Short answer: Only if — you live in a high-crime area, own your home, and will actually arm the system every time you leave.
Worth it for: Homeowners wanting insurance discounts and peace of mind in areas with property crime Skip if: Renters, low-crime neighborhoods, people who'd forget to arm it Better alternative: Smart locks + a couple of cameras + a loud dog
The home security industry is a $50 billion market built primarily on fear. Companies like ADT, Vivint, and SimpliSafe spend hundreds of millions on ads showing masked intruders creeping through suburban windows — because terrified customers don't comparison shop.
When It IS Worth It
You live in a high-property-crime area. If break-ins are genuinely common in your neighborhood (check local crime data, not just neighborhood Facebook groups), a visible security system with yard signs and window stickers provides measurable deterrence. Studies from the Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice found that alarm systems reduce burglary risk by 60% on alarmed properties. The visibility of the security system matters as much as the system itself.
You want homeowner's insurance discounts. Most insurance providers offer 5-20% discounts for monitored home security systems. On a $1,500/year policy, that's $75-$300/year savings. If your monitoring costs $120-$240/year, the insurance discount alone can offset 50-100% of the security system's ongoing cost.
You travel frequently and leave your home unoccupied. An empty home for weeks at a time is the highest-risk scenario for burglary. Professional monitoring with smart sensors can alert you and dispatch police if something happens while you're 3,000 miles away. DIY cameras help, but professional monitoring provides a response layer you can't offer yourself from a hotel room.
You have specific high-value property. Jewelry, art, musical instruments, tools, firearms — if your home contains items worth $10,000+ that are difficult to insure without a security system, the system becomes a prerequisite for adequate insurance coverage rather than an optional purchase.
When It Is NOT Worth It
You rent an apartment. Most apartment complexes have building-level security (locked entries, cameras). Adding a personal alarm system to a rented unit is awkward to install, impossible to hardwire, and you'll leave it behind when you move. Apartment break-ins are also overwhelmingly through unlocked doors, not breached ones.
You live in a low-crime suburb. If your neighborhood's biggest crime is package theft and kids egging houses on Halloween, a $200 security system with $25/month monitoring is solving a problem that barely exists. A $30 package lockbox and a Ring doorbell handle the actual risks.
You won't use it consistently. A security system you forget to arm is expensive decoration. Studies show a significant percentage of break-ins in alarmed homes occur when the system isn't armed. If you can't build the habit of arming it every time you leave and every night before bed, you're paying for false security.
You're considering ADT or Vivint with long-term contracts. ADT and Vivint typically require 3-5 year contracts at $30-$60/month with early termination fees of $500-$1,500. Over 5 years, that's $1,800-$3,600 in monitoring fees alone. SimpliSafe and Abode offer equivalent monitoring at $10-$25/month with no contracts. The only reason to sign a long-term contract is if you didn't read it.
Who Should NOT Buy This
- Fear-driven buyers — If you're shopping for security after watching a scary news segment, wait a week. The fear will subside and you'll make a more rational decision
- People who leave doors unlocked — The DOJ reports that 34% of burglars enter through unlocked doors or windows. A $3,000 security system can't protect an open door
- Anyone approached by a door-to-door security salesperson — These companies have the worst pricing, the longest contracts, and the highest-pressure sales tactics in the industry
- DIY smart home enthusiasts — You can build a better system from components for less money with more control
Cheaper or Better Alternatives
| Alternative | Price | My Take |
|---|---|---|
| SimpliSafe (self-monitored) | $200-$400 + $0-$10/month | No contract, reasonable pricing, good enough for most homes |
| Wyze camera system | $30-$60 per camera | Budget cameras with cloud storage. Not professional monitoring but catches footage |
| Smart locks + cameras | $200-$400 total | Covers the two biggest vulnerabilities (unlocked doors and lack of footage) |
| Ring Alarm | $200 + $10-$20/month | Amazon ecosystem integration, decent value, but see our Ring review for privacy concerns |
| Dog | $50-$200/month | Not joking. A barking dog is the single most effective burglary deterrent according to convicted burglars in DOJ surveys |
The most effective "security system" based on interviews with convicted burglars: a dog that barks, visible cameras, occupied-looking house (lights on timers), and locked doors. Total cost under $500 with no monthly fees.
What Annoys Me About the Security Industry
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Fear-based marketing is manipulative. Security company ads show helpless families cowering while intruders break in. The reality: the average burglary happens during daytime when nobody is home. Violent home invasions are statistically rare. The ads sell terror, not information.
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"Professional monitoring" response times are slow. When an alarm triggers, the monitoring center calls your home. If no one answers, they call your emergency contacts. If no one answers those, they may call police. This chain takes 3-10 minutes. Average burglary duration: 8-12 minutes. By the time police arrive (average response: 7-10 minutes for non-emergency calls), the burglar is gone. Professional monitoring provides documentation for insurance claims, not real-time intervention.
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Equipment markups are insane. ADT and Vivint sell door sensors that cost $5 to manufacture for $30-$50 installed. A $500 "professional installation" consists of sticking adhesive sensors on doors and windows — something any adult can do with a YouTube video. You're paying labor rates for what amounts to peel-and-stick installation.
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Contract termination is designed to be painful. Long-term security contracts are the gym membership of home ownership. Companies make cancellation difficult, charge early termination fees, and auto-renew unless you send written notice 30-60 days before the renewal date. They profit from the customers who want to leave but can't.
What Actually Prevents Break-Ins
A 2012 UNC Charlotte study surveyed 422 convicted burglars about their decision-making. The top deterrents (what made them abandon a target):
- Dog in the house — Mentioned by 65% of burglars as a strong deterrent
- Visible security cameras — 60% would choose a different target
- Alarm system signs/stickers — 83% checked for alarms; many avoided homes with visible signage
- Someone home — Most burglars only target empty houses. Lights on timers, TV sounds, and cars in driveways deter
- Deadbolt locks — The majority of break-ins exploit weak locks or unlocked entries
The yard sign from a security company may deter burglars nearly as well as the system itself. Which raises the philosophical question: would you pay $25/month just for the sign?
Final Verdict
Depends — a DIY system with no contract ($200-$400 + optional $10-$25/month monitoring) makes sense for homeowners in moderate-to-high-crime areas. Professional installation contracts are almost always a bad deal.
SimpliSafe or Abode with optional self-monitoring is the right answer for most people. No contracts, reasonable equipment costs, and you can cancel anytime. Add a couple of outdoor cameras and smart locks, and you have 90% of the protection that ADT offers at 30% of the ongoing cost.
And lock your doors. I keep saying this because the most quoted statistic in home security is also the most embarrassing: a third of burglars walk through unlocked doors. No system fixes that.
Check out our NordVPN review — digital security is equally important, and equally over-marketed.
FAQ
Is professional monitoring worth the monthly cost?
For homeowners who travel frequently or want insurance discounts, yes — but only at no-contract rates ($10-$25/month through SimpliSafe, Abode, or Ring Alarm). Contract-based monitoring at $40-$60/month from ADT or Vivint is overpriced for what you get. Response times are slow regardless of provider.
Do security systems actually prevent break-ins?
Visible deterrence (signs, cameras, stickers) reduces burglary risk by approximately 60% according to multiple studies. Whether the system is actively monitored matters less than whether it's visibly present. The deterrent effect is the main value.
What's better: DIY or professional installation?
DIY. Modern systems (SimpliSafe, Ring Alarm, Abode) are designed for peel-and-stick installation. No drilling, no wiring, no appointment windows. Professional installation charges $200-$500 for 30-60 minutes of work you can do yourself with a smartphone and a ladder.
Is SimpliSafe better than ADT?
For most homeowners, yes. SimpliSafe offers comparable equipment and monitoring at lower prices with no contracts. ADT's advantage is a slightly faster professional response network, but the difference in actual security outcomes is negligible. ADT's main "advantage" is brand recognition and aggressive sales.