ADT vs. Cove Home Security 2022

ADT and Cove are about as different as two home security systems can be. ADT is an old company with professionally installed systems and good smart home integrations. Cove is a newer DIY home security system with limited home automation functions.

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.

ADT costs a lot more than Cove. In fact, ADT costs more than most home security systems, even other big names like Vivint.

All told, ADT has extremely expensive professional monitoring plans, and it’s not at all transparent about its pricing. It’s hard to say how much ADT equipment costs because ADT doesn’t release that information.

Cove, on the other hand, keeps things transparent and budget-friendly for the frugal among us. Cove lists all of its equipment and professional monitoring pricing online, and the costs for both are pretty cheap, even compared to other affordable home security companies.

ADT’s professional monitoring prices vary depending on what type of system you want. If you want a super-basic ADT security system with a landline connection, then you’ll pay a lot less than you would for the premium ADT Command option.

Unless you live somewhere rural with no reliable internet or cell signal, we don't recommend landline security systems like ADT's Essentials plan.

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.

ADT’s best professional monitoring plan is its ADT Video and Automation plan. ADT's Video and Automation plan comes with a cellular connection, mobile app control, home automation features, and security camera support. But if you want all the top features, then you have to pay an additional cost for the equipment, which can get expensive.

A lot of home security systems have ditched the contract in recent years, but ADT is still hanging on. You have to sign on to a three-year contract when you get an ADT system. And if you cancel it early, you have to pay a hefty cancellation fee.

Those aren’t the only fees you have to pay with ADT. You also have to pay an installation fee of anywhere from $99 to $199 depending on what system you get.

View ADT Plans | Read the ADT Home Security Review

Cove is a lot more generous than ADT. All of its equipment and professional monitoring plans use a cellular connection, so you get all the perks without paying extra. And even if you opt for the most expensive Cove professional monitoring plan, you’ll still save money over the cheapest ADT monitoring plan.

Unlike ADT, Cove also makes it easy to figure out what you’ll pay. All of Cove’s professional monitoring and equipment prices are posted on its website, and you can buy your entire system online without making any phone calls.

Cove doesn’t require you to opt into a supremely expensive plan to get smart home support and security cameras.

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.

Unlike ADT, Cove is contract-free. You can pay month-to-month for a professional monitoring plan and cancel anytime you want without penalties.

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.

View Cove Plans | Read the Cove Home Security Review

ADT definitely has more security equipment than Cove. It’s the biggest name in home security, so you can pretty much get whatever kind of sensor you need, including door and window sensors, carbon monoxide detectors, and motion detectors.

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 has just by checking its website. You can look at all the sensor options and choose the ones you want. With ADT, you have to call in to find out what equipment they have and how much it costs. No online ordering here.

ADT’s security cameras are slightly better than Cove’s. We used to give ADT the win because it had a doorbell camera and Cove didn't, but Cove now offers two doorbell cameras. But honestly, none of these companies’ security cameras are our favorite.

For better outdoor or indoor security cameras than either ADT or Cove can give you, we recommend brands like Arlo and Eufy.

ADT cameras

ADT has a basic selection of indoor, outdoor, and doorbell cameras. It has one model of each, and all of them are pretty simple. For example, the ADT Doorbell Camera records in 720p resolution, when pretty much everyone and their mom has been making 1080p security cameras for years.

ADT’s indoor and outdoor security cameras do have some smart alerts, which is nice. The cameras can tell you when they spot people or animals. The outdoor camera can also identify vehicles, which is useful if you only want alerts about humans and not every car that drives down your street.

None of ADT’s cameras are wireless, so be prepared to string some power cords around, no matter which one you choose.

Cove security cameras are pretty on par with ADT’s options. They recently released two new doorbell cameras, and they also have an indoor camera and an outdoor camera.

Cove’s security cameras don’t have smart alerts. They can’t tell the difference between people, cars, and pets. But they do have both local and cloud storage, so you can choose to store footage locally on a microSD card and skip paying for a cloud storage plan.

Cove’s Outdoor Camera and Kami Doorbell Camera also have wireless capabilities. They run on battery power and don’t need any extra cords, which makes them really easy to install. The Kami Doorbell cam has both wired and wireless options.

Cove claims the Outdoor Camera lasts about six months on a single charge and the Kami Doorbell camera lasts only about two to three months. Cove also advises that you charge the Kami Doorbell Camera at least once a month. While charging so frequently could be a hassle, this is a great option for anyone who doesn't already have doorbell wiring where they live.

ADT has a lot more smart home integrations than Cove. Cove has only two to speak of: Alexa and Google. And you can’t do much with either. All you can do with Cove’s smart home integrations is arm your system and check its status.

Cove smart home integrations: 

• Google Assistant
• Amazon Alexa

Compare that to ADT’s smart home integrations. ADT works with Alexa and Google, sure, but it also works with Z-Wave, which lets you add on compatible third-party devices. You can also use Kwikset smart locks and LiftMaster garage controls with your ADT system.

ADT smart home integrations:

• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant
• Z-Wave
• Kwikset
• LiftMaster

ADT announced a partnership with Google in 2020. You can now buy Google Nest smart speakers and displays directly from ADT and have them professionally installed along with your security system.

Google smart displays, like the Google Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max, also let you control your ADT system using the touchscreen. With the Google Nest Mini smart speaker, you can still control your ADT system, but with voice only.

This one’s barely a contest: Cove gets much better customer service scores than ADT does from both Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau. Cove scores an impressive 4.7 stars on Trustpilot, while ADT has a measly 1.4 stars.^1,2,3,4

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.

On the bright side, both Cove and ADT have good online resources and 24/7 customer support. You can reach either of them over the phone.

• ADT customer service number: 800-716-3640
• Cove customer service number: 855-268-3669

If you hate phone calls, ADT also has support available on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. And Cove has live chat and email options.

We give ADT a slight win because it’s a well-known name with a long history of reliable, professional monitoring. But ADT is expensive, and it doesn’t have great cameras. If you want something cheaper and you don’t care about smart home support, then Cove’s a great choice that will save you some cash.

• Prices and monitoring plans: Cove. Cove is a lot cheaper than ADT, and it’s a lot more transparent with its pricing. ADT hides its equipment and monitoring prices, and it requires three-year contracts and installation fees.
• Security equipment: ADT. ADT has more equipment on offer than Cove does. Cove has basic security sensors and equipment but fewer options overall.
• Cameras: ADT. Both ADT and Cove’s cameras are mediocre, but some of ADT’s cameras have smart alerts. Cove’s cameras don’t have smart alerts.
• Smart home integrations: ADT. ADT has a bunch of different smart home integrations, including a close partnership with Google. Cove has only a couple of smart home integrations, and they can’t do much.
• Customer service: Cove. Cove gets much better customer service scores than ADT does. Cove’s a newer company that’s less well-known than ADT, but you’ll get more consistent service from Cove than from ADT’s confusing system of providers.

Read the ADT Home Security Review | Read the Cove Home Security Review

We assess every security system on the same five criteria:

• 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.

• ADT vs. SimpliSafe
• Best Home Security Systems
• Best Professionally Installed Home Security Systems
• Best DIY Home Security Systems

Yes, in fact, ADT has a direct partnership with Google. You can order Google Nest products directly from ADT, and you can use Google smart displays (like the Nest Hub) to control your ADT system.

Yes, Cove works with Google. But you can’t do much with the integration. All you can ask Google to do for you is arm your Cove system or check its status. You can’t disarm your Cove system through Google, and you can’t use Google smart displays to control anything.

Yes, ADT has a basic doorbell camera with motion detection and 720p resolution. It’s not the best video doorbell out there. We’d recommend a bunch of other doorbell cameras over the ADT version any day.

Yes. Cove offers two doorbell camera options: the Kami Doorbell Camera and the Skybell Doorbell Camera. With a price difference of about $100, the more expensive Skybell camera can withstand more extreme temperatures and has infrared night vision. The Kami camera is a more affordable option that includes many of the same features as the Skybell such as night vision (colored instead of infrared), two-way speech, and 1080p video.  

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