Ring Alarm vs Frontpoint: An Expert Comparison
Today we will be comparing home security providers Ring Alarm vs Frontpoint, and see how they stack up! We’ll go over equipment, monitoring plans, and more!
Everyday there are thousands of home owners who fall victim to home invasion crimes. These types of crimes can be costly, and can leave you and your family feeling insecure. The best way to protect yourself from being a victim of a home invasion crime is to invest in a home security system. There are a lot of great companies out on the market that can create customize security solutions that will fit your specific security needs. Today we will be looking at and comparing what Ring Alarm and Frontpoint have to offer.
Ring Alarm Panel
Ring is well known for their wide variety of video surveillance devices, especially doorbell cameras. In recent years Ring has branched out their product line to include other products such as a home security system which they call the Ring Alarm Security Kit. The control panel that is used with this alarm kit has a basic white design. It is a wireless panel which means it works by connecting to your home’s WIFI network wirelessly. It also includes a cellular chip as a backup just in case your internet is down. It is powered by an AC power source, and it does include a 24-hour backup battery just in case your power goes out. The Ring Security Kit’s control panel has an LED indicator light that changes color and shows different system statuses. It has Z-Wave technology too which allows it to be used with a variety of other home security and home automation products. The control panel itself is controlled by a separate keypad. The keypad for the control panel is powered by an AC source but it also includes a backup battery. The keypad allows you to quickly arm and disarm your system with a touch of a button, and it includes an illuminated push button keypad. The keypad also displays system status with an LED indicator light.
To see an alternative DIY option, check out our home security system at Link Interactive >>
Frontpoint Control Panel
Frontpoint has a really nice and easy to use control panel that connects all of your devices to one place. The control panel that Frontpoint has to offer has a simplistic design and even simpler functions. The Frontpoint control panel comes with the base station and one wireless keypad which is used for you to control the base station. The panel has Crash and Smash protection. Smash and crash is a great feature to have built into a control panel because if the control panel is damaged by an intruder, it will still transmit a signal to your monitoring station. The Frontpoint control panel has cellular chip which means you don’t have to have a landline or internet connection for it to work. It can connect to your internet connection just in case you live in an area that doesn’t get great cell coverage. The Frontpoint control panel comes with a rechargeable 24-hour back up battery in case your power goes out. The panel also has Z-Wave protocol that allows you to use other branded devices with it, making it pretty expandable.
Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, our home security system at Link Interactive >>
Who wins?
Fronpoint’s and Ring’s control panels are quite different from one another. Frontpoint’s control panel comes in two parts making it harder to damage during a home invasion. Ring’s control panel has more modern features, a full colored touchscreen, and all of its functions can be controlled right from the touchscreen. Because Ring offers a more modern control panel, we are giving them the win for this category.
Ring Alarm Equipment
Ring doesn’t offer a lot when it comes to basic equipment that you can use with their control panel. They offer wireless and battery-operated door/window sensors. These sensors will alert you any time your door or window has been opened. They also offer wireless and battery-operated motion sensors. Their motion sensors can detect motion in large rooms, and will alert you when motion has been triggered. When it comes to life safety devices Ring offers their Alarm Smoke/ CO Listener. Their Alarm Smoke/CO Listener is battery-operated and wireless. This device actually listens for the sounds of your existing smoke and CO detectors, and it will trigger your system if these sounds are heard.
Home Automation
Ring is a lot like Frontpoint when it comes to the add-on equipment offered by them. They don’t make a lot of their own branded home automation equipment, but because their control panel has a Z-Wave protocol you can use other branded smart home automation devices. You can use Schlage, Yale, and Kwikset automated door locks. These door locks allow you to create custom user codes that can be enabled and disabled at any time. These locks can also be remotely locked and unlocked while on the go, and you can check their status also while on the go. You can use a variety of smart thermostats with your Nest Alarm Kit. Brands like Ecobee work really well with the Ring Alarm Kit. You can set customer timers for when your heating and cooling system comes on and goes off with an Ecobee smart thermostat. You can also remotely control your home’s heating and cooling system with an Ecobee smart thermostat. The Ring Alarm Kit allows you to incorporate smart bulbs and switches into your system. You can use GE branded smart switches and smart bulbs with your Ring Alarm Kit. Smart switches allow you to connect small appliances to them, and these appliances can have custom timers set for when they come on and go off which can be controlled remotely. The same features also apply to any smart bulb you have connected to your Ring Alarm Kit.
Monitoring/Cameras
The biggest focus in add-on equipment for the Ring Alarm Kit is Ring’s wide range of video surveillance equipment. Because Ring has a such a large variety of video surveillance cameras, we will only be going over the types and basic features of their cameras. Ring offers outdoor, indoor, and video doorbell cameras. They can capture video in stunning HD and they work by connecting to your home’s internet connection via Ethernet cable or through WIFI. They also offer AC powered and battery-operated versions of their cameras. Their cameras include motion sensors along with 2-way audio that allows you to directly communicate with whomever is around your camera.
Who wins?
Frontpoint has a pretty nice variety of basic equipment that you can use with either of their panels. Frontpoint offers glass break sensors, smoke, CO, and flood sensors which are things that Ring does not offer. Ring however does offer the basic equipment needed to give you a basic security setup. Since Frontpoint has more add-on equipment than that of Ring we are giving the win for this category to them.
Ring and Frontpoint are very similar with their Z-Wave add-on equipment. They both offer other branded home automation products that work with their system. Ring is a lot more limited than Frontpoint in the variety of Z-Wave equipment that can be used with their system. But Ring ncludes a superior collection of video surveillance cameras to choose from while Frontpoint has a more limited choice.
Frontpoint Equipment
Frontpoint has all the basic equipment you need to give your home total protection. They offer door/window sensors that are wireless and battery-operated. Their door/window sensors are smaller than other door/window sensors making them easier to place. Frontpoint offers motion sensors that are wireless and battery-operated. Their motion sensors are pet immune, and can detect motion in a large area. Frontpoint offers wireless and battery-operated glass break sensors. Their glass break sensors work by recognizing the sound of breaking glass, and they will alert you when this event has happened. They offer key fobs that sport a 4-button design that allows consumers to arm and disarm their system with only a push of a button. The last piece of basic equipment that front point offers are panic buttons. Their panic buttons will allow you to instantly trigger your system, and you will instantly get a response for your central monitoring station. Frontpoint also offers wireless and battery-operated temperature sensors. These sensors will detect changes in temperature and will alert you to abnormal rises and drops in temperature. They also offer smoke sensors that are wireless and battery-operated. Their smoke sensor will detect rises in smoke and will make an audible alert when this is detected. Frontpoint’s offers CO detectors that will alert you to potentially dangerous levels of CO gas in your home via an audible alert. All the equipment offered by Frontpoint is DIY (do it yourself) which means you will need to setup up all the equipment by yourself, but they do include a setup guide for fast and easy installation.
Click here to read our full Frontpoint product review >>
Frontpoint Home Automation
Frontpoint has a ton of add-on equipment that really allows you to expand your system to use a lot of home automation devices. They offer smart LED bulbs which are great at saving you some money on your energy costs for your home. You can turn on and off these smart lights remotely through the Frontpoint app. If you are looking for a way to control small appliances or light fixtures you can purchase a wireless light control from Frontpoint. Their light control plugs directly into an outlet, and you can control any small appliance that is connected to this smart plug remotely through the Frontpoint app. Fronpoint’s also offers automated door locks. Fronpoint’s automated door locks have a fingerprint resistant keypad design that will allow you to create custom user codes. Frontpoint’s offers garage controls that will allow you to remotely control your garage doors on the go. If for some reason you forget to close your garage door, an alert will be sent to you through Frontpoint app. Frontpoint offers smart thermostats as well. Frontpoint’s smart thermostat will automatically adjust the temperature of your home when a drop or rise of temperature happens past the temperature you have set for your home.
Frontpoint Video Monitoring/Cameras
Frontpoint has a great selection of video surveillance equipment that you can use with their system. Frontpoint offers the Alarm.com V622 Indoor Camera. This camera is wireless, and it is powered by an AC power source. The video resolution of this camera is 1080P with a 180-degree viewing angle which allows this camera to capture video in a wide area. The V622 indoor camera also has 2-way audio built-in with Bluetooth audio streaming capabilities. You can also use other Alarm.com cameras with your Frontpoint system such as their outdoor and doorbell cameras.
Ring Alarm vs Frontpoint App
Frontpoint and Ring Alarm offer professional, self, and video monitoring services. Fronpoint’s and Ring’s self-monitoring services are done through their apps. Their apps are free to download and work for Apple and Android devices. With their apps you can stream live and recorded video from any connected video surveillance camera, receive push notifications for events, arm and disarm your system remotely, and customize certain features for your connected devices. Ring’s app however doesn’t have as many features as Frontpoint’s app. The Frontpoint app is powered by Alarm.com which means you will have ton more features to use with your system and equipment like geo-fencing technology. Fronpoint’s and Ring’s professional monitoring services work the same, where you have a 24/7 professional monitoring service watching over your home. Frontpoint is very transparent about their monitoring costs and contracts while Ring has no easily available information on their monitoring costs or contracts.
Recommended: Here’s a better Alarm.com alternative. Check out Link Interactive. That’s right, our Link Interactive home security system. With us you’ll get the exact same Alarm.com app but at a lower price point. Take a look at our security system here at Link Interactive. Our system comes complete with Crash & Smash protection, and all latest bells and whistles of a modern day home security system, powered by Alarm.com
Ring Alarm vs Frontpoint vs Link Interactive
Frontpoint and Ring may offer different products, but both of their systems are really great at keeping your home and family safe from home invasion crimes. Ring offers a beautiful touchscreen control panel, and you can use their cameras with their system which are known for their superb quality. Frontpoint has a ton of equipment for you to choose from including lots of home automation equipment, and their system is super easy to setup and use. Because Frontpoint has a better overall value with more equipment, we are making them our overall winner.
Recommended: The Better Alternative
If you’d like a better bang for your buck without skimping on features and quality of service, take a look at our security system at Link Interactive.
Link Interactive and Frontpoint 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 (just like Frontpoint) and third-party professional monitoring. We also offer cutting-edge video monitoring services, all at a much better price than Frontpoint!
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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