Comparing ADT and Protection 1 is an apples-to-apples proposition. In a home security era marked by home automation, DIY installation, and self-monitoring via app, ADT and Protection 1 maintain a number of traditional features of home security. Both offer professionally installed and monitored systems with three-year contracts. If you’re looking for a traditional security system and feel comfortable committing for the long haul, both providers offer reliable protection and decent tech.
ADT vs. Protection 1 overview
Shopping experience
Both ADT and Protection 1 conduct business over the phone, meaning you’ll need to talk to an agent to get detailed pricing information or device details. The upside of the 1-800 model is that you will receive a custom plan and a custom quote, based on the devices and level of service that you want, rather than having to choose from a few one-size-fits-most options. You can potentially save money going this route – not only because of the custom package, but also because agents have more flexibility to work with your budget. On the flip side, calling for a quote feels woefully out of date. If you’re a smart home technophile, not being able to compare prices and features online could feel like a bad omen of user unfriendliness ahead.
Monitoring plans
ADT operates its own monitoring stations while Protection 1 outsources monitoring to another company. Both offer professional monitoring exclusively – DIYers need not apply. With ADT, choose from three plans: Traditional, Control, and Video. With Protection 1, choose from four: Secure, Secure +, Smart Control, and Video. With Protection 1’s Secure+ plan, you can level up to a wireless system that supports two-way audio through security devices before jumping up to Smart Control’s remote capabilities. With ADT, you have to pay for all the home automation perks with their Control tier in order to get two-way audio.
Remote control and home automation
ADT and Protection 1 offer remote control of smart home security systems via app: ADT Pulse or Protection 1 eSecure, respectively. The latest versions of both apps boast more than decent app store ratings, but users note glitches: repeated demands for password changes, or more worrisome errors like reporting the front door is unlocked, and then not being able to lock it on command. As for the devices themselves, ADT has a smart home product lineup that could go head-to-head with any of the industry’s techie front-runners, with sleek video doorbells and smart thermostats. Protection 1, on the other hand, offers clunky, low-tech versions of most automation devices. The smart doorbell is just a doorbell; the thermostat has an outdated digital screen like an alarm clock. Still, both ADT and Protection 1 communicate on the Z-Wave network, so you don’t have to rely on in-house products to make use of their security monitoring.
So which is right for me?
How to compare home security providers
Smart home features
The home security share a number of common features: a full range of security capabilities (protecting you from both intrusion and environmental hazards), smart home integration, and great customer experiences – from ordering your system to living with it. Turns out these last two features – smart home features and customer experience – are linked. J.D. Power ranks home security companies based on customer satisfaction every year. In the press release for 2018’s rankings, J.D. Power called out smart home features as the most important contributor to customer satisfaction. When deciding between home security systems, your wants and expectations for home automation should factor in. If you want a cohesive, one-brand system, both ADT and Protection 1 offer a range of branded home automation devices that can be integrated with their home security services. Interested in building a custom smart home from third-party devices? Both offer Z-Wave compatibility.
DIY vs professional
While home security companies are jumping to offer everything their competitors offer, there’s a strong, lasting line in the sand between DIY and professional home security systems. DIY is the newest iteration on home security and allows you to save money by installing the devices you want, and potentially monitoring them yourself, too. Professional installation and monitoring are the name of the game at both ADT and Protection 1, for very similar rates.
Contract terms
Look up the Better Business Bureau profile of any home security company. Or, for that matter, any insurance company, warranty company, or telecom provider. Odds are, that profile is flooded with comments from irate customers who feel ill-used by the terms of their contract – they didn’t know what they were signing up for, for how much, or for how long. Before settling on a home security system, make sure you understand the price over time of your system, how long you are locked in to service, and what the fees would be to cancel service before the end of your term. Both ADT and Protection 1 require 3-year contracts, which is a great guarantee of price if you can make the commitment.
