Cove vs. Ring Alarm Home Security Systems

When it comes to Cove vs. Ring, we land on Ring’s side … for the most part.
Best for Basics
Cove
cove
4 out of 5 stars
4
  • pro
    Monitoring price: $17.99–$27.99/mo.
  • pro
    Customized starter equipment
Best Budget Buy
Ring
ring
4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5
  • pro
    Monitoring price: $0.00–$20.00/mo.
  • pro
    Starter equipment price: $199.99
Brianne Sandorf
Aug 30, 2022
Icon Time To Read7 min read

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Time for a Cove Security vs. Ring Alarm home security showdown! We've spent the hours, days, and months testing these systems within our own homes. If you're looking to compare Cove vs. Ring, we're the experts who are here to help. 

While we generally recommend Ring over Cove, your choice will depend on where your priorities lie. Ring saves money and is extremely convenient, but Cove doesn’t have Ring’s bad rap. But, let's dive into those details.

Keep reading to learn more and make your home security buying decision a sinch.

Cove pros and cons
pro
Pros
pro Unique emergency response features
pro No Wi-Fi reliance
pro Continuous video recording
con
Cons
con Paid app
con Limited camera options
con No self-monitoring option
Ring pros and cons
pro
Pros
pro Low monitoring price
pro Free app access
pro Unlimited camera options
pro Cellular backup
con
Cons
con Controversial

Cove vs. Ring Alarm pricing and monitoring plans

Ring’s price squeaks ahead of Cove

Cove and Ring both have reasonable costs, although at this time, Ring offers more bang for your buck with monitoring and package prices. For Cove, rather than providing starter equipment bundles, they asks their customers to take a quiz to decide the right security equipment for their living situation. 

Cove and Ring home security comparison
Home security company
Monitoring price range
Base equipment package price
Monitoring type
Details
Cove

$17.99–$27.99/mo.

$150-$1,000

Professional

Ring

$0.00–$20.00/mo.

$199.99

Self, professional

Prices (as of 08/30/2022)

Kit costs
Price Tag

Cove equipment is frequently on sale. You can typically get your touch alarm panel, door sensor, window sensor, and motion detector for much less than the non-sale price of $300+.

Ring, on the other hand, has started selling packages for even less than $200, but for the bare necessities, we still recommend starting with the five-piece kit.

Cove monitoring pricing

Cove’s monitoring is not a bad deal. It’s far less than monitoring with traditional home security companies like ADT or Vivint, and it’s right on the level with popular DIY offering SimpliSafe

Cove monitoring plan prices
Plan
Price
Mobile app access
Smart home support
Learn more

Basic

$17.99
/mo
Icon No  DarkNo
Icon No  DarkNo

Plus

$27.99
/mo
Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon Yes  DarkYes

Data effective as of 08/30/2022. Offers are subject to change.

Both plans come with Cove innovations, like the following:

  • TripleTouch (alerts through three different communication methods)
  • InstaText (quick text responsiveness)
  • LiveAssist (live voice help through your alarm panel)
Both plans come with Cove innovations to help alert you to any disturbances and aquire assistance quickly.

But to take full advantage of the smart security setup, you have to pay for the Plus plan. Otherwise, you won’t get smartphone control or smart home integration.

Cove control panel shown on a countertop alongside a Cove Outdoor Camera and Cove Indoor Camera

Source: Cove

RapidSOS
Megaphone

Cove uses a system called RapidSOS, which supposedly makes its response times faster than other DIY security systems. We aren’t sure of the veracity of this claim, and it would be difficult to prove or disprove.

Ring monitoring pricing

We call Ring the “best budget buy.” By that, we mean that Ring is your avenue to get as much out of your security as possible while spending as little money as possible. And yes, that applies to monitoring too.

With Ring, you can even choose to self-monitor for free.
Ring Alarm monitoring plan prices
Plan
Price
Mobile app access
24/7 Professional Monitoring
Learn more
Self-monitoring with camera recording

Free

Icon No  DarkNo
Icon No  DarkNo
Basic

$3.99/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon No  DarkNo
Plus

$10.00/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon No  DarkNo
Pro

$20.00/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
Icon Yes  DarkYes

List Prices (as of 08/30/2022)

The Protect Plus plan is one of the best deals we’ve seen in the home security space. You get a $20 discount if you sign up for a year at a time, and the cost includes cloud storage for unlimited Ring cameras.

But even if you just go for the Basic plan, you’re getting mobile app control, smart home integration, and the option for self-monitoring. In short, Ring offers features for $3.99/mo. that Cove charges $28/mo for.

Ring equipment

Source: Ring

Cove vs. Ring Alarm: Security equipment

These companies are fairly evenly matched when it comes to standard security equipment

Both these companies offer proprietary equipment, except for Cove’s cameras, which we’ll talk about in a minute. And both have prices roughly in the same ballpark (with the exception of Cove’s alarm panel, which of late has gone up in cost significantly).

The biggest equipment difference is probably the companies’ approaches to system connectivity.

Cove equipment uses cellular signals and doesn’t connect to Wi-Fi. That's good if you worry about loss of Wi-Fi connection but bad if you live in an area with poor AT&T cellular coverage.

Ring, on the other hand, uses a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection to work. If your base station loses its internet signal for whatever reason, its cellular backup will keep your alarm system functioning.

Cove and Ring equipment pricing comparison
DeviceCoveRing
Alarm panel/base station
$99.60
$249.99
Door/window sensor
$6.00
$19.99
Motion detector
$12.00
$29.99
Flood sensor
$8.00
$34.99
Panic/Medical button
$8.00
$34.99
Glass break detector
$14.00
$39.99
Indoor camera
$99.97
$49.99
Outdoor camera
$199.00
$79.99
Learn more

Data effective 08/30/2022. Offers are subject to change.

What you see here isn’t everything. Cove offers more products that don’t have Ring equivalents, such as the following:

  • Smoke/carbon monoxide detector (although, Ring offers a 'Listener')
  • Security key remote

Ring also sells some useful accessories, including the following items:

Cove vs. Ring Alarm: Cameras

Cove can’t compete with Ring’s thorough lineup

Cove’s cameras aren’t bad, but compared to Ring’s extensive selection, they don’t measure up—especially when you compare the camera plans.

Cove cameras

Cove used to sell just one camera, which is produced by YI. But good news! The company’s website now offers an outdoor camera as well, as well as two doorbell camera options.

Cove camera prices
Camera
Price
Power source
Storage type
Details

Indoor camera

$99.00

Plug

Cloud and local

Outdoor camera

$199.00

Batteries

Cloud and local

Kami Doorbell Camera
$99.00
Batteries or wiredCloud and local
Skybell Doorbell Camera
$189.00
WiredCloud and local

Data effective 08/30/2022. Offers are subject to change.

The indoor camera is a plug-in option with both cloud and local storage. It also includes person detection and baby crying detection, which makes it a good option for a baby camera or pet camera.

The outdoor camera looks like it may also be a Kami/YI offering, though we aren’t certain. That one includes a 140° field of view, “enhanced” night vision, and two-way audio.

Both cameras have motion detection to help detect potential intruders and keep an eye on your home when you aren't around.

Although these cameras come from a separate manufacturer, both work with the Cove app.

However, Cove doesn’t sell its own camera storage. If you get a camera from Cove, you can choose to sign up for YI Cloud. Or you can just use an SD card to take advantage of the local storage feature.

Yi Cloud prices
Plan
Price
Cameras supported
CVR
7-Days Rolling

$49.99/yr.

1
Icon No  DarkNo
24-7 CVR For 7-Days

$79.99/yr.

1
Icon Yes  DarkYes
15-Days Rolling$99.99/yr.5
Icon No  DarkNo
30-Days Rolling$139.99/yr.5
Icon No  DarkNo

Data effective 08/30/2022. Offers are subject to change.

All YI camera plans work with up to five cameras. When you reach the 30-day threshold, you have the option to pay monthly instead of yearly. You also have the option of adding continuous video recording (CVR), which is a standout feature for YI.

These plans aren’t the worst deal we’ve seen, but they definitely can’t compare with unlimited camera plans like Ring’s.

Ring cameras

Ring makes just about every kind of camera imaginable! Instead of talking about every single one, we created an abbreviated table that highlights three products: the Indoor Cam, the Spotlight Cam (outdoor), and the Video Doorbell Pro.

Ring camera prices
Camera
Price
Power source
Storage type
Learn more

Indoor Cam

$49.99

Plug

Cloud

Spotlight Cam

$199.99

Battery/wired/solar

Cloud

Video Doorbell Pro

$169.99

Wired

Cloud

Amazon.com List Prices (as of 08/30/2022)

All three of these cameras come with two-way talk, night vision, and motion detection. And they integrate seamlessly with the security system app, creating a quick and easy way to check your entire setup.

Ring cameras don’t have local storage, requiring users to purchase a cloud video storage plan. These plans are a lot more cost-effective than YI’s—they offer storage for more cameras and more days at lower prices. But it would be nice to also have local storage like YI does.

Ring Alarm cloud storage plan price
Plan
Price
Mobile app access
Video history
Learn more
Self-monitoring with camera recording

Free

Icon No  DarkNo
No
Basic

$3.99/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
60-days
Plus

$10.00/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
60-days
Pro

$20.00/mo.

Icon Yes  DarkYes
60-days

Prices (as of 8/30/2022)

You might notice that there’s some crossover between the Ring monitoring plans and the cloud storage. That’s because the Protect Plus plan covers the camera storage and system monitoring. It’s a super good deal!

Cove vs. Ring Alarm: Smart home integrations

Ring offers more options for home automation than Cove

Cove’s home automation isn’t quite to the level we like to see, while Ring has better-than-average connectivity.

Cove smart home integrations:

  • Amazon Alexa
  • Google Assistant

This isn’t a lot of automation, but it does allow you to control your Cove smart security system through your smart speakers.

Also, the YI cameras don’t work with Google Assistant, curtailing your options for connecting your cameras with the rest of your smart home.

Ring smart home integrations:

  • Amazon Alexa
  • Google Assistant
  • Z-Wave
  • IFTTT

Ring’s automation is definitely a step up over Cove’s.

The addition of Z-Wave creates direct compatibility between the Ring Alarm system and other smart home devices. And IFTTT is a popular platform for cause-and-effect chains, adding even more smart home possibilities.

Additionally, Ring has some in-house smart home equipment, like its smart light options. Cove doesn’t have anything like that yet.

Cove vs. Ring Alarm: Customer experience

Cove doesn’t have a ton of fans, but its reputation is much shinier than Ring’s

Cove is newer and smaller than a lot of security companies, and it’s still building its customer base. As an infant company, it doesn’t seem to generate a lot of enthusiasm—or ire. It’s just not getting as much attention and customer reviews as some of the other security systems.

For those who try the system and run into snags, the customer service department responds to both emails and phone calls.

Ring, on the other hand, has people who super love it and people who super hate it. There’s good reason for that. Ring’s accessible, inexpensive, and relatively easy to use. But it’s also embroiled in tons of unsavory issues.

In addition to its customer support phone number, Ring has a help center and an extensive community forum.

  • Cove customer service number: 877-456-2683
  • Ring customer service number: 800-984-1596

Cove vs. Ring Alarm: Which is better?

In the showdown between these two systems, we have to say Ring is the better choice overall.

  • Prices and monitoring plans: Ring. Overall, you’ll spend less money with Ring than you will with Cove.
  • Security equipment: Both Ring and Cove make their own devices at affordable prices. And while Ring may actually be the cheapest home security offering out there, Cove isn’t much more expensive.
  • Cameras: Ring has a larger camera selection with more features and a better monitoring plan than Cove.
  • Smart home integrations: The addition of Z-Wave and IFTTT compatibility make Ring a better automation option than Cove.
  • Customer service: Cove’s reputation is fairly neutral with few complaints, while Ring has become majorly controversial.

But all these points withstanding, for many folks, Ring’s reputation alone is a good reason to go with Cove or with something else entirely.

Of course, these aren’t your only options. There are other inexpensive DIY systems out there. Learn more about additional alternatives in our Best Home Security Systems Review.

Cove and Ring home security comparison
Home security company
Monitoring price range
Base equipment package price
Camera models
Details
Cove

$17.99–$27.99/mo.

$150-$1,000

Indoor, outdoor, doorbell

Ring

$0.00–$20.00/mo.

$199.99

Indoor, outdoor, doorbell

Amazon.com List Prices (as of 08/30/2022)

Methodology

We give a score to the following features to figure out each system’s final star rating:

  • Price
  • Equipment
  • Home automation
  • Cameras
  • Customer service

In our versus pieces, the highest-rated system doesn’t always emerge victorious. If one of the systems is really good at something, we might pick it over its competitor, even if it didn’t shine in every area.

Cove vs. Ring Alarm home security: FAQ

No, but it’s nice to have.

Continuous video recording captures everything that happens whether there’s a motion alert or not. That way, if your camera’s motion detection misses something (which happens from time to time), you’ll still have footage.

It’s not necessarily better, just different.

DIY security tends to be less time-consuming, more affordable, and more customizable than a professional system like ADT. But there are pros to using a more traditional installer, like experience, expertise, and professional monitoring with every package.

Learn more in the Best Professionally Installed Security Systems.

Brianne Sandorf
Written by
Brianne Sandorf
Brianne has a degree in English and creative writing from Westminster College and has spent 6+ years writing professional, research-based content. Before joining Reviews.org, she wrote safety and security content for ASecureLife.com. Her pieces and quotes are published across the web, including on MSN.com, Social Catfish, and Parents.com. Hobbies include wearing a seatbelt, wearing a life jacket, and keeping her arms and legs inside the ride at all times. Contact her at brianne@reviews.org.

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