We’ll walk through each service’s pros and cons as we explore prices, equipment, automation, and customer experience. Vivint equipment packages are more in the range of $599. Yes, you read that right—it’s $400 more than Brinks Home equipment. That’s a lot to pay for security. Sure, Vivint’s proprietary gadgets are some of the latest and greatest in securing your home, but $600 is wildly more than almost any other security company is asking. The good news? You don’t have to pay the $599 in one go. You can choose a financing plan that lets you pay off your equipment gradually. The bad news? You have to pay it all at once if you want Vivint’s no-contract option. Vivint keeps you in a contract of up to five years while you owe the brand equipment money. Vivint’s monitoring price starts at $29.99 ($10 less than Brinks Home’s), but it shoots up to $44.99 if you want video. Vivint designs most of its own equipment, and it includes high-tech features you don’t get from some generic brands. You might have heard of Vivint’s Smart Hub control panel (formerly known as Sky Control) or the Vivint Indoor Camera with outbound call functionality. Because Vivint pours so much work into its equipment, it costs a lot more. While we think the prices for some of the devices make sense (like the cost of the super-awesome Vivint Doorbell Camera Pro), some of the pieces are a bit overpriced (door and window sensors). Either way, Brinks Home is more affordable, if that’s what you’re looking for, while Vivint is more innovative. The indoor and outdoor cameras both use 1080p vision, while the doorbell has 720p. Similarly, the outdoor and doorbell cameras both have motion detection, while the indoor camera does not. To learn more about Vivint cameras, read our Vivint Cameras Review. In contrast, the cloud storage plan not only has a shorter storage time, it only captures event-based recordings—which means you might miss something. Brinks Home smart home integrations: Vivint smart home integrations: These systems both work with a lot of the same products, like Kwikset locks or Nest thermostats. However, Vivint sells more branded smart products and has an easy smart home screen in its app. According to multiple customer reviews we saw, these branding changes have caused some confusion and contract issues. When it comes to contacting these companies, Brinks Home representatives are available by text or by phone from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST. Vivint will also talk on the phone (though we aren’t sure of the hours), plus the company offers a live chat with a customer rep. No text or email, though, so you won’t be able to contact them asynchronously.
Brinks Home customer service number: 800-447-9239 Vivint customer service number: 801-377-9111
Vivint is currently our top-recommended security system. It’s comprehensive and high-tech. But if you just want a good system without all the fuss, Brinks Home is cheap and easier to install.
Prices and monitoring plans: Brinks Home is known for going the extra mile with monitoring full of helpful emergency features. Security equipment: Vivint has better equipment, but its sometimes extraordinary prices can make Brinks Home’s affordable equipment the better option overall. Cameras: Brinks Home has more affordable options, while Vivint offers more camera benefits. Smart home integrations: Smart home is a key feature of Vivint, which offers easy connectivity to other smart home devices. Brinks Home has smart home connectivity as well, but it’s not quite on Vivint’s level. Customer service: Brinks Home has fewer customer service issues than Vivint does, though neither has a stellar reputation.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We’ve spent several months using a Vivint system and performed countless hours of research on both Brinks Home and Vivint to draw our conclusions for this article. Continuous/24/7 recording means that everything your camera sees is recorded, while event-based recording means the camera will only record when the motion sensor goes off. Theoretically, event-based recording captures everything of note that happens, making continuous recording unnecessary. However, we’ve seen many cameras not be triggered soon enough to capture an event—or even at all. The only way to guarantee you’ll see everything is to use continuous recording. The monitoring cost for Vivint depends on the package and equipment that you choose and is customizable to your various needs. Vivint’s monitoring price starts at $29.99($10 less than Brinks Home’s lowest monitoring price), but it shoots up to $44.99 if you want video. If an intruder breaks in or your smoke alarm goes off, monitoring specialists will contact the authorities for you. If you want even more peace of mind, professional monitoring offers an added level of protection.
