Vivint Home Security System Review of 2022

Vivint is high-end security at a price to match, but its tech and full-service experience make it worth it. Learn more about Vivint Home Security.

Info current as of publish date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Pros	Cons
Total customization Pro install, maintenance, repairs No contract required Innovative camera features $0 down with consumer financing Proprietary smart home and alarm equipment	Higher overall costs Lingering customer service woes Limited third-party smart home integration No self-monitoring

Here's everything you need to know about Vivint home security

• Vivint pricing monitoring plan comparison
• Are Vivint security systems right for you?
• Vivint security equipment
• Vivint home automation
• How to install Vivint
• Vivint customer service and support
• How does Vivint compare to other companies?
• Final word: Is Vivint a good security system?
• FAQs

Compare Vivint monitoring plan costs

All of Vivint’s professional monitoring plans come with a $49 installation fee and the option to get started for $0 down with third-party consumer financing.

Vivint home security monitoring service starts at about $30 a month. If you want smart home integration (which we recommend), you’ll pay $40. And if you want video, you’ll pay a starting price of $45 a month.  and for every camera you add to your system after the first one, it’s an extra $5 every month.

If you reach the six-camera maximum, that pushes you up to almost $70, which is more than ADT’s most expensive plan. And ADT’s no slouch when it comes to prices.

That’s not even counting the equipment costs, which typically start at around $599. We’ll dive more into the equipment a little later.

Plan	Photo	Monthly fee Price	Smart security features	Smart home support	Learn more
Smart Security		$29.99	Vivint app	No	View Plans
Smart Home Monitoring		$39.99	Vivint app Voice commands Smart thermostat Smart lighting Smart door lock	Yes	View Plans
Smart Home Video		Starts at $44.99	All Smart Home plan features plus: Smart Deter Package protection Live video streaming	Yes	View Plans

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Contracts

Happily, Vivint is one of the only professional installation systems that does not require a contract.

We understand that when you go the non-contract route with Vivint, you can cancel at any time with no fees or penalties. Cancellations take 30 days to take effect, so you may have to pay your last bill after you officially cancel. But overall, it seems to be a relatively painless process.

However! You only get non-contract options if you pay for all your equipment at the outset. That means you're thinking about shelling out over $600 right now. You'll see a 42 or 60 month commitment. (That's five years!) and repaid over the five-year contract period (in addition to the monthly monitoring fee).

Fees 

Five years is a long time, and you might need to cancel your contract. Last we heard, Vivint takes 100% of your remaining equipment and monitoring costs as a cancellation fee, unless you have extenuating circumstances.

Is Vivint security systems right for you?

Vivint is more of a luxury system: high-end smart home integration and professional installation but very expensive. While it's the best option for most people, the price and permanence will be a barrier to entry for some.

Vivint has top-notch smart home devices and no-contract options. It also has top prices and a sometimes questionable reputation for customer service. If you don't care about the price, we trust this brand so much that it's our #1 choice for the best security system.

Here's a quick overview of what you'll get from a Vivint home security system:

Monitoring plan	Smart Security	Smart Home	Smart Home Video
Price	$29.99/mo	$39.99/mo	$44.99/mo
24/7 professional monitoring	Yes	Yes	Yes
Mobile app access	Yes	Yes	Yes
Smart home integrations	No	Yes	Yes
Security camera support	No	No	Yes
Text or email alerts	Yes	Yes	Yes
Environmental monitoring (smoke, flood, etc.)	No	Yes	Yes
Learn more	View Packages	View Packages	View Packages

Info current as of post date. Offers and availability may vary by location and are subject to change.

Even though Vivint systems have made big improvements to its customer policies, including a $0 down financing option and the chance to go contract-free with an outright equipment purchase, it’s still a pricier security system.

To take full advantage of Vivint home security systems' advanced tech and high-end security features, you’ll pay upwards of $40 a month, compared to the average $31 monthly pro monitoring cost among the security systems we’ve tested and reviewed.

If you’re going to shell out for Vivint equipment at Vivint prices, we think you might as well go whole hog. Get the Smart Home Video plan so that you can take full advantage of Vivint smart home and video features.

Vivint security equipment

Most home security companies focus on, well, home security. In contrast, Vivint excels at smart home products.

That doesn't mean its security system is bad. We've been using it for about 2 months and you won't find a smarter security system than Vivint. Because it makes most of its own equipment. From security cameras and smart thermostats to automatic door locks, Vivint has a wide selection of home automation devices.

Systems such as ADT and local suppliers purchase equipment from third-party manufacturers. There's nothing wrong with that, but when you pay sky-high prices for security, it's nice to get something special.

What equipment Vivint offers：

• Vivint Smart Panel (Control Panel/Smart Hub)
• door sensor
• safety sensor
• motion detector
• flood sensor
• Door and window sensor
• Freeze sensor
• tilt sensor
• Embedded door sensor
• Element Thermostat
• Nest L Thermostat
• Nest E Thermostat
• glass break detector
• Smoke Detectors
• indoor camera
• outdoor camera
• doorbell camera
• Vivint Smart Drive
• smart Lock
• Smart Garage Door Opener
• Smart Thermostat
• smart bulb
• smart plug
• lamp module
• Smart home appliance control module
• Vivint escort

Vivint tends to offer custom kits, but their basic products usually include a control panel, two door sensors, a flood sensor, and a motion detector.

You can learn more about all the equipment Vivint has to offer in our Vivint Equipment Guide.

Vivint Smart Drive

The Vivint Smart Drive is essentially a hard drive, with the Smart Drive your camera will keep recording for up to 30 days of continuous security footage. And not just when motion events trigger them. That way, the camera doesn't accidentally miss something (which unfortunately happens with even the best security camera brands).

We like local storage like this because it's generally safer than storing the video in the cloud, although you shouldn't put it in an obvious location where thieves can find it.

Vivint sensors

Outside of the base equipment in every starter kit, Vivint sells sensors that allow your system to detect other threats like fires and floods, glass breaking, and carbon monoxide.

Sensor	Price
Recessed door sensor	$34.99
Glass break sensor	$100.00
Water sensor	$69.99
Smoke detector	$100.00
Carbon monoxide detector	$100.00

Vivint cameras

Vivint sells three security camera models:

• Vivint Indoor Camera
• Vivint Outdoor Camera Pro
• Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro

All three models have 1080p video quality and compete well with offerings from Frontpoint and ADT.

Vivint Car Guard

Vivint Car Guard plugs into the OBD II port you find on most cars made after 1996. It allows you to monitor important information about your car using your smartphone: 

• Location
• Battery life
• Check Engine messages

Vivint accessories

While Vivint's accessories don't play starring roles in monitoring your home, they make it more convenient to lock the door, close the garage, arm your system, and control your AC using the Vivint app.

Vivint home automation

A good smart security product has better compatibility in addition to proprietary smart home devices, and Vivint has quite a few compatibility.

Vivint has three smart home integrations:

• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant
• Z-Wave

Vivint Mobile App (formerly known as Vivint Sky App)

The Vivint Smart Home app is an easy way to keep an eye on your home 24/7, no matter where you are. You can view live video from security cameras in your home, or remotely control the alarm system from your phone, and inspect your car (if you have Car Guard).

How to install Vivint