ADT vs Frontpoint: Which Home Security System Is Better?
The 150-year-old professional-install name against the DIY brand with one of the fastest tested response times in the industry — and a contract trap of its own. Six rounds. Real numbers. One honest scorecard.
The verdict
It's a dead heat.
ADT and Frontpoint split three rounds apiece, and both hide the same trap underneath — a 36-month contract that's easy to fall into and hard to get billing to actually stop once you leave.
Choose ADT if…
- • You want a technician-installed system with a genuinely accessible no-contract DIY tier
- • You want the deepest Google smart-home integration in the category
Choose Frontpoint if…
- • You want the cheapest entry hardware and are comfortable calling in to avoid the contract
- • You trust an independently tested response time over a self-reported one
Round by round
- Round 1Cost — Equipment & Monthly FeeFrontpoint winsADT5/10
$49.99-$82/mo
Pro Install monitoring; cheaper Blu DIY tier from $9.99/mo
- 0% financing up to 60 months
- Pro Install equipment runs up to $1,449
Source: ADT pricing data
Frontpoint7/10$69-$349 kits
Cheap entry hardware; Ultimate Monitoring $49.99/mo
- Essential kit starts at just $69
- Build Your Own runs ~40% off individual retail
- Only the priciest Ultimate plan is purchasable online
Source: Frontpoint pricing data
Frontpoint's equipment is dramatically cheaper to start; its top monitoring tier costs about the same as ADT's.
- Round 2Contract & CancellationADT winsADT6/10
36 months (Pro); month-to-month (Blu)
No-contract Blu tier is a normal online purchase
- No-contract Blu tier purchasable directly online
- 36-month ETF on default Pro Install
- Reports of billing continuing after cancellation
Source: ADT contract terms
Frontpoint3/10Online orders default to 36-month contract
- Contract avoidable by calling in to pay upfront
- Online checkout defaults to a 36-month contract
- Reports of billing for months after cancellation
ADT's no-contract path is a normal online purchase; Frontpoint's requires knowing to call instead of clicking checkout.
- Round 3Monitoring & ResponseFrontpoint winsADT6/10
10-15 sec avg
Self-reported; some sources cite up to ~45s
- Decades-long established monitoring network
- Figure is self-reported, not independently tested
Source: ADT monitoring data
Frontpoint8/1025-28 sec avg
Independently tested, faster than the 45-60s industry average
- Independently tested, not self-reported
- Faster than the industry average
- Slower raw number than ADT's self-reported figure
Source: Independent response-time testing
ADT's stated number is technically faster, but Frontpoint's is independently verified rather than self-reported.
- Round 4Installation & SetupADT winsADT7/10
Professional install, technician network
- Real technician handles placement and setup
- Nationwide install network
- Requires scheduling and waiting for an appointment
Frontpoint6/10100% wireless/cellular
Renter-friendly, no professional install option available
- 100% wireless, cellular-based, renter-friendly
- No professional install option in the core offering
Source: Frontpoint install data
ADT offers real technician expertise; Frontpoint is DIY-only with no professional install path.
- Round 5Trust & ComplaintsFrontpoint winsADT3/10
1.2/5 Trustpilot, 5,000+ reviews
- BBB accredited since 2013
- 1.2/5 Trustpilot from 5,000+ reviews
Frontpoint5/104.3/5 App Store
Mixed Trustpilot/BBB with the same billing-complaint pattern as ADT
- 4.3/5 App Store rating from ~4,000 ratings
- Same billing-continues-after-cancellation pattern as ADT
Source: Apple App Store / BBB
Both share the same billing-complaint problem, but Frontpoint's app rating shows the hardware experience itself isn't the issue.
- Round 6Smart Home IntegrationADT winsADT8/10
Google co-developed
Deep Nest/Assistant integration plus Kwikset and Yale locks
- Co-developed Self Setup platform with Google
- Both Kwikset and Yale lock support
- Alexa support is basic arm/disarm only
Source: ADT smart-home data
Frontpoint6/10Alexa, Google, Yale
Solid but narrower than ADT's co-developed Google integration
- Supports Alexa, Google Assistant, and Yale locks
- No Kwikset option, no deep Google co-development
Source: Frontpoint smart-home data
Both cover Alexa, Google, and Yale — ADT just goes one layer deeper on the Google side and adds Kwikset.
Which one is for you?
Buyer who wants a genuinely accessible no-contract online option
→ ADT · ADT Blu is month-to-month online with no phone call needed
Homeowner who wants a technician and deep Google integration
→ ADT · ADT's install network and co-developed Google platform lead here
Renter who wants the cheapest entry hardware
→ Frontpoint · Frontpoint's Essential kit starts at just $69
Buyer who trusts independently tested numbers over marketing
→ Frontpoint · Frontpoint's ~25-28 sec response was independently verified
ADTSide by side
- 0% financing up to 60 months
- Cheaper Blu DIY tier available
- Blu DIY tier offers a month-to-month path
- Real technician handles placement and setup
- Independently tested at ~25-28 seconds, beating industry average
- Fully wireless, cellular-based — no landline dependency
- Starter equipment as low as $69
- Build-your-own hardware runs roughly 40% off retail
- Pro Install monitoring starts at $49.99/mo
- 36-month ETF on Pro Install
- Service calls can run up to $160
- Requires scheduling and waiting for an appointment
- A true self-monitoring tier exists but offers no live dispatch
- Real 24/7 monitoring starts higher than Vivint's core plan, at $44.99/mo
- Lower-cost monitoring tiers aren't purchasable online — you must call
- Online orders default to a 36-month contract without it being obvious at checkout