
The ADT Pulse monitoring service starts at $28. 99 per month and requires a three
year contract, but you also have to figure in the cost of things like hardware components, cellular backup, and installation. When we reviewed the Pulse system, our upfront cost was more than $3,000, with a monthly fee of over $60. Some vendors, such as LifeShield, will let you buy the components outright or lease them. For example, LifeShield's Security Essentials system will cost you $29. 99 per month for three years and includes monitoring, but you'll pay a $99 activation fee and you don't own the equipment at the end of the lease. Or, you can pay $299. 99 upfront for the hardware and still get monitoring but avoid the activation fee. If you live in a small apartment and want to keep tabs on things when you're not home, a security
camera can get the job done for a lot less money than what you'll pay for a full security system. Nearly all standalone security cameras connect to your home's Wi Fi so you can see what's going on from your phone or tablet, and most have built in sensors that detect motion and sound and will send push and email notifications when those sensors are triggered. You can usually tweak the camera's motion sensitivity to prevent false alarms due to pet activity or passing cars if the camera is near a window, and you can create a schedule that turns the sensors on and off during certain hours of the day.
Works
with numerous third party devices. Alexa, Google Assistant, and IFTTT support. Local storage. Free cloud storage. On demand professional monitoring available. Cons: Some components can be pricey.

When the camera is still, though, it produces quality video for its sub $40 price. It also has a number of useful features, such as sending you an alert if it hears a smoke or CO2 alarm. Plus, you get 14 days of rolling cloud storage for free — a real bargain. Read our full Wyze Cam Pan review. 99/month $59. 99/year for seven days' footageReasons to BuyBargain priceGood daylight videoExcellent audioFlexible
schedulingReasons to AvoidWeb portal works only in Internet Explorer or SafariOptions very limited if you don't subscribe to cloud
planTimeline view difficult to navigateEvery home is different, and so is every homeowner’s security needs.