Ring Alarm vs ADT
Ring’s 5-piece DIY kit is $199.99 (on sale from $244.95) with optional $19.99/mo Pro monitoring. ADT’s pro-installed monitoring starts at $34.99/mo on a 36-month contract, plus equipment.
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Quick answer
Pick Ring Alarm if you want a $199.99 DIY 5-piece kit and optional monitoring from Ring Pro at $19.99/mo. Pick ADT if you want professionally installed monitoring from $34.99/mo (Secure, 36-month contract; $49.99/mo for the top Complete tier) and are fine with a long contract.
Last updated Prices checked Nov 2026
Check Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) price (opens in a new tab)Check ADT Home Security price (opens in a new tab)
Key facts at a glance
| Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) | ADT Home Security | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter hardware | 5-piece kit $199.99 | Pro-installed system (quoted) |
| Monitoring entry | Ring Pro $19.99/mo | Secure from $34.99/mo (36-mo contract); Complete $49.99/mo |
| Install style | DIY (optional pro install add-ons) | Professional install focus |
| Contract vibe | Month-to-month plan options on Protect | Traditional monitored security |
| Best if | Renters / DIY Amazon ecosystem | Want pro install + brand monitoring |
Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) vs ADT Home Security: side-by-side
| Ring Alarm | ADT | |
|---|---|---|
| Starter hardware | 5-piece kit $199.99 | Pro-installed system (quoted) |
| Monitoring entry | Ring Pro $19.99/mo | Secure from $34.99/mo (36-mo contract); Complete $49.99/mo |
| Install style | DIY (optional pro install add-ons) | Professional install focus |
| Contract vibe | Month-to-month plan options on Protect | Traditional monitored security |
| Best if | Renters / DIY Amazon ecosystem | Want pro install + brand monitoring |
| Contract | Ring Pro monthly ($19.99) or yearly ($199.99) | 36 months for pro install (24 in CA); DIY month-to-month from $24.99 |
| Early cancel | Cancel the plan anytime | ADT may charge 75% of the remaining monthly fees |
| Outage backup | 24-hour battery backup; cellular backup | Varies by system; ask for it in the quote |
| What the base kit covers | 1 door/window sensor, 1 motion detector, keypad, range extender | Secure: ADT Base + 1 door/window sensor |
How much do they cost?
Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) plans
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Alarm Security Kit, 5-piece | $199.99 | Was $244.95 on Ring page |
| Ring Pro monitoring | $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr | Includes professional monitoring per Ring |
| Ring Solo / Multi | $4.99 / $9.99 per mo | Camera-focused plans |
ADT Home Security plans
| Option | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Pro-installed monitoring | Secure $34.99/mo; Smart $39.99/mo; Complete $49.99/mo | 36-month contract (24 in CA); equipment extra (checked Nov 11, 2026) |
| Installation | Pro install model | Quoted by ADT |
What are the pros and cons?
Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece): pros
- $199.99 kit is cheap to start
- Ring Pro $19.99/mo undercuts ADT’s $34.99/mo Secure entry
- DIY friendly
Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece): cons
- DIY means you own setup quality
- Camera video features often need Protect plans
- Not the same as full ADT pro service
ADT Home Security: pros
- Pro install + monitored security brand
- Published tiers: Secure $34.99, Smart $39.99, Complete $49.99/mo
- Better fit if you do not want to DIY
ADT Home Security: cons
- Higher monthly entry than Ring Pro
- Hardware/install quotes vary
- Less à-la-carte than Ring kits
Which should you choose: Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) or ADT Home Security?
Ring wins on transparent DIY hardware price and cheaper optional monitoring. ADT wins when you want a pro to install and monitor and will pay pro-installed monitoring from $34.99/mo (Secure) on a 36-month contract, or $49.99/mo for the top Complete tier. Also compare SimpliSafe vs Ring and SimpliSafe vs ADT.
Choose Ring Alarm Kit (5-piece) if…
- You want a $200-ish DIY kit
- You are OK self-installing
- You want monitoring near $20/mo
Choose ADT Home Security if…
- You want professional installation
- You prefer a traditional security vendor
- You accept ~$50/mo monitoring entry
Three-year cost (checked Nov 11, 2026)
Prices checked Nov 11, 2026 on Ring's kit and Protect plan pages and on ADT's offer page. These totals exclude tax, extra sensors and installation fees.
- Ring Alarm, 3 years, monthly plan: $199.99 kit + 36 × $19.99 Ring Pro = $919.63.
- Ring Alarm, 3 years, yearly plan: $199.99 + 3 × $199.99 = $799.96.
- ADT Secure, professionally installed: $449 equipment + 36 × $34.99 = $1,708.64 over the 36-month contract.
- ADT Secure, DIY: $269 equipment + 36 × $24.99 = $1,168.64 (month-to-month, so you can stop sooner).
The tradeoffs: Ring's 5-piece kit has just one door/window sensor, so most homes add sensors. Ring says it doesn't own its monitoring center. ADT's pro-installed price locks you into a contract with a 75% early-termination charge, and ADT's own pages quote different monitoring prices ($34.99 to $49.99+) depending on the offer. Get a written quote.
Total cost shape
Ring: ~$200 kit + optional $19.99/mo Pro. ADT: equipment (from $449 pro-installed) + monitoring from $34.99/mo (Secure) to $49.99/mo (Complete) on a 36-month contract. Over two years, ADT’s monitoring alone costs more than Ring Pro before hardware.
DIY vs pro
Ring is built around self-setup (with optional paid install). ADT’s page centers Pro Install monitoring. Pick the service model you actually want, not just the logo.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ring Alarm cheaper than ADT?
Does Ring Alarm include professional monitoring?
Can I DIY ADT?
Sources
Pricing and plan details were checked on the official pages below as of Nov 2026. Vendors change prices, credits and plan names often, and some show regional pricing at checkout, so confirm on the vendor’s site before you buy.
- Ring: Alarm Security Kit (5-piece) (ring.com)
- Ring: Protect plans (ring.com)
- ADT: home protection offer / monitoring terms (home-protection.adt.com)
- PCMag: Ring Alarm Pro review (pcmag.com)
- CNET: best home security systems (cnet.com)
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