Frontpoint vs Vivint Smart Home: An Expert Comparison
Today we will be comparing home security provider Frontpoint with Vivint Smart Home, and see how they stack up. Let’s dive right in!
There are so many security options for consumers like yourself to choose from when it comes to providing your home with security. But you want to make sure that the company you are looking into offers the equipment and monitoring services that fit your specific security needs. There are a lot of great companies that you can choose from, and today we will be taking a look at Frontpoint and Vivint and see what they have to offer you when it comes to your security.
Frontpoint Control Panel
Frontpoint has a really easy to use control panel that connects all your devices to one place. The control panel that Frontpoint uses has a very simplistic design. It comes with the base station and the keypad for you to control the base station. Frontpoint designed their system to be separated from the keypad allowing it to be placed in a separate location so that any damage that is done to the separate keypad will not affect the control panel.
The Frontpoint Hub offers Crash and Smash (something we offer with the Qolsys panel at Link Interactive as wel), which means that even if the control panel is damaged by an intruder, it will still transmit a signal to your monitoring station.
The Frontpoint Hub has a cellular chip which means you do not need to have a landline or internet connection for it to work. The Hub can also connect to your internet connection just in case you live in an area that doesn’t have great cell coverage.
The Frontpoint Hub comes with a rechargeable 24-hour back up battery. The keypad itself is wireless and battery-operated which means that it can be placed anywhere around your home. You can choose to add multiple keypads to your system allowing you to be able to disarm your system for any location in your home. The Hub has a 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 >>
Vivint Smart Home Control Panel
Vivint offers a really great control panel that is packed full of features. Vivint, unlike many other security companies, has designed their own control panel which is called the SkyControl.
The SkyControl panel has a 7-inch HD touchscreen display that shows the current status of the security system along with the time and temperature. 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 without the need for a separate keypad.
The SkyControl also has a built-in two-way audio feature which allows users to directly communicate with their 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. This control panel also offers the ability for users to configure up to 48 different user codes. It also has a lot of zones so that users can expand their systems to include home automation equipment, and it includes a Z-Wave protocol that lets you use other branded devices with it.
To see our Crash and Smash enabled control panel by Qolsys, check out Link Interactive >>
Who wins?
The Frontpoint and Vivint control panels are quite distinct from one another. We like that the Frontpoint control panel is simplistic in nature which means it’s easy to setup. Vivint’s control panel has a good touchscreen, and it is packed full of features. Because Vivint has a more advanced control panel that has more features than the one Frontpoint offers we are choosing them as our winner for this category.
Frontpoint Equipment
Frontpoint has an extensive range of basic sensors that easily connect to their Frontpoint Hub.
They offer door/window sensors that are wireless and battery operated. Their door/window sensors are nano in size which means they are smaller than normal door/window sensors making them much easier to place.
Frontpoint offers motion sensors that are wireless and battery-operated. Their motion sensors are pet immune which means that they will not go off at pets.
They also offer glass break sensors which are great for protecting large glass areas of your home. The glass break sensors work by recognizing the sound of breaking glass, and they will alert you when this event has happened.
Frontpoint offers wireless and battery-operated temperature sensors as well. These sensors will detect changes in temperature and will alert a consumer to drastic 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 CO detectors will alert you to potentially dangerous levels of CO2 gas in your home via an audible alert. 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. Their panic buttons come with a comfortable elastic band and neck pendant so you can always have them with you.
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 additional equipment
Frontpoint offers a lot of great add-on equipment that allows you to expand your system. They offer smart LED bulbs which are great at saving you some money on your home’s power bill. 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. The light control plugs directly into an outlet. You can control any small appliance that is connected to this smart plug remotely through the Frontpoint app.
Fronpoint offers automated door locks. These automated door locks have a fingerprint resistant keypad design that will allow you to create custom user codes.
Frontpoint 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 when a drop or rise of temperature happens in your home.
For video surveillance equipment, 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 Frontpoint such as their outdoor cameras.
Vivint Smart Home Equipment
Vivint offers their customers a few different types of basic sensors that will protect the entryways and interiors of your home along with some environmental safety sensors that will protect you from disasters that are environmental in nature.
Vivint offers wireless battery-operated door/window sensors that work with a variety of different door/window frames.
For consumers looking to protect whole areas of their homes can use Vivint’s motion sensors to cover these large areas. Their motion sensors are battery-operated and pet immune.
Vivint also offers battery operated glass break sensors that can easily detect the sound of glass breaking. Vivint’s control panel and sensors are completely wireless so you do not have to worry about having wires running all over your home.
Vivint offers wireless 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.
All equipment that is offered by Vivint is professionally installed so you don’t have to worry about setting up the equipment yourself.
Vivint Smart Home additional equipment
Vivint has some great add-on 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 by Vivint will allow you to create custom user codes, get alerts any time the locks have been unlocked or locked, and you can remotely unlock and locks these locks through the Vivint app.
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 a really nice selection of video surveillance equipment. Vivint offers an outdoor, indoor, and video doorbell camera. Their cameras are wireless which means that work by connecting to your home’s WIFI network. They are powered through an AC power source, and they can capture video clips in HD quality. 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 are a lot of other branded security and home automation products that will work with your Vivint system like Nest thermostats due to their control panel including a Z-Wave protocol.
Who wins?
Frontpoint and Vivint offer very similar basic equipment. They both offer sensors that are wireless and battery operated. Frontpoint however does offer a bit more variety of basic equipment than that of Vivint. However, Vivint offers professional installation while all of the equipment that is purchased through Frontpoint is DIY. This was a close category but we are giving the win to Frontpoint for this category because they have a bit more variety, and because their equipment is DIY you will not have to worry about paying a professional installation fee.
Another really close category for us to call is what Vivint and Frontpoint have to offer when it comes to their add-on equipment. We like that Frontpoint offers Alarm.com cameras because Alarm.com makes really high-quality security, home automation, and video surveillance equipment. On the other hand, we like the fact that you can use Nest thermostats with your Vivint control panel due to all the features that Nest thermostats have to offer. For this category we are giving the win to Vivint due to their wide variety of video surveillance equipment that they have to offer, and the fact that you can use Nest thermostats with their control panel.
Frontpoint vs Vivint Smart Home App
Frontpoint and Vivint both offer professional, self, and video monitoring services. Their self-monitoring services are controlled through their apps which work for Apple and Android devices. With their apps you will be able to customize your system along with any equipment that is connected to it. You can also view live and recorded video, arm and disarm your system, and check sensor status all while on the go. You will receive push notifications any time your system or equipment triggers an event through their apps as well. Frontpoint’s app however is powered by Alarm.com services which means you have a lot of features that the Vivint app doesn’t offer. Because Frontpoint’s app is powered by Alarm.com you will be able to use Geo-fencing which is a type of technology that automatically turns on, arms or disarms your system, or does various other functions when you leave your home or when you are close to your home. Their professional monitoring services work the same where you have a professional monitoring station watching over your home 24/7.
Want 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
Frontpoint vs Vivint Smart Home vs Link Interactive
Today we will let our readers decid who the winner is due to the fact that both Frontpoint and Vivint offer security solutions that will work for anyone, and it really just depends on what you are looking for and who you should choose as your security provider. If you are looking for high-tech up to date equipment with tons of features that you don’t have to setup yourself then you should go with Vivint. If you are looking for an easy to use security system that has more self-monitoring features then you should go with Frontpoint.
If you are looking to purchase a system from neither of these companies but instead want a better bang for your buck without sacrificing on features and quality of service, take a look at our security solution at Link.
Why you should get Link Interactive instead
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 Aarm.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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