A Comparison of APX & ADT Security Systems

Services and Coverage

• Vivint markets itself primarily as a home-based security, energy management and home automation company. ADT, on the other hand, offers a broader selection of security services for applications, including those for homes, small businesses and commercial and government environments. Vivint’s service area spans North America, with Louisiana and portions of northern Canada being the only major areas without coverage. ADT offers services throughout much of the world, including North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

Home Security Features

• Because Vivint specializes in home security, that is the service area in which Vivint and ADT are easiest to compare. Vivint’s home security plans start at around $50 per month and include one touch-screen Go!Control control panel, three door and window sensors, one motion detection unit, a key fob and a yard sign. Each Vivint service bundle includes remote access to your system from mobile devices. You can also add automatic door locks, lighting and small appliance controls and video surveillance.

  ADT's home monitoring services start at around $30 per month, with additional costs for the system itself. The hardware for each ADT system is custom-tailored. The company sends out a service technician free of charge to perform an evaluation of your home’s security needs. However, all ADT home security solutions include the availability of ADT Pulse, a service that allows you to access home security monitoring information from mobile devices, such as smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Video Surveillance

• Both companies offer advanced video surveillance solutions for your home. Features of Vivint’s video surveillance offerings include mobile camera viewing, motion-detected activation and wireless cameras. ADT offers four different types of video surveillance packages: indoor camera, indoor/outdoor, multi-camera and digital video recorder, or DVR. All packages include color cameras. Only the DVR packages let you save and back up video footage on a DVR. Additional available ADT video surveillance features include remote servers and encrypted video feed viewing.

Additional Information

• Both companies sell devices and units to supplement the standard equipment included in their security packages. Available supplementary equipment includes key fobs, smoke alarms, motion detection units, recessed door sensors, glass-break sensors and carbon monoxide alarms. Both companies also let you add services to standard packages, expanding your ability to control your home’s lighting and climate control when you’re not home, for example.