However, if you really want the best smart home setup money can buy, you’d be better off with Vivint in spite of its customer service issues. Vivint’s starter kit is about $599, although you won’t see that price on the website since Vivint doesn’t share prices directly with the public. This starting package typically includes a control panel, two door sensors, a water sensor, and a motion detector. Most industries are moving away from sales by call, and we think home security should too. Online ordering is more convenient for most people and more accessible for people with hearing loss, severe anxiety, and other disabilities. Still, Cove’s most expensive plan costs less than Vivint’s cheapest. Cove’s equipment is more basic, and the buyer installs it. Vivint has more advanced equipment, with a wider selection, and it only offers professional installation. However, Vivint equipment comes with some perks you won’t see with Cove. Vivint sells tons of smart home equipment in addition to the standard stuff you see in the table. Those items include locks, lights, garage door controllers, and thermostats. All of the equipment syncs directly with the system and can be controlled with the sophisticated Vivint app. Cove, on the other hand, doesn’t really offer anything in the way of smart homes. Unfortunately, as far as we know, neither of these systems connects to any other cameras. So if you want video coverage in your home security setup, you’re stuck buying what the companies sell. Interestingly, Cove doesn’t make its cameras. It uses a manufacturer called YI, which offers its own storage plan structure.
The indoor camera offers one-button video calls to a preprogrammed number of your choice. The outdoor camera has person detection and a feature called Smart Sentry that deters loiterers. The doorbell camera has the outdoor Smart Sentry feature plus package detection and protection.
Vivint doesn’t sell separate camera plans. You need to subscribe to the $44.99-a-month Smart Home Video plan if you want a camera. And if you want more than one camera, you’ll need to pay $5 more per month for each camera you add. It definitely gets expensive, but at least there’s a limit to the spending—you can only add up to five additional cameras for a grand total of six. Cove smart home integrations: However, you won’t be able to access any of those devices through your Cove app. You would need a direct connection, such as Z-Wave, to do that. Vivint smart home integrations: Vivint has the direct Z-Wave connection that Cove lacks, opening up more smart home opportunities. While Cove is still building its reputation and fan base, it offers unbeatable customer service hours (24/7) and doesn’t have a history of lawsuits like Vivint does. Vivint, despite its amazing smart home offerings, has lost a lot of trust in the industry with shady sales tactics. It was slowly starting to build a better reputation, but a huge lawsuit in spring 2021 has once again set it back.¹ To reach either Cove or Vivint, call their customer support phone numbers or make use of their live text chat features.
Cove customer service number: +1-877-456-2683 Vivint customer service number: +1-800-216-5232
Prices and monitoring plans: Cove. Cove offers far better prices for its monitoring services than Vivint does. Security equipment: Vivint’s the best of the best, but it charges an arm and a leg, while Cove charges more modest prices for its equipment. Cameras: Vivint’s three cameras are state-of-the-art, while Cove offers more basic cameras. Smart home integrations: Vivint’s use of Z-Wave and its own smart home functions put it far ahead of Cove’s smart speaker-only compatibility. Customer service: Cove pulls ahead in this category by default since Vivint’s customer service reputation has taken a big hit.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We’ve spent a lot of time testing the Vivint system and have done thorough research on both Cove and Vivint. All of our conclusions can be backed up by findings from our testing and research. Doorbell cameras are a great way to keep track of visitors, package deliveries, and any crimes that might occur on or near your property. Both Cove and Vivint have a great one. Or, if you want a system with lots of doorbell camera options, try Ring. Ring video doorbells are some of the best on the market. These smart devices do everything that a typical smoke or CO alarm would do plus give you a notification on your phone. You’ll know immediately that something is amiss.
