Ring Alarm
Ring Alarm offers both self-monitoring and professional monitoring of its security systems through a monthly or yearly subscription service. The Ring Protect Basic plan is $3.99 per month and includes video recording for one camera, video storage for up to 180 days, digital arming and disarming of the system, and alarm notifications.
The Ring Protect Plus plan is $10 per month and supports video recording for all of the cameras connected to a system. It has all the same features as the Basic plan as well as an extended warranty on equipment.
Pricing for the Ring Protect Pro plan begins at $20 per month and comes with the added benefit of 24/7 professional monitoring. When an alarm is triggered, the company’s monitoring team will send a notification, verify the emergency, and contact first responders for help upon your threat confirmation or lack of response.
Our tester found the self-monitoring app easy to use, but the subpar camera quality made it difficult to view footage
ADT
With ADT security systems, only professional monitoring is available. The company has nine monitoring centers available in the U.S. to help provide customers with a rapid emergency response. For the Build Your Own package, 24/7 professional monitoring services start at $45.99 per month. Included is rapid intrusion detection and around-the-clock monitoring of smoke and CO sensors.
Professional monitoring for the Smart Home package is $49.99 per month, which supports smart-home integration and app-based control of the system. The Video & Smart Home package has professional monitoring for $61.99 per month. These services give customers access to live camera viewing from any location.
In the event an alarm is triggered, ADT’s monitoring team will request immediate emergency assistance. ADT’s SMART Monitoring technology allows monitors to send for help electronically in most cases, rather than having to call for an emergency response.
