Monitored vs. Self-Monitored Home Security Systems: What You Should Know

Quick answer: A monitored security system uses a professional monitoring center to protect your home 24/7. The monitoring center contacts emergency services on your behalf when needed and is there to watch over your home, even when you aren’t there. A self-monitored security system sends alerts directly to you, and you are responsible for responding to emergencies and contact authorities yourself.

The primary trade-offs between monitored and self-monitored security systems comes down to two things:

• Professional emergency response + peace of mind
• Cost savings + personal control

Key takeaways

• Monitored home security systems:

  • Offer 24/7 professional surveillance
  • Have fast emergency response times (as quick as 10 seconds) and protection while you’re asleep, away, or unavailable
  • Dispatch emergency services on your behalf if there’s an incident at your home
  • Typically cost $25–$80 per month

• Self-monitored home security systems:

  • Require you to respond to all alerts and contact emergency services yourself
  • Typically has no monthly fees

• Both systems include the same devices—the difference comes down to who responds when an alarm is triggered

When it comes to home security systems, one of the first things you’ll need to decide is whether to choose a professionally monitored system or a self-monitored system. While both monitoring options help keep your home and family safe, they come with different pros, cons, and price points. Read on for a deep-dive into each type of monitoring and how to decide which is right for you.

Monitored vs. self-monitored systems: Quick comparison

How does professional monitoring work?

With a professionally monitored home security system, a monitoring company watches your home around the clock and dispatches emergency services when needed.

This doesn’t mean they’re literally watching your home around the clock or tapping into your home security cameras—they’re simply monitoring alarms from your security devices.

Here’s how it works:

1. A security devices (fire alarm, burglar alarm, camera, or detector) is triggered in your home
2. Your system immediately send a signal to you and the professional monitoring center
3. An agent attempts to contact you to verify the alarm
4. If you confirm there’s an emergency, can’t be reached, or aren’t home to check, they contact emergency services on your behalf to investigate

Example scenario: An intruder shatters your window, activating your glass-break sensors. Your home alarm system sends an alert to your security company's call center. After a short waiting period, your provider contacts you to see if you're OK. If you don't answer, the company automatically calls the police department so they can investigate your home.

False alarm scenario: A family member stops by while you’re at work and lets themselves into your house, setting off motion sensors in your armed security system. When your monitoring team calls to make sure you're alright, you give them your security code to stop them from calling the authorities. You disarm your alarm and go back to work.

Key features of professionally monitored security systems

• Required monthly fee, typically ranging from $25–$80 per month
• 24/7 coverage whether you are home or away + faster response times

• Potential contract requirements
• Potential insurance savings
• Peace of mind knowing your home is covered around the clock

Pros and cons of professional monitoring services

Some of the benefits of a professionally monitored security solution include:

• Peace of mind. Perhaps the biggest benefit of professional monitoring is peace of mind. Homeowners know that their home is protected whether they are home or away. If a security device is triggered while they’re away from home, the monitoring center will respond.
• Faster emergency response times. With a dedicated team of professionals monitoring your home around the clock, you’ll typically experience faster response times than if you are monitoring alarms yourself.
• Potential insurance savings. Many home insurance companies will offer discounts on homeowners insurance for smart security systems that include monthly monitoring.
• 24/7 monitoring. With professional monitoring, your home is protected around the clock. This is different from DIY monitoring, which is dependent on phone notifications and your own availability.

Some of the potential downsides of professional monitoring include:

• Additional monthly fees. All home security companies will have an additional fee for monitoring, typically ranging from $25-$80 per month. This helps support the professional monitoring center and their ability to contact emergency services.
• May require a contract. Some home security companies are month-to-month and no contract is required, while others may require a contract for a specific length of time.

Because each security company will differ in terms of response time, monthly fees, and contract requirements, it’s important to research all of your options and compare services.

Who should choose professional monitoring?

Choose professional monitoring if you:

• Travel frequently or spend extended time away from home, like working in an office
• Want automated protection when an alert sounds
• Need coverage while sleeping
• Have family members (children or elderly) at home who need monitoring and protection
• Want guaranteed emergency response, even when you are unavailable
• Prefer the peace of mind that comes with knowing professionals are always ready to help

How does a self-monitored home security system work?

With a self-monitored security system, it’s up to you to call emergency services if there is ever a crisis in your home.

Self-monitoring is often an option with DIY security systems (like Google Home, Ring Alarms, and others). You’ll still receive real-time alerts, and from there it’s up to you to assess the situation—even if you aren’t home.

Here’s how it works:

1. A security device is triggered in your home
2. You receive an alert that there has been suspicious activity in your home
3. You must find a way to assess the situation, even if you’re away from home
4. You call emergency services if needed, or if you’re worried about the alarm and can’t be there to check it yourself

To receive real-time notifications with a self-monitored security system, you need wireless devices. Wireless security devices use Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or Zigbee to communicate alerts to your phone.

Even the best self-monitored systems require your attention and effort to keep your home safe. The upside to a self-monitored system, however, is that you can save $25-$80 per month in professional monitoring fees.

Key features of self-monitored systems

• No or lower monthly fees (often $0 a month for most self-monitored plans)
• User-initiated emergency calls
• No 24/7 coverage—if there’s an emergency, the homeowner has to investigate
• Direct control over your home security response
• Often no contract requirements

Pros and cons of self-monitoring plans

Some of the benefits of self monitoring include:

• Flexible monthly monitoring plans. Many of the DIY home security systems also include flexible monitoring plans, either a month-to-month or yearly monitoring subscription.
• Beneficial for people who are often home. If you are usually home and can quickly see for yourself whether you need to call for help, a self-monitoring plan might be a good option.
• Lower costs. Self-monitored plans typically cost $0 per month, compared to professionally monitored systems that can cost $25-$80 per month.

On the other hand, some of the downsides of DIY monitoring include:

• Lack of backup if you’re unavailable. The biggest downside of self-monitoring is the fact that you and you alone are responsible for contacting emergency services if your alarm is triggered. If you’re not home, or you are somehow injured or incapable, help may be delayed.
• Delays from missed alerts. If you don’t hear your phone’s alert, or your phone dies or is out of service, you may not get help as quickly as possible.
• Potential compatibility issues. If you have pieced together your own DIY system from different companies, there may be issues with security device and smart home integration. For example, if you have window sensors from one company and a garage door sensor from another, they may not both fall under the same monitoring plan.

There are many different types of home automation and home security kits that offer monitoring as an add-on, so it’s important to research companies and compare costs and services offered.

Who should choose self monitoring?

A self-monitored home security system may be the right choice for you if you are:

• Budget-conscious and want to minimize monthly fees
• Comfortable responding to security alerts yourself
• A renter who needs flexible, portable, and minimally invasive equipment
• Work from home and can respond quickly to alerts
• Comfortable taking responsibility for contact emergency services
• Tech-savvy
• Prefer direct control over your home security system

Monitored vs. self-monitored: Which is right for you?

If you’re still on the fence about which system will work best for you, we break down some of the main differences between professional and self monitoring in the next few sections.

Cost comparison: Monitored vs self-monitored systems

The upfront cost for any security system depends on the devices in the system, the size of your home, and what you need the system to monitor.

In addition to device costs, security companies charge a monthly fee for monitoring, typically ranging from $25-$80 per month. Some providers may also require a short- or long-term contract for a professional monitoring plan. Consider monitoring costs and any other service costs when budgeting for your security system purchase.

Every Vivint system includes award-winning 24/7 Professional Monitoring in addition to professional installation and industry-leading security devices. With monitoring plans starting at just $24.99 per month, it’s easy to protect your home with Vivint.

Features

Professional monitoring is the main feature that separates monitored and self-monitored plans. Both types of systems can have the same pieces of equipment and features, including:

• Motion detection
• Night vision
• Two-way audio
• Cloud storage
• Cellular backup
• Smart home integration
• Central control panel
• Remote control
• Voice control

Installation

Monitored systems are always wireless. A monitoring center needs a wireless connection to keep tabs on your security system.

Self-monitored systems can be wireless or wired. If your self-monitored system is wireless, you'll be able to monitor it remotely using your smartphone.

While DIY home security systems can be viable options for some people (like renters), professional installation can help you get the best functionality from any system. A professional installer will know the best places to mount your sensors and how to connect your smart security equipment.

Why trust professional monitoring?

Most people choose professional monitoring for peace of mind and complete coverage for their home when they’re not there. However, it’s not uncommon to have questions or concerns about how it all works. For example, you may be wondering who sees your security footage or personal information.

Reputable companies have take privacy seriously and have secure, encrypted systems and policies about about who can access customer data. As far as feed from outdoor cameras or video doorbells, remember monitoring centers are not accessing your live video feed; rather, they are responding to your system’s alarms that could indicate an emergency like a break-in or fire.

Another concern you may have is false alarms that result in sending emergency services out when it’s not necessary. The best home security systems and companies use monitoring centers that contact homeowners first (or attempt to) before dispatching help.

It’s important for homeowners to do their due diligence when it comes to home security companies to make sure the monitoring provided will bring peace of mind. Some things to look for include:

• Response times. In an emergency, every second counts. Faster response times mean you will get the help you need in a timely manner.
• Customer reviews. Check out customer reviews to see what people are saying about the security company you are looking into, particularly when it comes to emergency response.

• Company reputation. Look for a well-known security company that has a good reputation within the industry and an easily-accessible customer service team.
• Privacy. If privacy is a concern, ask how they protect your data, their policy on cameras, and whether or not data is encrypted. You want to make sure your data is safe and secure.
• Backup. What happens if there is a power outage or your Wi-Fi goes down? Look for a company that has cellular and battery backup for your system’s keypad in the event an alarm is triggered but your internet is down or power out.

Vivint 24/7 professional monitoring

When it comes to protecting your home and family, Vivint professional monitoring goes above and beyond that of a typical DIY monitoring or even other professional monitoring companies.

• 24/7 monitoring from real, trained professionals. Whether it’s a break-in, fire, or medical emergency, Vivint’s monitoring team is on standby to contact emergency responders if required.

• Smart home system integration. Vivint systems are designed to seamlessly integrate professional monitoring with your security components. So if a smoke detector starts beeping or your door is opened while your alarm is armed, not only will the professional monitoring team be notified, but you will as well, keeping you connected to your home.
• Professional installation. With Vivint, it’s not just monitoring that you can leave to the professionals. With professional installation included with every system, your entire system—from the security devices to smart locks to the thermostat—Vivint’s licensed smart home pros will install your entire system, taking things like proximity to router, wifi connections, and device placement into account to ensure everything works together as it should.

Bottom line—professional monitoring provides the greatest protection

If you want ultimate, worry-free protection, a monitored security system provides 24/7 coverage whether you’re working, watching your kid’s softball game, or on vacation.

If you feel comfortable doing your own surveillance and are willing to manage alerts yourself, you can save money each month with a self-monitored system.

When it comes to your home and family, some things are better left to the pros. Professional monitoring provides a layer of protection you simply can’t get on your own. With Vivint’s professional monitoring, you can rest easy knowing the pros are protecting your home around the clock, helping to minimize damage, protect the people and things you care about the most, and give you priceless peace of mind.

Talk to a Vivint Smart Home Pro about monitoring costs for you home. Just give us a call at 855.822.1220 or visit us online and start protecting your home today.

Frequently asked monitoring questions

There's a lot to learn when it comes to professional versus self-monitoring a security system. Learn more here.

What’s the difference between monitored and self-monitored home security?

A monitored home security system has professional agents who are ready to respond to alarms and contact emergency services on your behalf when needed. A self-monitored system requires the homeowner to assess any alerts and call emergency services on their own.

Is professional monitoring worth the cost?

Yes. Professional monitoring is worth the cost if you want guaranteed emergency response when you are traveling, sleeping, working, or can’t check your phone. With prices ranging from $25-$80 per month, you get 24/7 protection and peace of mind.

What happens if I don’t answer a call from my monitoring company?

If you don’t answer or respond to your monitoring company’s calls, they will automatically dispatch emergency services to your home. This ensures your home is protected even when you are unavailable to respond to alerts.

What happens during an alarm with a Vivint security system?

If there is an alarm at your home, a Vivint security professional will reach out to you to verify if there is an emergency or false alarm. If you confirm a false alarm, the call ends and you can go about your day. If you are unable to answer, aren’t sure, or need help, emergency services will be dispatched to your location.

Are my camera feeds being watched with 24/7 monitoring?

No. If you have a professionally monitored security system, people from the security company are not watching your camera feeds. Instead, monitoring professionals are ready to respond to alerts 24/7 so you never go without coverage.

Is self or pro monitoring better for renters?

Most renters choose self-monitoring security systems because they usually require no contract, have low monthly costs, and work well with DIY installation. But that isn't the only option. With Vivint HomeProtect, renters get all the benefits of a Vivint system—24/7 Professional Monitoring, professional installation, and award-winning products—with an option for no long-term contracts. Simply pay for your equipment and professional installation upfront, plus a low monthly monitoring fee.