Vivint vs. Ring: Which security system is better?

Vivint and Ring Alarm take different approaches to home security. Vivint is a premium system that commands high prices but stands out for its effortless (on your part) professional installation and innovative smart home devices. Ring shares the same essential functions, but you install the equipment yourself—making it much more affordable for equipment and monitoring.

While we lean toward Vivint's pro installation as the definitive way to experience a home security system, Ring's DIY system isn't far behind either. Learn about these top security companies in our head-to-head review.

If you want professional installation, Vivint is the best option in the industry. It's more affordable than its main professional installation competitor, ADT, and stands out for quality equipment with a strong emphasis on the smart home. The level of polish in Vivint systems gives Ring a formidable opponent.

Read our Vivint review to learn more.

If you want a camera for almost every environment, Ring's selection and quality are obvious choices. It's more budget-friendly than Vivint—with lower monitoring and equipment costs to boot. Ring's down-to-earth prices and DIY installation make Vivint seem like a luxury by comparison.

Read our Ring Alarm review to learn more.

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The similarities between Vivint and Ring come down to basic features included in many home security systems. The brands' user-friendly apps are certainly a bonus.

• Professional monitoring: Vivint and Ring both use professional monitoring to watch your security system for alarms. An alarm event sends a signal to the monitoring center when a sensor detects a fire or intruder. They'll contact you first to confirm the alarm is real (or if there's no answer) and then send emergency assistance from your local fire and police departments.
• Cellular connection: These security systems use cellular radios to connect to the monitoring station. This means your system works independently of an internet connection. There are also battery backups in each system in case of power outages.
• Mobile apps: Vivint and Ring include mobile app access with every plan—unlike competitors SimpliSafe and ADT—so you can control your system with a mobile device for no extra charge. This means you can arm the alarm if you forget before a long trip or disarm for extra convenience after finishing a grocery run.

Because Vivint and Ring have different approaches to home security, it's easy to find differences in installation, contracts, warranties, customer service, monitoring costs, and equipment.

• Contracts: Vivint's contract lasts five years, longer than a typical security system monitoring agreement. You can skip the contract by paying for equipment up front—but that'll cost you at least $600. In contrast, Ring doesn't require a contract, but you shoulder all of the equipment costs from the start. Ring's a clear winner here.
• Warranties: Ring includes a lifetime warranty with its Protect Plus plan, which is better than Vivint's four-month warranty. After four months, Vivint charges a fee if you need a house call to fix equipment.
• Trial periods: These brands’ timelines for equipment returns and contract cancellations aren’t the best compared to the 60 days offered by SimpliSafe and Cove. Still, Ring's 30-day trial is a whole lot better than Vivint's complete and utter lack of a trial in any form. (Well, you have three days to cancel Vivint for free, but that's hardly enough.)
• Customer service: Vivint customer service is a better experience since you can contact the company 24/7, and the professional installation helps prevent problems in the first place. Because service techs can come to your home, troubleshooting a Vivint system is easy but potentially pricey. Ring's customer support is almost as practical, but the hours are more limited. While you likely won't need to fix your system at 3 a.m., the leeway is nice if a problem arises.

Although Vivint's prices are better than a few years ago, it's still a premium system that costs more than an average burglar alarm. Still, we're glad that the entry-level plan is cheaper than the industry average of $32. Ring's professional monitoring costs a two-thirds as much as Vivint's, giving it a big advantage.

Here's a quick breakdown of the plans Vivint and Ring offer. We don't include Ring's three cheapest plans since they lack professional monitoring, but they're a great option for folks wanting to self-monitor their system.

The biggest difference in the plans is that Ring includes smart home and security camera functionality in every plan. Vivint has these features too but adds them using tiered pricing. Vivint's monitoring costs don't go down if you pay for equipment up front, but the total cost of your system comes out to around the same price.

If there's one area where Vivint handily beats Ring, it's equipment, even though Ring has Ring Alarm Pro now. Vivint spends the big bucks to develop attractive and innovative equipment. While Vivint's equipment is much pricier, its cohesive security system runs like a dream from the Vivint app.

Vivint cameras are pretty good compared to most security systems, but they stand out for a feature Vivint calls "lurker detection." When a Vivint Outdoor Camera spots someone, it whistles to tell the person they're on camera. This is a clever way to deter uninvited guests.

The Vivint security system also works with third-party smart home devices thanks to compatibility with major platforms:

• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant^†
• Z-Wave

Although Ring also works with Alexa and Z-Wave, it doesn't work with Google Assistant because its parent company, Amazon, doesn't get along with Google.

Learn more in our Vivint equipment guide.

Ring (and Amazon, by extension) is content to focus on home security but doesn't offer many first-party home automation devices like smart locks, thermostats, or smoke detectors. Still, linking an Amazon Echo smart speaker to your Ring Alarm system is seamless.

Learn more in our Ring equipment guide.

With Ring Alarm, you install the equipment yourself, which saves money but not as much time. (Installation time ultimately depends on how large your system is—small systems are easier to set up.) The Ring app walks you through the entire DIY installation process. While the occasional Ring device requires screws and power cables, many install with a simple adhesive pad in seconds.

Although a Ring system doesn't require professional installation like Vivint, it makes the option available through a partnership with OnTech. Still, Ring's pro install is not a great deal since you pay on a per-device basis compared to Vivint's all-encompassing installation. We recommend sticking with DIY if you choose Ring.

Although Vivint is pricier than Ring, it makes up for the drawbacks with outstanding equipment, customer support, and professional installation. Plus, there's just enough flexibility with Vivint's weakest traits—its price and contract—that you come out ahead of other high-end security brands like ADT and Frontpoint.

If money's the only thing that matters, Ring Alarm is a solid alternative to a Vivint system. It keeps up with Vivint's slick smart home devices with its own innovative gear. You'll save a ton with Ring's monitoring, so you can upgrade your entire system for less.

We used a systematic approach to compare everything we know about Vivint and Ring. This meant burying ourselves in user reviews, pricing tables, contract terms, equipment specs, and customer support resources to find the most valuable points of comparison. Plus, we've had hands-on testing on the best home security systems, including these. Learn more about how we evaluate security companies in our full methodology.

• Alternatives to Vivint
• Vivint FAQ
• Ring FAQ
• Ring Security Compatibility and Equipment
• How to Set Up Ring End-to-End Encryption