If you want a basic security system with solid emergency dispatch features, Cove is a good choice. But ADT is better if you want a doorbell camera and home automation capabilities. Your ADT Self Setup equipment primarily uses Wi-Fi to work, but if your internet ever crashes, you don’t want your security system to crash with it. Cellular backup switches your system to a cellular connection, so everything stays on and working—even in a total power outage. A local alarm means that the siren will go off if someone trips a sensor, but you won’t get any alerts about it, and no one’s gonna call the cops (or fire department, or paramedics) for you. Cove does give you a few extra perks to justify the higher-priced plan. If you go for Cove’s Plus plan, you not only get mobile app access and smart home support, but you also get a lifetime equipment warranty, a price lock, and a $5-per-month credit you can use to purchase new equipment. That’s a great way to add extra sensors to your Cove system without shelling out extra cash. RapidSOS is a company that partners with Cove to quickly send emergency dispatchers important information about you, like your name, address, and medical info. Normally, the Cove rep would have to read all of your info to the dispatcher over the phone, which can take a while. And in an emergency, you don’t always have “a while.” Those few minutes you save could make a huge difference. But if you want an outdoor camera that can recognize faces, then ADT Self Setup is the better choice. That said, they’re not the best security cameras we’ve ever tested. ADT Self Setup’s Indoor Camera is solid, but its Outdoor Camera has some connectivity issues, and its Doorbell Camera doesn’t have some AI features we expect from video doorbells in its price range. The exception is ADT Self Setup’s doorbell camera—it only uses cloud storage. If you’re set on that doorbell camera, then plan on subscribing to the ADT Self Setup camera storage plan. On the flip side, ADT Self Setup has a bunch of smart home integrations. It works with Alexa and Google, same as Cove, but you can do more with them. In fact, because ADT has a partnership with Google, you can control your entire ADT Self Setup system using a Google Nest Hub or Nest Hub Max. That basically gives you a touchscreen control panel that can still do all the regular Google Assistant stuff, like make lists, search the internet, and play music. ADT Self Setup smart home integrations: Cove gets 4.6 stars on Trustpilot with over 4,100 customer reviews.2 Compare that with ADT Self Setup’s respectable, but still lower, 3.4 stars.3 If you need help with your system, Cove and ADT Self Setup have reps available by phone or email. You can also probably help yourself with any questions by checking out Cove’s online knowledge base or ADT Self Setup support center. We have to give Cove extra points for also offering live chat, which is our favorite way to communicate with customer support.
Price Equipment Home automation Cameras Customer service
We’ve tested both Cove and ADT Self Setup security systems and talked to representatives from both companies. We’ve been writing about ADT Self Setup since it was first announced and have tracked updates to its equipment and offerings.
