have some protection for, ADT offers glass break sensors as well. Their glass break sensors listen for the sound of breaking glass, and they will trigger your ADT system if this sound is heard. The glass break sensors are battery operated and they last a good few years before they need to be replaced.
ADT also offers wired and wireless smoke and CO2 (carbon monoxide) detectors that make audible alerts any time these kinds of threats are detected. ADT allows you to use Google Home to control your ADT equipment with voice commands as well. And all the equipment purchased through ADT comes with professional installation (with a fee depending on the dealer) so you don’t have to worry about setting up the equipment yourself.
ADT additional equipment
ADT also offers the ability to connect devices from that other brands to their security system. For example, ADT offers Kiwkset automated door locks. These locks allow you to create custom user codes, and you can also remotely unlock and lock these locks.
ADT offers their own branded smart thermostats too. ADT’s smart thermostats work for most HVAC heating and cooling systems. Their smart thermostats allow you to remotely control the temperature in your home. You can also set custom timers for when your heating and cooling system comes on and goes off.
If you have a garage door you can purchase a garage door controller through ADT. Having a garage door controller will allow you to remotely open and close your garage door. You will also receive push notifications any time your garage door has been opened and shut.
ADT also offers a variety of smart plugs and light switches. Smart plugs and smart light switches allow you to control lights and small appliances while on the go. You can set timers as well for when these lights and small appliances turn on and turn off.
When it comes to video, ADT has a few different options to for video surveillance equipment as well. They offer indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras that are wireless. Their cameras work by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network. All their cameras have excellent video resolution, and their doorbell camera includes a 2-way audio feature that allows you to directly communicate with whomever is around your doorbell camera.
Vivint Equipment
Vivint’s control panel and sensors are completely wireless so you do not have to worry about having wires run all over your home. Vivint offers a few different types of basic sensors that will protect the entryways and interiors of your home. Vivint offers wireless battery-operated door/window sensors that work with a variety of different door/window frames.
For those of you looking to protect whole areas of your home you can use Vivint’s motion sensors to cover these large areas. Their motion sensors are battery operated and pet immune.
For glass breakage, Vivint offers battery operated glass break sensors that can easily detect the sound of glass breaking.
For smoke and CO2 detection they offer smoke and CO2 detectors that are battery operated. They will make an audible alert any time these threats are detected, and they will also trigger your system.
You can use Amazon’s Echo and Google Home to control your equipment using voice commands. And just like ADT, Vivint also offers professional installation which is great for those who may not be that tech savvy.
Vivint additional equipment
Vivint has some great additional equipment you can use with their system which really allows you to customize your security solution. Vivint offers few different styles of smart locks. The smart locks that are offered through Vivint will allow users to create custom user codes, get alerts any time the locks have been unlocked or locked, and remotely unlock and locks these locks.
Vivint offers garage door controllers as well. Their garage door controllers will allow you to open and close your garage doors remotely, and you will receive alerts any time your garage door has been left open or has been closed.
Vivint also offers video surveillance equipment. Vivint offers an outdoor, indoor, and video doorbell camera. Their cameras are wireless which means they work by connecting to your home’s WIFI network. They are powered through an AC power source, and they can capture video clips in stunning HD. Their doorbell camera includes a 2-way audio features that allows you to directly communicate with whomever is around your doorbell camera. Vivint offers a playback DVR for extra storage of your video clips. Also, there is a lot of other branded security and home automation products that will work with your Vivint system such as Nest thermostats.
Who wins?
Both ADT and Vivint offer the same types of basic equipment. ADT however does offer wired versions for their life safety and entryway sensors. Vivint on the other hand only offers wireless versions of these types of sensors. They both allow you to also use some sort of smart home assistant to control your equipment. We do however like the Vivint’s sensors better than ADT because they have a more modern look. Though overall seeing that ADT has wired and wireless versions of their sensors we believe they take the win when it comes to basic equipment.
Vivint and ADT offer some really great add-on equipment that really lets you personalize your system. ADT offers a lot of other branded equipment that is well known in the security business, and so does Vivint. Vivint’s security cameras however have a much nicer design than those offered by ADT. ADT however does offer a bit more when it comes to add-on equipment than Vivint. ADT pulls ahead of Vivint when it comes to add-on equipment.
ADT vs Vivint: Monitoring
ADT’s and Vivint’s monitoring services are pretty similar. They both offer 24/7 professional monitoring through a professional monitoring station. They offer self-monitoring through their apps. They also both offer video monitoring services that allow you to capture and stream live video. Their apps however differ some.
ADT’s and Vivint’s apps are both free to download and work for both Apple and Android devices. ADT’s app is known as the ADT Pulse app. The ADT pulse app allows you to remotely monitor your security system and equipment while you are on the go. You will receive push notifications whenever your security system is triggered right through the app. You can also stream live video, control home automation devices, and arm and disarm your system through the app. Vivint’s App has the same features, but allows for a little more customization when it comes to the devices that are connected to it. Both the ADT and Vivint App are extremely user friendly.
However, we believe they are both inferior to Alarm.com, which is the home security app used by most Americans. At Link Interactive, our security system and monitoring are powered by Alarm.com, so you that you get the best in smart home monitoring features. Click here to find out more about our Alarm.com powered security systems.
Click here to see Link Interactive’s app >>
Vivint vs ADT vs Link Interactive
When comparing ADT with Vivint you will find there are a lot of similarities. Both companies offer professional installation with their equipment. They both allow you to use an app to remotely control your security system and devices connected to it. ADT however does offer a bit more variety of equipment than Vivint seeing that they offer wired versions of some of their sensors. Vivint however tends to have cheaper monitoring costs than that of ADT. ADT has been around longer than Vivint which makes them a trusted name in the security world, and for these reasons we choose ADT has our winner.
If you are looking to get some security protection for your home, either ADT or Vivint would be a really great choice for your security provider - however we strongly advise giving Link Interactive a look. At Link Interactive, we use Alarm.com (the gold standard in home security monitoring services) for all of our home security equipment and monitoring solutions.
Why you should get Link Interactive instead
At Link Interactive, we offer an Alarm.com powered control panel, Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party professional monitoring. We also offer Alarm.com powered home automation control and video monitoring services. Take a look at our offer here, get a quote and compare. You can also call us direct at 1-877-826-5443 for further details and speak directly with a rep!
;