Frontpoint vs ADT Home Security: Who’s Got The Better Security System And Service?

Frontpoint and ADT are two big players in home security. They each offer professionally monitored security systems and have high-performing equipment. One requires a long-term contract, the other does not, and when it comes to customer service and monthly fees there is a clear winner.

Customer Service & Reputation
Equipment
Technology
Value
Ease Of Use
Overall Winner
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Customer Service & Reputation

Frontpoint is known for its excellent customer service and no-pressure sales, whereas your experience with ADT will depend on whom your local authorized ADT dealer is. Each ADT customer’s experience will vary because ADT security systems are sold through authorized dealers*.

Authorized Dealer vs DIY Installation

Professionally installed systems, like those provided by ADT, tend to be outsourced to local authorized dealers. This means your installation and customer service experience may vary greatly depending on whom your local ADT provider is. The ADT reseller we link to in this article, SafeStreets, is not yet rated, which means the BBB is still evaluating.

*Our ADT links take you to SafeStreets, which is an authorized dealer for ADT.

The BBB (Better Business Bureau) can be a reliable indicator of how a company handles consumer complaints. How did our two companies fare?

• Frontpoint: A+ (accredited)
• ADT*: A+ (accredited)

*The ADT rating is for their corporate office, who does not install your system. You’ll need to look up your local ADT reseller to see if they have a rating.

Frontpoint Complaints

Frontpoint no longer requires contracts, so for new customers these won’t be an issue. However, Frontpoint has thousands of customers still under contract, so for existing customers these may still apply:

• Having to pay the full contract amount (or a percentage) if you cancel during the contract terms.
• Difficulty canceling in general.
• Requires written notice of canceling one month in advance

ADT Complaints

• Extra charges on bills.
• Incomplete installations.
• High-pressure sales tactics.
• Refusal to cancel service.
• Lack of customer support when issues arise.
• Customers being told contradictory information regarding contracts.

In the end, Frontpoint’s customer service complaints are ultimately about the contract terms, which customers are signing willingly. And as of November 18, 2019, contracts are no longer required. ADT has these contract complaints as well, but it has more complaints in other areas, so Frontpoint gets the nod here.

Customer Service Winner: Frontpoint

Equipment

Below is a table of the types of security equipment offered by each company.

	Frontpoint	ADT
Additional Keypad
Keychain Remote
Door/Window Sensor
Motion Sensor
Indoor Camera
Outdoor Camera
Doorbell Camera
Glass Break Sensor
Panic Button
Smoke Detector
CO Detector
Freeze Sensor
Water Sensor
Additional Siren	Z-Wave option
Smart Switch
Smart Door Lock
Smart Light Bulb
Garage Door Controller
Garage Door Sensor
Compatible Smart Thermostat

Frontpoint doesn’t have an additional siren, but there’s one built into the control panel and you can opt for a Z-Wave compatible one. It is also missing a smart thermostat, but you can integrate one that has Z-Wave communication (e.g., the Nest Thermostat). Neither company offers a freeze sensor, and ADT is missing a garage door controller.

Who Has The Better Cameras?

Frontpoint offers 2 indoor cameras, 1 outdoor camera and 1 doorbell camera. Meanwhile ADT has 1 indoor camera, 2 outdoor cameras and 2 doorbell cameras. Below are the specs for these cameras and you can learn more about Frontpoint’s cameras here, as well as ADT’s indoor and outdoor cameras, and ADT’s doorbell cameras.

Indoor

	Resolution	Digital Pan & Tilt	Echo-Cancelling Microphone	Field Of View	Infrared Night Vision	Two-Way Audio
Frontpoint Premium Indoor Camera	1080p			180º
Frontpoint Indoor Camera	1080p			113º
ADT Indoor Camera	720p			128.6º

Outdoor

	Resolution	Field Of View	Infrared Night Vision	Operating Temperature	Night Vision Range
Frontpoint Outdoor Camera	1080p	117º		-13°F to 113°F	40 Feet
ADT Pulse Dome Camera MDC835	720p	75º		-40°F to 122°F	16 Feet
ADT Pulse OC835 Camera	720p	95º		-40°F to 122°F	20 Feet

Doorbell

	Resolution	Field Of View	Infrared Night Vision	Color Night Vision	Two-Way Audio	Noise Reduction	Operating Temperature	Motion Detection
Frontpoint (Skybell Slim Line)	1080p	180º					-40°F to 140°F	8 Feet
ADT Pulse Doorbell Camera	720p	180º					-4°F to 122°F	25 Feet
ADT (Skybell Trim Plus)	1080p	180º					-40°F to 140°F	10 Feet

Manufacturing

Frontpoint offers wireless equipment while ADT offers wireless and wired equipment. GE and Interlogix manufacture Frontpoint’s sensors while ADT’s are from Ademco, DSC, Honeywell and Interlogix.

Frontpoint offers a 3-year warranty while ADT offers a lifetime warranty.

In the end, this category is a tie because both companies offer basically the same lineup and the equipment is dependable.

Equipment Winner: Frontpoint & ADT (Tie)

Technology

If home automation is important for your system, you have many options from both companies.

Frontpoint & ADT Compatibilities

• Z-Wave devices
• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant
• Nest thermostat
• August door locks (newer models are Z-Wave compatible)
• Smart bulbs
• Video doorbells
• Smart switches
• Garage door controllers

Battery Backup

If you lose power during a storm or from a burglar cutting wires, a battery backup will keep both systems running. Both Frontpoint and ADT have 24-hour battery backup, which is the standard.

Cellular vs Landline Monitoring

All of Frontpoint’s plans have cellular monitoring, which is the most secure form because there’s no concern of a burglar cutting your landline (phone) or broadband (internet) connection. With ADT, you must upgrade plans for cellular monitoring since the cheaper plans have landline monitoring.

App Performance & Ratings

Below are the Apple App Store and Google Play Store ratings and number of reviews to give you an idea of what readers think of each company’s respective app.

ADT has two apps ADT Pulse and ADT Control. The control panel you have will determine the app you use. ADT Command Panel is newer and is replacing older ADT Pulse panels and in exchange, replacing the ADT Pulse app with the ADT Control app.

• Frontpoint
  • Android App 3.7/5.0 (>1,100 reviews)
  • iOS App 4.6/5.0 (>1,500 reviews)
• ADT Pulse
• • Android App 4.5/5.0 (>31,000 reviews)
  • iOS App 4.8/5.0 (652,000 reviews)
• ADT Control
  • Android App 3.6/5.0 (>1,000 reviews)
  • iOS App 4.8/5.0 (18,000 reviews)

Frontpoint App Complaints

• Unable to change the volume or time of display on the control panel
• Delays in the Android version

ADT App Complaints

• Cameras not staying connected
• Status of the system being unavailable
• Devices not responding to commands

Smash Proof

Frontpoint has smash-proof systems, so if an intruder tries to destroy your system, the police are still alerted. ADT doesn’t have this feature, unfortunately.

To summarize our technology comparison, customers like the ADT app and how much they can do with it. But if you want cellular monitoring, you must upgrade your ADT plan and its control panel is not smash proof, so Frontpoint wins here.

Technology Winner: Frontpoint

Value

To see how Frontpoint and ADT pricing compares in a real-world situation, let’s review a common household configuration:

• 6 door/window sensors
• 1 keypad
• 2 motion sensors
• 2 keychain remote

For comparison’s sake, here’s how much it will cost you for 3 years of service. (ADT locks you into a minimum 3-year contract, and Frontpoint has no long-term contracts.)

Frontpoint charges for its equipment but DIY installation is free. Meanwhile, ADT offers free equipment but charges an installation fee. You may have a little more upfront cost with Frontpoint (depending on the equipment you get), but there’s no contract requirement and it has a more consistent reputation for customer service excellence.

We like that both companies have more than one monitoring station (Frontpoint has 2 and ADT has 10), a redundancy that’s important in the event of downtime. In the end, Frontpoint wins here because it has no installation fee and better value customer service.

Value Winner: Frontpoint

Ease Of Use

	Frontpoint	ADT
Wireless Equipment
Wired Equipment
Installation	DIY	Professional
Easily Relocate		Requires a Professional

Both systems are generally easy to use once they are set up. Although people rave about how easy it is to do things through the ADT apps, whereas there are some complaints about the limited functionality of the Frontpoint app.

While both systems are easy to use there are some key differences in this category. Some people may prefer having a professional install their security system while others hate having to take time off work to wait for the installer to show up and let a stranger into their home.

Additionally, if you plan on integrating a lot of home automation equipment, the ADT apps may be more appealing to you. However, the Frontpoint app, which is based on alarm.com technology, is also very sophisticated compared to other companies, so this is a close call.

Ease Of Use Winner: ADT

What’s The Verdict?

If you want a security system that’s easy to install yourself, has excellent customer service, great professional monitoring and no long-term commitments, Frontpoint is an excellent option. ADT has dependable equipment and monitoring as well, but its customer service isn’t near the level of Frontpoint’s and it locks you into a 3-year contract.

Overall Winner: Frontpoint

If you’d like to learn more about these companies, read our individual reviews on Frontpoint and ADT, which include pros, cons, key features and customer testimonials. Frontpoint and ADT are both included in our home security systems reviews, which includes more than a dozen companies.

Which company are you leaning toward?