Vivint Smart Home vs SimpliSafe: An Expert Comparison
Today we will be comparing home security providers Vivint Smart Home and Ring Alarm, and see how they stack up! We’ll go over equipment, monitoring plans, and more!
There are many great things that you can do with a home security system besides protect your home. Most modern-day security systems allow you to use home automation equipment along with your security devices allowing you to convert your home into a smart home. Home security providers that provide a lot home automation equipment also have video surveillance equipment that gives you an extra layer of protection for your home. You want to make sure that the company you go with offers the add-on equipment and monitoring services you are interested in. Today we will conclude our look at Vivint versus Ring Alarm by going over their add-on equipment and monitoring services.
Vivint Smart Home Control Panel
Vivint wanted to offer their consumers a control panel that does more than just provide you with home security. Vivint offers their Smart Hub control panel which can also be used to turn your home into a smart home. The Vivint Smart Hub has a 7-inch full colored touchscreen that displays your system’s status and your current time and temperate. You can control all the functions for your system and any equipment that is connect to it through the touchscreen control panel The Vivint Smart Hub transmits all its data via a secure wireless signal, and all of your security data is transmitted via its built-in cellular chip. What this means is you do not need a land line or internet connection for you Vivint Smart Hub to work though it does connect to your home’s WIFI network as a backup. It is powered by an AC power source so make sure you have one nearby. If your power goes out the Vivint Smart Hub has a 24-hour backup battery. You can communicate with Vivint’s monitoring station through the Vivint Smart Hub’s 2-way audio feature which allows you to receive a quick response for emergencies. If your Vivint Smart Hub detects a security event it will sound its internal siren. The Vivint Smart Hub is super expandable, and it includes a Z-Wave protocol that allows you to use other branded security and home automation devices with it.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, our home security system at Link Interactive >>
Ring Alarm Control Panel
Ring currently offers a simple to use control panel that connects all your security and other devices together wireless. The Ring Alarm currently has released their 2nd generation of security systems, with just a few small changes to their wireless keypad design in the 2nd generation. The Ring Alarm comes in two parts which are the base station and the keypad. The base station itself has a ring indicator light that will change colors to show different system statutes. The base station works by connecting to your home’s WIFI network, but you do have the option to have a cellular chip included as a backup just in case your WIFI goes out. The base station and keypad are powered by an AC power source, but they both include a rechargeable backup battery. The keypad has illuminated push button design that allows you to quickly arm an disarm your system. You can create custom user codes for you Ring Alarm system that can be enabled and disable at any time. The Ring Alarm’s base station has a built-in Z-wave protocol and Bluetooth that really allows you to expand your system. It has a built-in internal siren that will be sounded any time your system or devices connected to it are triggered.
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Who wins?
Vivint and Ring bother offer easy to use control panels that seamlessly connect all your security and other devices to one place. Their control panels have Z-wave protocols that allow to expand your system to use other branded devices, and they both include a backup battery. Vivint’s control panel however is much nicer, and has more features than that of Ring’s control panel. Because Vivint’s control panel has more features, we are giving them the win for this category.
Vivint Smart Home Equipment
If you are looking to give your home total coverage, Vivint has all the equipment you need to do so. They offer wireless and battery-operated intrusion and environmental safety sensors. To protect the entryways to your home Vivint offers door/window, motion, and glass break sensors. Their door/window sensors will alert you to when a door or window in which a sensor is placed has been opened and shut. Their motion sensors will detect motion in rooms and are pet immune for smaller pets. Vivint’s glass break sensors will listen for the sound of breaking glass, and you will be notified if this happen as well as your system being triggered. If your home has garage doors you can use Vivint’s tilt sensor to alert you to when your garage doors have been open and shut. For a quick way to disarm and arm your system, Vivint offers keychain remotes. Their keychain remotes are battery-operated and have a push-button design. To protect your home from environmental dangers Vivint offers smoke, CO, and flood sensors. All of their environmental safety sensors have built in audile alerts chimes that will let you know when dangerous rises in environmental factors such as smoke, CO gas, and flood/ water leaks occur. They will also trigger your Vivint security system and send you an instant alert. All the equipment offer by Vivint is installed by a professional security technician so you don’t have to worry about setting up the equipment yourself.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive >>
Home Automation
Vivint wanted to make their control panel do more than just protect your home, and due to the Vivint Smart Hub’s built-in Z-Wave protocol you can. Vivint offers a selection of home automation and video surveillance you can choose from, but they do not have a total list. We will only be going over a few of these devices that they offer. Vivint offers smart home automated locks that have a beautiful design that will go with any style of home. Their smart door locks have a push-button design, and can be unlocked remotely through the Vivint app. Any custom user code that is created for a Vivint smart lock can be enabled or disabled at any time. If you are like a lot of homeowners with garage doors, you have probably forgotten to close it when leaving home. By purchasing a Vivint garage door controller you no longer have to worry about that happening again. Vivint’s garage door controller allows you to remotely close and open your home’s garage doors, and you will receive an instant notification for anytime your garage door has been opened or shut. Vivint also offers a few different smart thermostats for you to choose from. Their smart thermostats are great at cutting down on your home’s energy consumption per month due to their ability to turn on and turn off when they reach or certain temperature or through custom timers. You can also remotely control your Vivint smart thermostat through the Vivint app. You are looking for smart lights that you can turn off and on remotely as well as set customer timers for when they come on and go off, Vivint offers those as well.
Video Monitoring/Cameras
When it comes to video surveillance equipment Vivint has the standard types of these. They offer an indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell camera. Their video surveillance cameras work by connecting to your home’s WIFI network. They can capture video in stunning video resolution and come with night vision, motion sensors, and two-way audio.
Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive >>
Ring Alarm Equipment
Ring offers easy to setup and use basic equipment that connects wireless to their base station. That offer wireless and battery-operated door/window sensors that will fit a variety of door/window frames. They offer wireless and battery-operated motion sensors that can provide protection for larger rooms in your home. Ring also offer a range extender for their system that plugs directly into an outlet. Their ranger extender makes sure that all your security devices are consistently transmitting a stable signal. Ring offers a wireless and battery-operated panic button that has a push-design, and it when the button is pushed, your emergency services will know help is immediately needed. To protect your home from environmental hazards Ring offers wireless and battery-operated smoke and CO listeners, and flood/freeze sensors. Their smoke and CO listener will listen for the alert sound of your existing smoke and CO detectors and will trigger your system if these sounds are heard. Their flood/freeze sensor will monitor the area in which they are placed for water leaks and drastic drops in temperatures, and if these are detected it will trigger your system. All the equipment offer by Ring is DIY (do it yourself) which means you will need to set up all the equipment yourself, but they do include a step-by-step setup guide.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive >>
Home Automation
Ring has been more well known for their video surveillance equipment along with their line of smart home products. Any of their products works with their Ring Alarm system, and they have a nice selection for you to choose from. Ring offers a wide variety of other branded smart locks like Kwikset, Yale, and Schlage. The smart locks they offer all can be remotely controlled through the Ring app, custom user codes can be made, and they have a push-button keypad. Ring also has a large selection of smart lights and switches you can choose from. Their smart lights can be remotely controlled while on the go, and custom timers can be set for when your lights tun on and off. Their smart switches allow you to control small appliances that are connected to them, and customer timers can be set for when these appliances turn on and off. Ring offers Nest smart thermostats that have an amazing display. The Nest Thermostat can learn the temperature of your home, and adjust your heating and cooling system to your homes temperature so that you can save the most on your home’s energy cost per month. Custom timers can bet set for when your Nest Thermostat comes on and goes off. There are also several other branded home automation devices that will work with Ring alarm including garage door controllers.
Monitoring/Cameras
When it comes to video surveillance equipment, Ring has a hug selection for you to choose from. They offer several indoor, outdoor, floodlight, and video doorbell cameras. All of their cameras can capture video in stunning HD, and they include night vision, advance motion sensing, 2-way audio, and tons of customizable features. Their cameras work by connecting wireless to your home’s WIFI network, and most are either powered by a rechargeable battery or through an AC power source.
Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive >>
Who wins?
Vivint and Ring offer some similar basic equipment. They both offer wireless and battery-operated door/window and motion sensors that are tamper proof. They also have a nice variety of environmental safety sensors. However, Vivint offers some sensors that Ring doesn’t offer like their keychain remote, and for that reason we are giving them the win for this category.
Ring and Vivint really made sure that their consumers could really expand their systems. They both offer some really nice home automation devices like smart thermostats and smart locks. Ring however has a huge selection for you to choose from when it comes to video surveillance equipment and home automation equipment than that of Vivint. For these reasons, we are choosing them as the winner for this category.
Vivint Smart Home vs Ring Alarm App
To monitor your system and devices Vivint and Ring offer self, professional, and video monitoring services. Their self and video monitoring services are down through their apps which are free to download and work for Apple and Android devices. Their self-monitoring services allow you remote control of your system and any home automation and video surveillance devices connected to it. You will receive push notification for events, be able to stream live and recorded video, customize features, and add devices all through their apps. Ring focuses more on self-monitoring and their self-monitoring services are free of charge. Vivint however focuses on both professional and self-monitoring services, with a month to month fee associated with using their app. Ring and Vivint’s professional monitoring services work the same where you have a professional monitoring station watching over your home for events and emergences 24/7. Ring’s month to month monitoring cost for self-monitoring are much lower than that of Vivint’s. However, you must pay for all your equipment upfront with Ring, while Vivint offers contracts which give you a discount on your equipment.
Recommended: Check out Link Interactive. With Link Interactive you’ll get the Alarm.com app (the gold standard in home security), and top of the line security equipment at great affordable prices. See details >>
Vivint Smart Home vs Ring Alarm vs Link Interactive
Vivint and Ring are some of the top security providers in the nation. Vivint offers a modern-day control panel that is easy to use, and they offer professional installation so you don’t’ have to worry about setting up the equipment yourself. Ring offers a simple to use system with their Ring Alarm, and they have a ton of equipment for you to choose from that allows you to really expand your system, and they low month to month professional monitoring cost. Because Ring offers the better overall value for their system including monitoring costs and product variety, we are making them our overall winner.
Recommended Alternative: Link Interactive
If you’d like a better bang for your buck without skimping on features and quality of service, take a at the Link Interactive home alarm system.
Link Interactive and Vivint are very similar in terms of equipment and monitoring services. At Link we offer a better, more advanced control panel in the the Qolsys IQ 2 Panel with Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party professional monitoring. We also offer cutting-edge video monitoring services, all at a much better price point than Vivint.
We have thousands of 5-star reviews on various reputable third party review sites complimenting our awesome after-sales support! We encourage you 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 with a rep!
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