Best No-Contract Home Security Systems

We get it—contracts can be intimidating. In the home security industry, 36-month terms are pretty common, and with that, most companies require you to pay back the majority of your contract when you cancel early.

If you don’t want to get tied down to a company for three years or more, plenty of viable no-contract security systems offer more freedom and flexibility. We’re going to break down a few of our favorite contract-free security systems to give you a better sense of which system might be best for your needs.

SimpliSafe is affordable and easy to set up, and it gives you an array of equipment options. We like the 60-day money-back guarantee and the month-to-month professional monitoring option.

SimpliSafe is one of the most affordable security systems on our list, but we like its systems most for their flexibility.

Price

SimpliSafe offers no-contract monitoring that you can turn on and off with no penalties, giving you a lot of flexibility in your monthly payments. You can’t self-monitor with SimpliSafe, but you can go back and forth between its $14.99 and $24.99 monthly professional monitoring service plans.

What does SimpliSafe's professional monitoring service include? With SimpliSafe professional monitoring, both you and the authorities (as needed) will be alerted when your alarm system picks up on an intrusion, fire, or flood. You can also add five secondary contacts. That’s not a bad deal for $14.99 a month.

The $24.99 service has extra features, like setting your alarm to Secret Alert status, which keeps an intruder from knowing they’ve set off the system.

The equipment cost is reasonable for a wireless, easy-install system. For context, some four-piece SimpliSafe packages cost as much as a single piece of Nest equipment.

Photo source: ASecureLife team

Equipment

SimpliSafe sells a wide range of base packages that you can further customize to include cameras, smoke and CO detectors, and other equipment to make your alarm system more comprehensive. The preset packages are tailored for houses, apartments, and businesses.

The SimpliSafe camera is called the SimpliCam. Currently, it’s available only as an indoor camera.

SimpliSafe’s home automation integration is limited. The system may not be compatible with other smart home devices you own. Also, you can’t access your system remotely with the $14.99 plan. You’ll have to pay more for that perk at the $24.99-per-month option.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want an affordable home security system with an array of different equipment and package options, go with SimpliSafe.

>>Learn more: Read our SimpliSafe review.

Ring is a simple do-it-yourself home security system with a professional monitoring cost of $9.99, lower than any competitor’s.

Just because you’re looking for a home security system without a contract doesn’t mean you can’t benefit from professional monitoring.

Price

A Ring five-piece kit (base station, keypad, contact sensor, motion detector, and range extender) currently runs about $200 on Amazon. That puts the price of the equipment more on SimpliSafe’s level: less expensive than Nest, but more expensive than Cove. Like Scout, though, Ring’s bigger packs favor multiples of the same items over new ones.

The monitoring price is out of this world: $9.99 a month or $100 a year for professional monitoring. This is the biggest benefit to choosing Ring.

Equipment

Ring sells most of the same equipment as its competitors. It’s especially known for its video doorbell. The big omission is that the brand doesn’t have key fobs.

Also, Ring definitely needs to amp up the compatibility. The company is owned by Amazon, so Ring products work with Alexa, but not with any Google equipment. They also work with Z-Wave.

ASecureLife recommendation: If you want a cheaply monitored home security system, go with Ring.

>>Learn more: Read our Ring review.

Nest Secure’s equipment is high quality, and its systems are compatible with a lot of different home automation equipment so you can build out an interconnected smart home.

Nest Secure is a great no-contract home security option if you already own Nest equipment or you want to invest in a DIY system that supports smart home integration.

Price

Nest equipment is high quality, but you’ll have to pay more for it up front. You’re looking at upward of $100 and sometimes $200 for each piece of equipment.

If you want monitoring, Nest Secure systems can be professionally monitored by Brinks, though you’ll pay a bit more per month for the contract-free option.

Nest’s basic monitoring costs are higher than most competitors’. Those costs do include mobile access, something competitors don’t offer with basic plans. But still, it’s not exactly a budget option.

Equipment

Lots of devices are compatible with Nest equipment, something that makes Nest Secure stand out among other brands.

Nest offers color customization for some of its equipment. You can get pinks, aquas, and copper instead of plain black and white. If you’re into coordinating your smart home devices with your decor, you’ll appreciate these fun options.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want to invest in an ecosystem of home security and smart home equipment, go with Nest Secure.

>>Learn more: Read our Nest Secure review.

Frontpoint's one of our favorite home security systems. It has solid equipment and home integration, now offered without any contract requirements. Of the five no-contract systems we recommend, it also has the best-ranked customer service.

Price

Price is Frontpoint's biggest pitfall. The monitoring plan is $49.99, which gets you a premium package with other companies. Still, you do get a lot for the price. 

Equipment's bought up front, and the costs depend on your needs. You can use Frontpoint's finance option to pay for your security products over an extended period of time if needed. But overall, the prices for individual pieces of equipment aren't bad, so you might be able to spring for everything out of pocket.

Equipment

Frontpoint uses mostly Alarm.com inventory, though the control panel is of the company's own making. The available equipment includes sensors, cameras, door locks, light bulbs, and a smart hub.

The Alarm.com equipment is compatible with Z-Wave smart home devices and both Alexa and Google Assistant, giving the system better-than-average compatibility.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want a big name with wonderful customer service and don't mind a higher price point, try Frontpoint.

>>Learn more: Read our Frontpoint review.

Cove is an easy-install alarm system with solid equipment but limited mobile access and smart home features.

Cove is one of our favorite no-contract monitoring options when you pay for your equipment up front. It also has a super-easy DIY installation for users who don’t want to bring in an electrician.

Price

You can get Cove with no down payment, but you’ll be subject to pricier monitoring and a 36-month cancellation policy that works a lot like a contract. If you’re able to pay for your system up front, Cove’s $14.99-per-month monitoring blows a lot of the competition out of the water.

That said, we recommend opting for the $24.99 per month plan so you can control your security system from your smartphone instead of depending on the control panel to arm, disarm, and adjust your alarm.

Cove’s equipment is pretty affordable. Every package comes with the Cove Touch Panel. From there, you can add more equipment like indoor cameras ($59 each), motion detectors ($30 each), and key fobs ($25 each).

Photo source: ASecureLife team

Equipment

Cover offers all the standard equipment you'd expect to get from a home security system. The brand also has medical alert equipment that integrates right into the alarm system. That makes Cove a great buy for anyone with medical concerns.

Cove’s cons are similar to SimpliSafe’s. You may not be able to integrate with other devices, and you’ll need to pay more for mobile access to your system.

ASecureLife’s recommendation: If you want competitive, no-contract monitoring with quality DIY security equipment, try Cove.

>>Learn more: Read our Cove review.

We reviewed each no-contract security system brand’s equipment, price, and customer service to determine how well it would meet user needs. We also compared brand features to determine the value of each system.

Scout is a great choice for those wanting a simple DIY security system with high-quality, aesthetic equipment. (Seriously—these are some of the prettiest security system devices on the market. Definitely a yes for the discerning eye.)

Scout’s alarm system works with multiple third-party smart home devices. It’s compatible with Nest, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Hue, LIFX, Samsung SmartThings, and IFTTT. And , like Nest Secure, Scout offers color options. Two of them, to be exact: white with black accents or black with white accents. Not as fun as Nest’s colors, but it’s nice to have a choice.

But Scout’s array of equipment isn’t as good compared to other brands. You can get indoor security cameras, window sensors, glass break sensors, flood sensors, motion sensors, and smoke detectors through Scout, but there are no branded key fobs, range extenders, video doorbells, outdoor security cameras, or medical buttons available.

A notable no-contract brand we didn’t include in this review is Abode. Abode was barely edged off the list by Ring.

Abode lets you self-monitor your security system for free, which is nice if you don’t have the cash to pay for professional monitoring every month. That said, Abode also offers optional professional monitoring for $20 a month without a contract. We like that you can choose the monitoring plan that works best for you.

But we’re not huge fans of the Abode starter kits. They come with a gateway (base station), a motion detector, a key fob, and a mini door sensor. A keypad, camera, or full-sized door sensor isn’t included, to say nothing of the many other products Abode offers. For a starter kit, that’s not a great start.

Have a question? We may have an answer.

No-contract home security systems are ideal for renters, job-hoppers, and anyone who’s not sure they want to commit to the first system they try. They’re not limited to just those categories, though. Even if you’re living in your family’s ancestral home of 300 years with no plans to leave anytime soon, you can still use any of these security systems.

The biggest potential downfall to a no-contract system is that you’re unlikely to get a rate lock. Some contracts stipulate that your signing price will never change. So if you’re in financial straits or just don’t like surprise rate changes, that’s something to consider.

Another drawback of no-contract systems is that you don’t have as close a relationship with the security systems provider. If something breaks, you may not know where to turn.

Our recommended no-contract security systems all come with warranties of some type. The exact nature of the warranty will vary between brands, but you’ll have coverage through all of them.

Whether you want to self-monitor your security system or opt for professional monitoring on a month-to-month basis, these options will give you flexibility without locking you into a contract of three-plus years.

Choosing between these security systems comes down to each company’s pros and cons and what you value most. Once you’ve figured out what’s best for you, you can buy your new system and get started.

To summarize, here are the brands we recommend:

• SimpliSafe: Affordable home security system with an array of different equipment and package options
• Ring: Inexpensive, professionally monitored home security system
• Nest Secure: Ecosystem home security and smart home equipment
• Frontpoint: Highly rated customer service
• Cove: Easy installation with quality DIY security equipment