Overall, because of its long reputation and superior smart home features, we recommend ADT. But ADT is also more expensive than Cove, and you won’t know the final price until installation day. All told, ADT has extremely expensive professional monitoring plans, but they have more monitoring centers than most other home security systems. ADT also doesn’t charge for the equipment, rather the prices are included in the installation of the selected devices, so it is uncertain what you’ll pay until after installation. Cellular connections are faster and more secure, and we recommend going with a cellular-connected ADT plan if you can. Just know that also means paying more money. You do have to subscribe to Cove’s Plus plan to get mobile app access and home automation features, but that plan is still affordable compared to ADT’s options. And you can use Cove security cameras whether you subscribe to a professional monitoring plan or not, whereas ADT makes you pay top dollar. Cove also doesn’t charge for installation. It’s a DIY home security system, which means you’ll install the system yourself—no strangers in your house and no extra costs for setup. Cove’s options are a little bit more limited, but it still has everything you need to protect your home against potential intruders, fires, and floods. You can also see exactly what equipment Cove and ADT have by checking the websites. To be fair, ADT is much better known than Cove and a lot older, so it’s had more time to make people mad. But part of the problem is that ADT works through a bunch of different third-party dealers, so your customer experience totally depends on which distributor you use.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We’ve worked with both Cove and ADT home security systems for years. We meet with brand representatives from both companies regularly to keep on top of products and services and make the best recommendations for most people.