Best No-Credit-Check Security Systems of 2025

1. SimpliSafe - Best DIY Security System

SecurityScore:

9.2 /10

800-544-5942

View Packages Links to SimpliSafe

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $249.96
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starts at $21.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

800-544-5942

View Packages Links to SimpliSafe

SimpliSafe Overview

SimpliSafe didn’t ask us for our credit score. In fact, we didn’t speak to anyone from the company about anything. We bought all the products you see above from the website. There were several prebuilt equipment packages available from just $249.96, but we chose the Build My System menu option and carefully picked the devices we needed.

With the number of products we had in our cart, we started sweating as we thought about the costs waiting for us. Surprisingly, all that equipment above didn’t cost more than $1,000. We paid everything upfront, and skipped the credit checks. After that, we installed the equipment and activated the professional monitoring service. You’d think that’s a lot of work, but it was not. We did everything after coming home from work and were done well before dinner time. This level of flexibility is why SimpliSafe is perfect for anyone wanting to skip a dreaded credit check.

SimpliSafe’s Pricing and Value

The reason we paid less than $1,000 for all the components we got is SimpliSafe’s affordable equipment prices. You’re not daydreaming when you see $14.99 entry sensors or motion sensors less than $30. Those are how much they typically cost, and they even come with a 60-day money-back guarantee. When we tested Vivint, they only gave us three days.

SimpliSafe also has monitoring plans to suit every budget. You can monitor your home yourself without paying a monthly subscription. But if you need your camera recordings, you’ll have to pay $9.99. Professional monitoring starts at $21.99, but we recommend going with the Core plan, which is $31.99.

Why do we recommend it? The Core plan comes with Intruder Intervention. If an intruder is detected, SimpliSafe agents will access your Wireless Indoor Camera ($149.99) live feed and attempt to scare them off. The best part about SimpliSafe plans is that there are no contracts. We switch to the self-monitoring plan when we are working from home and upgrade to Core while we’re on vacation.

>> Read More: Best No Contract Security Systems

SimpliSafe’s Equipment Quality

All of SimpliSafe’s equipment is manufactured by the company. This helps keep costs down while also allowing you to access your devices inside the SimpliSafe smartphone app. During our testing with Cove, we had to use a different app to access the camera feed as they were made by a third-party.

Speaking of cameras, we were impressed with the SimpliSafe Outdoor Camera. It’s one of the only cameras we’ve tested with color night vision, making it easy to see what’s going on outside your home no matter how dark it gets. The SimpliSafe Video Doorbell Pro was also impressive. We didn’t get as many false alarms as we thought because the device was smart enough to know the difference between people visiting our home and our cat having a meltdown on the front porch.

As excited as we were about the cameras, we can’t say the same for some of the other equipment. We barely heard our siren in the living room when we were testing it out upstairs. The motion sensors are only useful when installed in corners as well. They’re restricted to detecting movement at a 90-degree angle. Those aren’t deal-breakers though, and frankly, you’d expect a few kinks with equipment as affordable as that from SimpliSafe.

>> Read More: How Do Motion Detectors Work?

Our Experience with SimpliSafe

We had the option to pay an authorized third-party technician $125 to install our SimpliSafe system, but we’re glad we didn’t. It took us less than an hour to get everything up and running. That included checking we did everything right because we were surprised how quickly we finished.

Managing the system was also straightforward and didn’t require us to read any long and boring manuals. We ended up using the SimpliSafe app to arm and disarm our system. It was easier than using the keypad. While in the app, we can access our camera live feeds and review notifications – things we can’t do from the keypad. There were even options to adjust the sensitivity of motion sensors if we were getting too many false alarms.

We wish SimpliSafe would connect with more third-party devices though. The best it can do is integrate with Google Assistant and Alexa. But the voice commands are limited. Despite this minor gripe, SimpliSafe met all our needs as a home security system.

2. ADT Self Setup - Best Equipment and Professional Monitoring

SecurityScore:

9.0 /10

855-908-4461

View Packages Links to ADT Self Setup

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $349
Monitoring Options	Professional or DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	Starts at $24.99 per month
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month
Installation Options	DIY
Smart Platform Integrations	Alexa and Google Home

855-908-4461

View Packages Links to ADT Self Setup

ADT Self Setup Overview

ADT has been around for over 150 years and a lot has changed since the day they opened shop. The company has gone from insisting on professional installation and mandatory multi-year contracts to offering it alongside build-your-own security systems you can set up yourself. You also don’t need to sign a contract or go through a credit check if you go with the ADT Self Setup option.

You don’t have to make sacrifices either to not go through a credit check, besides the usual that you have to pay for the equipment upfront. We actually got some pretty top-of-the-line gadgets like Nest Cams along with our ADT system – the kind of quality you’d expect from a company that requires a credit check. Even the professional monitoring service is available to Self Setup users, and at lower prices than the usual ADT system. The plans are still a little pricier than that of SimpliSafe, but if you always wanted an ADT security system, it’s now a little easier to get one.

ADT Self Setup’s Pricing and Value

Just like SimpliSafe, you can buy an ADT Self Setup security system off the website. You don’t need to call and wait on hold to speak to a consultant. ADT lets you build your system from the ground up, so you only get the equipment you need to protect your home. This means the pricing is more transparent, and you can see how much every device costs.

Pro Tip: If you have no idea where to start, we recommend going with the Security Starter package which only costs $349 and comes with a base, three door/window sensors, and a motion sensor. You can always add more products if you need them.

ADT Self Setup monitoring plans start from $24.99, but you may need to subscribe to a higher plan to access some features. For example, if you’re getting Nest Cams, you’ll have to sign up for the Complete plan, which is $39.99 per month. That’s almost $10 more per month than SimpliSafe’s Core plan. You can always self monitor with ADT, though, but you still have to pay at least one month of professional monitoring before you can switch to it.

>> Full Comparison: ADT Vs. SimpliSafe

ADT Self Setup’s Equipment Quality

Where ADT Self Setup bests SimpliSafe is in the quality of its equipment. Don’t get us wrong, SimpliSafe has some great devices. But it’s got nothing on the Google Nest range. You can use the Nest Cam (battery) as a standalone device, but once you integrate it with ADT it unlocks new features like video verification, which helps get emergency responders to you faster.

You also get the full built-in features of Nest Cams, including facial recognition, by pairing it with ADT’s Complete plan. And those features unlock even more possibilities. One is Trusted Neighbor, which we’ll discuss below. The bottom line is, when it comes to equipment, you get more value from the Nest Cams than any camera from the SimpliSafe lineup.

Our Experience with ADT Self Setup

It took us about an hour to set up our ADT Self Setup system. This was a little longer than SimpliSafe, but not by much. Just note that our house already had a Nest Thermostat installed. It’s one of the components available from ADT that we recommend hiring a pro to install. Anyway, we were able to integrate the thermostat using the ADT+ app.

>> Learn More: Do Home Security Cameras Deter or Prevent Crime?

Speaking of the app, its most intriguing feature in our opinion is Trusted Neighbor. It uses the Nest Cam’s facial recognition technology to verify the identity of someone at the front door. If they’re a regular visitor, you can add them to a trusted list so the system disarms and door unlocks to let them in. You need a smart lock integrated for the second part to work, but this feature highlights just how integrated ADT and Google devices are.

We used Trusted Neighbor to let family members in as they have a tendency to pop in unannounced like Kramer from Seinfeld. Now when our Nest Cams recognize them walking up the front path, our family members can let themselves in. We don’t even need to be home.

3. abode - Best No Contract Security System

SecurityScore:

8.0 /10

View Packages Links to abode

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $159.99
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monitoring Costs	Starting at $169 per year for the first year ($14.08 per month)
Contract Lengths	Month-to-month or Yearly
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomeKit

View Packages Links to abode

abode Overview

We like abode’s no-strings-attached philosophy. Everything from the equipment choices to the professional monitoring plans is optional. Of course, you’ll need some equipment to make it a home security system, but abode makes it easy to get started with its kits. These packages cover the basics and start from $379.99. You can add on more equipment at any time and activate monitoring whenever you feel you need it. You can even switch it off any time.

Abode also works with pretty much every smart home device on the market. From major brands like Alexa and Google Home to standardized smart home formats that tons of small companies use, like Z-Wave and Zigbee. So, you can potentially save even more money by integrating all the smart home products you already own into one security system.

abode’s Equipment Quality

If you end up going with the iota Hub, that will probably be the majority of your equipment bill. It might be the most expensive hub on this list, but keep in mind that you can offset the cost by integrating any smart home device in your home. So you don’t need to rebuy security cameras or sensors if you have some lying around.

Unfortunately, these integrations are locked behind abode’s Standard Plan, which costs $69.99 per year or $6.99 per month. We recommend the Pro plan though, which is $24.99 per month or $169 a year. It has professional monitoring and cellular backup and throws in free shipping for orders over $25. That way, you can expand your system little by little instead of buying all the equipment you need upfront.

>>Learn More: Abode Plans and Pricing 

abode’s Equipment Quality

Where abode really shines is its security cameras. The abode Cam 2 costs only $59.99, and it gives you total freedom to use it however you want. You don’t even need an abode system to use the camera when connecting it directly to your Alexa or Google Assistant. In comparison, SimpliSafe’s least expensive indoor cameras cost $99.99.

Although you can’t expect the same build quality or innovative features as SimpliSafe in all of abode’s products. The pricing for sensors, accessories, and doorbell cameras comes in just a bit lower than corresponding items from SimpliSafe, ADT, and Ring. When we tested our abode security system, all of the components worked fine. At the same time, nothing stood out and blew us away. Sure, the motion detector has 110-degree coverage instead of the normal 90-degree coverage. But that definitely won’t send anyone rushing to abodes over SimpliSafe.

>> Full Comparison: SimpliSafe Vs. abode

Our Experience with abode

Just like SimpliSafe, abode was super easy to install. Our system took only about 15 minutes from the time we opened the package to when our security system was up and running. All of the sensors are really easy to install without any tools. You just stick them onto a door, window, or wall like you would a command strip. Really, the only drawback is that we had to use an Ethernet cable to set up the hub, even though it’s fully Wi-Fi capable.

The next thing we did was use the abode app to set up home automations. The CUE system, which connects to all of your integrated smart home devices, uses the basic  “if this happens, then do that” statements. We upped the security of our home by creating a rule that turns all of the lights in our living room on and triggers our Alexa speaker to make a siren sound at full blast if the front door opens between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. Creating this rule took only a few seconds and within minutes we had a series of automations for all the smart devices in our home.

>> More Tips: 2025 Guide to Smart Homes.

We did run into a couple of drawbacks. The main one being that the cameras lack human detection capabilities, so you could get a lot of false alarms, especially if you have a pet who has a tendency to go nuts and do laps around the house.

4. Ring Alarm - Best Alexa-Compatible Security System

SecurityScore:

7.7 /10

View on Amazon Links to Ring Alarm

How We Review

Product Specs

Equipment Costs	Packages starting at $199.98
Monitoring Options	Professional and DIY
Monthly Monitoring Costs	$10 with the purchase of a Ring Home plan
Contract Lengths	1-12 months
Installation Options	DIY or professional
Smart Platform Integration	Alexa and Google Home

View on Amazon Links to Ring Alarm

Ring Alarm Security Kit Overview

As one of the most well-known brands for doorbell video cameras, it makes sense that Ring would come out with its own alarm system too. It now has a full lineup of sensors, security cameras, sirens, and more. Like Ring’s video doorbells, the cost of a Ring Alarm system won’t break the bank. You can even add more security devices in the future when you need them.

The monitoring is also affordable. Ring Alarm has a free self monitoring option, although it doesn’t store videos. But at least you’ll get motion alerts. Professional monitoring is an add-on for $10 per month on the Standard and Premium plans. Both of these packages also come with other great features like person and package alerts, daily event summaries, and cellular backup. It’s one of the most affordable security systems on this list, which is why you don’t need to worry about your credit rating.

Ring Alarm Pricing and Value

Let’s talk dollars and cents here. Because Amazon is its parent company, you know the value of Ring Alarm is there, which we cover in our Ring Alarm Home Security System Cost and Pricing guide. But how does it compare to SimpliSafe, ADT, and abode?

Well, the Protected Basic Kit is $244.95 for five pieces of equipment. It includes the base station, keypad, one door/window sensor, a motion detector, and an alarm range extender. That’s a bit more than abode’s starting point of $159.99, but it includes a motion detector and keypad instead of a key fob. SimpliSafe is in the same ballpark at $249.96, but it’s missing the alarm range extender.

>> Compare Now: Ring Alarm vs. SimpliSafe DIY Security

As for monthly fees, Ring Alarm has four options:

• Self-Monitoring: It’s completely free, but you won’t get video storage.
• Basic: At $4.99 per month per camera, you get 180 days of cloud video storage.
• Standard: For just $10 per month, you can get the same cloud video storage as the Basic Plan, except for all of your cameras. It also adds extended warranties, live view picture-in-picture, and person and package alerts.
• Premium: This plan throws in 24/7 recording, backup internet for Alarm Pro, and SOS emergency response, amongst other features.

If you want professional monitoring, you’ll need the Standard or Premium plan. It will also cost you an extra $10 per month. So that mean’s the maximum monthly fee you’d pay is $29.99, which is still better than SimpliSafe and ADT Self Setup.

Ring Alarm Equipment Quality

Ring’s cameras are well known, and for a good reason. They are high-end cameras that easily integrate into your Amazon ecosystem with the features we expect when we test cameras. With 23 camera options and accessory pairings, you’ll definitely find a Ring Alarm camera that fits your needs.

However, Ring lacks a couple of core pieces of equipment we expect in a home security system. It’s missing monitored smoke alarms and gas detectors. It has a product called an “Alarm Smoke and CO Listener” but it’s not actually a smoke or carbon monoxide sensor. Instead, it notifies you if it hears your fire alarm going off.

Unexpectedly, where Ring Alarm really stands out is with its motion detector. It uses patented motion detection technology that lets you set it to a low or medium detection setting. In its low detection setting, it ignores pets under 50 pounds. And in its medium detection setting, it ignores pets under 30 pounds. We loved this feature when we were pet-sitting for a friend while testing out the Ring Alarm system.

Our Experience with Ring Alarm

Let’s talk dollars and cents here. Because Amazon is its parent company, you know the value of Ring Alarm is there, which we cover in our Ring Alarm Home Security System Cost and Pricing guide. But how does it compare to SimpliSafe and abode?

For a starter kit, Ring Alarm comes out to $200 for five pieces of equipment. It includes the base station, keypad, one door/window sensor, a motion detector, and an alarm range extender. That’s a bit more than abode’s starting point of $140, but it includes a motion detector and keypad instead of a key fob. SimpliSafe is in between with a sale price of around $170 for the same pieces of equipment as Ring Alarm’s five-piece kit. Read our full comparison between Ring Alarm vs. SimpliSafe DIY Security for a complete breakdown.

As for monthly fees, Ring Alarm gives you four options:

• Self-Monitoring: It’s completely free, but you won’t get video storage or digital features, like real-time notifications.
• Basic Plan: At $4.99 per month per camera, you get 180 days of cloud video storage.
• Plus Plan: For just $10 per month, you can get the same cloud video storage as the Basic Plan, except for all of your cameras. That means if you have three or more cameras that you want cloud storage for, the Plus Plan is the way to go.
• Pro Plan: This is where you get 24/7 professional monitoring as well. It costs $20 per month and includes all of the cloud video storage you need.

If you want to cut the monthly expense out entirely, you might want to go with SimpliSafe instead since it still lets you get notifications even without a paid plan. Or check out one of the providers in our guide to the Best No-Monthly-Fee Home Security Systems in 2025.

Based on testing and comparing all three of these systems, you get the most value with abode if you want a lot of inexpensive security cameras. Ring Alarm gives you the most value if you want a few cameras with cloud storage but don’t need professional monitoring. SimpliSafe gives you the most value if your main focus is on sensors and alarms.

Ring Alarm Security Kit Installation

All of the components in the Ring Alarm Security Kits are really easy to install. Every piece uses a simple peel-and-stick adhesive backing, so it took us less than 30 minutes to get the entire system up and running, making its installation process comparable to both abode’s and SimpliSafe’s.

With so much time to spare, we dove into the Ring – Always Home app. We tweaked the sensitivity of our sensors and checked out live footage from all our cameras. The quality was excellent, and we could make out a lot of small details. For example, it showed us that the outdoor cameras were activating when people were walking past our place on the sidewalk. So we set up some motion zones to exclude alerts from these areas.
We also got to test the two-way talk with the Ring Battery Doorbell. It took a few seconds to connect and let the pizza guy know to leave our dinner at the front door, but that was our only complaint. The doorbell even zoomed out so we could see the delivery person from head to toe. Once he left, it zoomed in on our steaming, hot pizza.