First time homeowner…what's the best security system to get? (SimpliSafe, Surety, Alarm Grid, etc)

H.WHITE said:

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

Go with UNIFI. Get a Dream Machine with a big hard drive, and add cameras and Wi-Fi mesh. You get way more than just a security system, and there are no monthly fees.

That’s bad advice. You should never rely on the internet for security. Cameras are a great backup, but your main system should be cellular.

Zachary said:

H.WHITE said:
Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

Go with UNIFI. Get a Dream Machine with a big hard drive, and add cameras and Wi-Fi mesh. You get way more than just a security system, and there are no monthly fees.

That’s bad advice. You should never rely on the internet for security. Cameras are a great backup, but your main system should be cellular.

Cellular is too slow and can’t handle the data needed for video. Maybe as a last resort if there’s no internet, but it’s not practical for most setups.

H.WHITE said:

Zachary said:
H.WHITE said:
Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

Go with UNIFI. Get a Dream Machine with a big hard drive, and add cameras and Wi-Fi mesh. You get way more than just a security system, and there are no monthly fees.

That’s bad advice. You should never rely on the internet for security. Cameras are a great backup, but your main system should be cellular.

Cellular is too slow and can’t handle the data needed for video. Maybe as a last resort if there’s no internet, but it’s not practical for most setups.

What are you talking about? Cellular systems work fine for home security. Your comment doesn’t really make sense.

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

HomePro has been great for us. Highly recommend.

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

Are you looking to keep paying for monitoring or switch to doing it yourself? I considered paid monitoring when I first set up my cameras, but the cost was too much. Now, I mainly use the cameras to check what happened after the fact, like when a raccoon knocked over my flowerpot. I have a live feed of 10 cameras on a screen in case I hear something, but I turned off most notifications because they go off too often. Am I missing something? What are other people doing?

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

You need a full cellular security system with fire, heat, and carbon monoxide monitoring. Cameras are just for after the fact, not real protection.

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

SimpliSafe is solid. I had ADT before, and it was a nightmare.

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

SimpliSafe has a $30/month monitoring option or a $10/month self-monitoring option. For home monitoring, I’d go with Reolink.

Sarahkey said:
Hi all,

I just bought my first home, and the previous owners had ADT cameras set up. They quoted me $50 a month for monitoring, which seems high to me, especially with a 3-year contract required. I’m looking for a more affordable option that doesn’t lock me into a contract. Has anyone used a security system they liked? Would appreciate any recommendations!

Don’t go with ADT. After my contract ended, they made it so hard to cancel, and they kept charging me. I ended up stopping payments and letting them cut me off, then settled with collections.