Since there are no contracts, you don’t have to worry about cancellation fees. You can end your professional monitoring services and resume them at will. If you opt for the self-monitoring option, you won’t get cellular backup, though you’ll get it with the professional service. But not even the professional monitoring comes with camera storage. That’s a separate service that costs more money. FYI: these prices includes camera storage, which is fantastic, since most systems of all types typically charge more for that service. That makes Brinks Home a better deal than it first appears. Brinks Home professional monitoring features:
Emergency buttons on the panel and keychain remote Duress code in case someone forces you to disarm the alarm Automatic alerts to emergency contacts Quick text or email connection to emergency contacts Easy false-alarm cancellation
These features will help you feel super-safe in a Brinks Home-guarded home. No matter what happens, you’ll always have a way to reach someone or for them to reach you. But Brinks Home offers a ton of smart home devices, like garage door sensors, locks, and thermostats. ADT Self Setup doesn’t sell any of those products. And hey, you can even get an outdoor camera kit with two of ADT Self Setup’s outdoor cameras with the extender. (Although we don’t necessarily recommend the outdoor camera; learn more in our ADT Self Setup Outdoor Camera Review.) When checking out of ADT Self Setup’s online store, you also have the option of adding a Google Nest Mini or Google Nest Hub to your ADT Self Setup system. Brinks Home also sells more home security and smart home products that we don’t show in our table. Overall, Brinks Home has a lot more stuff than ADT Self Setup, especially when it comes to home automation. Brinks Home sells the following items:
Keychain remote Glass break detector Smart locks Smart thermostat Smoke detector Carbon monoxide detector FireFighter (listens to existing smoke detectors) Garage door tilt sensor
While neither of these is our favorite home security equipment offering, they both have their benefits. But if neither the ADT Self Setup nor Brinks Home system warms the cockles of your heart, check out Vivint for the perfect blend of innovation and smart home variety or Ring for an extremely affordable system. ADT Self Setup cameras are some of the more aesthetically appealing cameras on the market, and they have features like 24-hour rolling storage, siren detection, and facial recognition. Brinks Home uses super-basic Alarm.com cameras that don’t offer anything out of the ordinary and fail to live up to baseline camera standards. But the ADT Self Setup outdoor camera has had major connectivity issues for tons of customers and reviewers. Brinks Home’s tried-and-true outdoor camera is the more reliable option. But, when it did work, it worked well by pointing out individuals it had never seen before. ADT Self Setup’s other standout feature is the carbon monoxide and smoke alarm detection built into the indoor and outdoor cameras. The detection works similarly to the Brinks Home FireFighter: it hears existing detectors and alerts you, saving you the trouble and expense of finding smart detectors. But if you go for ADT Self Setup storage, it’s a pretty good deal. And you’ll save several dollars a month with ADT Self Setup’s monitoring and camera subscription compared to Brinks Home’s combined price. For instance, the doorbell camera (a SkyBell Slim Line model) has a 180° field of view, which allows you to see pretty much everything around your front door. But it has only 720p quality vision and just eight feet of night vision, making the wide angle moot. Similarly, the indoor camera films in 1080p but doesn’t have motion detection. And the outdoor camera has motion detection but only an 88° view. So you never get the combination of features that would make the best possible camera. Both ADT Self Setup and Brinks Home meet these basic requirements, but ADT Self Setup offers a little more extra functionality than Brinks Home does. ADT Self Setup smart home integrations: With these four integrations, you’ll be able to connect most devices to your ADT Self Setup system and perform most smart home actions. Voice control, smart home chains—it’ll all be at your fingertips. Brinks Home smart home integrations: Brinks Home doesn’t have quite as much automation as ADT Self Setup. Without IFTTT, you won’t be able to create cause-and-effect smart home chains. But other than that, a Brinks Home system connects to the same devices as a ADT Self Setup system. ADT has a reputation for being more expensive but less innovative than some of its competitors. The lower-priced, less-traditional ADT Self Setup system is a big step forward for the ADT brand. And because ADT Self Setup has its own customer service department, the system isn’t defined by ADT’s typical service missteps. (These tend to revolve around ADT’s many and diverse vendors.) But because ADT Self Setup is so new, there isn’t much valuable public feedback yet. You’re essentially buying without knowing exactly what kind of experience to expect. Brinks Home, on the other hand, has more of an established reputation. Like most long-standing home security companies, it has both many positive reviews and a lot of complaints. Most of its issues stem from customer contracts. Many of those contract complaints involve Brinks Home’s numerous buy-ups of other security companies. For instance, Brinks Home bought up Protect America’s contracts, switching over Protect America customers apparently without their consent to Brinks Home’s terms. And a lot of those customers are not happy about the change. Other contract issues involve confusion over oral and written contracts, contract renewal, and contract cancellation policies. We suggest thoroughly reviewing Brinks Home’s terms and conditions before signing and getting both verbal and written confirmation of your contract expiration date.
ADT Self Setup customer service number: 877-464-7437 Brinks Home customer service number: 800-447-9239
You can also text Brinks at 469-513-8685. On the other hand, Brinks Home has great monitoring services with emergency features with quick communication for a true feeling of security. So if you’re okay with spending a little more and getting equipment that’s kind of blah, the trade-off could be worth it.
Prices and monitoring plans: Brinks Home. ADT Self Setup has a free self-monitoring option and no contracts, but it doesn’t come close to offering as many emergency fail safes as Brinks Home does. Security equipment: Draw. You won’t spend too much money on ADT Self Setup’s pretty, proprietary products, but if you want a lot of smart home devices, you should go with Brinks Home. Cameras: ADT Self Setup. ADT Self Setup cameras don’t require a storage plan and have some cutting-edge features, while Brinks Home cameras are still struggling to find their footing. Smart home integrations: ADT Self Setup. ADT Self Setup slips ahead of Brinks Home by offering IFTTT integration. Customer service: Draw. ADT Self Setup doesn’t have much of a customer service reputation either way yet, while Brinks Home is struggling to resolve the same repeated problems.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We read customer reviews on sites like Consumer Affairs and the BBB, and we also read other professional reviews to get the big picture. And when we can, we also test the systems we review with our very own hands. For instance, we tried out several pieces from the ADT Self Setup system. This research gives us a good idea of which systems to recommend and for what reasons. In an emergency, you can press a panic button on your control panel. However, once someone presses the button, you can’t cancel the call, so use with discretion.
