Cable & fiber
See pricingSwitch home security
A monitored alarm is a contract, not a purchase.
Almost everything about home security pricing turns on two questions: how long the agreement runs, and who owns the hardware on your walls. Answer those and the monthly figure stops being mysterious. Skip them and a cheaper-looking quote can cost more over its term than the plan you already have.
The mechanism
Why the monthly fee is the smaller half of the decision
Professional monitoring means a staffed center answers your alarm and calls the dispatcher. That service is billed monthly and is genuinely comparable between providers. What is not comparable is the equipment behind it: some providers sell you the panel and sensors outright, others finance them across the agreement, and a few retain ownership entirely. Leaving early can therefore mean paying off hardware, returning it, or replacing it.
Monitoring is the comparable part
The staffed response is the service. Compare that monthly figure directly; it is the one number that means the same thing at every provider.
Equipment is where the cost hides
Financed hardware spread across a long agreement can exceed the monitoring fee. Ask what is owed if the agreement ends tomorrow.
Agreements renew quietly
Multi-year terms are normal in this category and renewal is often automatic. Find your end date before shopping; it decides whether switching is even sensible.
Self-setup changes the maths
A self-installed system with no technician visit and no long agreement is a different product at a different price, and for many homes it is the honest answer.
On the call
What we work out with you
- 1
When your current agreement ends
Everything else follows from this. Mid-term with financed equipment, switching usually loses.
- 2
Who owns the equipment on your walls
Owned hardware sometimes carries over. Leased or financed hardware does not, and may have a balance.
- 3
What the monitoring fee covers
Whether a person answers, whether they dispatch, and whether video or smart-home control is included or extra.
- 4
Install: technician or self-setup
A professional install is a visit and usually an agreement. Self-setup is neither, and is cheaper for a reason that may or may not suit you.
- 5
Whether your insurer gives a discount
Many home policies reduce the premium for a monitored system. It is worth counting on the correct side of the comparison.
Who is on this list
Providers reported for home security
A tile means we hold an agreement and can place the order. A plain name means the provider appears in the coverage record at some addresses but we cannot sell it. We say which on the call.
Questions
Before you switch home security
Is it worth switching home security providers?
It depends almost entirely on where you are in your current agreement. Out of term with equipment you own, the monitoring fee is directly comparable and a switch can save real money. Mid-term with financed hardware, the early-termination balance usually swallows the saving. We check the end date first, because it decides whether there is a decision to make at all.
What am I actually paying for each month?
A staffed monitoring center that receives the alarm signal and contacts you and the authorities. Depending on the plan it may also cover cellular backup, video recording and smart-home control. What it does not cover is the hardware, which is either bought, financed or leased separately — and that is the part that varies most between quotes.
Can I keep my existing cameras and sensors?
Sometimes. Equipment you own outright can occasionally be adopted by another provider, but panels and sensors are frequently proprietary, so the practical answer is often no. Leased equipment always goes back. Ask before assuming a switch is hardware-free.
Is self-setup monitoring good enough?
For many homes it is the sensible answer: the same staffed response, no technician visit, no multi-year agreement, and a lower monthly figure. The trade is that you place the sensors and you own the troubleshooting. A larger property, or one where a professional survey would genuinely help, is a better fit for the installed route.
Will a monitored alarm lower my home insurance?
Frequently, though the amount varies by insurer and by whether the system is professionally monitored rather than self-monitored. Ask your insurer what they would credit before you compare, because a discount can change which option is actually cheapest.
Prices and offers referenced on this page are providers’ advertised residential rates, last reviewed August 2026. They vary by address, usually require autopay and paperless billing, and exclude taxes, fees and equipment. Nothing here is a quote. Coverage data: FCC Broadband Data Collection (December 2024 filing).