Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
GHome Smart vs Vivint
What sets them apart
| Compare |  GHome Smart |  Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $9.99Lower | $199.99 |
| Hub required | No | YesHas it |
| Local control | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
Same on both: Energy reporting (Yes), Warranty (1 year), Markets (US).
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Key differences
- GHome Smart scores higher overall: 9.3 vs 8.8.
- Price from is lower at GHome Smart: $9.99 vs $199.99.
- Hub required: only Vivint.
- Support channels: only GHome Smart offers Email, Community.
- Support channels: only Vivint offers Phone.
- Device types: only GHome Smart offers Trv.
- Device types: only Vivint offers Hub.
- Protocols: only GHome Smart offers Zigbee.
- Ecosystems: only GHome Smart offers Alexa.
Our verdict on each
GHome Smart
GHome Smart suits homeowners and renters who want broad smart home and security coverage without a hub or a paid plan. It scores 9.3 overall, with cameras from $23.99 and a range starting at $9.99.
Vivint
Vivint suits households that want a monitored system sold, installed and maintained as a single package rather than a box of self installed cameras. It scores 8.8 overall, and the trade to weigh is a higher entry price and a contract term against professional monitoring on every device.
Score breakdown
| Area | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8HigherEntry pricing starts at $9.99 and cameras at $23.99, well under the site entry median of €127.49. | 8.2Entry price of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, while monitoring at $24.99 to $44.99 ranks higher. |
| Offer | 8.8No hub needed, no installation, and First month cloud storage and SD card recording keep running costs close to the hardware price. | 9.2HigherA single system covers alarm, camera and smart lock, and the app adds energy reporting on top. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.1A monitored service with a 1 year warranty, 30 days money back and phone support. |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | United States |
Pick GHome Smart if, pick Vivint if
Pick GHome Smart if cost and price from matter most.
Pick Vivint if offer and hub required matter most.
How they place
| Ranking | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 36 of 83 | 19 of 83 |
| Security cameras without a subscription | 18 of 53 | 15 of 53 |
| Video doorbells | 25 of 54 | 19 of 54 |
| Smart locks | 20 of 43 | 18 of 43 |
| Smart thermostats | 11 of 24 | 7 of 24 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Plug, Lighting, Thermostat, Trv, Sensor | Hub, Sensor, Thermostat, Lighting, Plug |
| Protocols | Wi fi, ZigbeeCovers more | Wi fi |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, GoogleCovers more | |
| Legal entity | GhomeSmart GROUP CO..LTD | Vivint LLC |
| Headquarters | Hong Kong | United States |
| Support channels | Email, Help centre, Community | Phone, Help centre |
Home security
| Fact | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $23.99Lower | $199.99 |
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | Not confirmed | 0 to 60 months |
| Products | Camera, Video doorbell, Smart lock, Smoke alarm | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Professional monitoring | No | YesHas it |
| Local storage | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Diy | Monitored |
| Money-back period | 30 days | 30 days |
| Free features | First month cloud storage and SD card recording | Not confirmed |
| Top resolution | 4k | 4k |
| Power source | Wired | Wired, PoeCovers more |
| Recording retention | Not confirmed | 10 days |
| Installation required | No | YesHas it |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | GHome Smart | Vivint | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | $9.99lowest quarter | $199.99highest quarter | $99.99 |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99highest quarter | $0 |
| Warranty | 1 yearlowest quarter | 1 yearlowest quarter | 2 years |
Median across 34 listed brands.
Pros and cons
GHome Smart
Pros
- No hub is needed and installation is not required, so devices work once plugged in.
- Cameras start at $23.99 and the wider range at $9.99, under the site entry median of €127.49.
- Local storage is supported, and First month cloud storage and SD card recording keeps recording going early on.
Cons
- Professional monitoring is not offered, so nothing watches the house when an alarm sounds.
- Devices run on wi fi and zigbee only, so there is no Matter route into a mixed-brand home.
- Support runs on email, help centre and community, with no phone line listed.
Vivint
Pros
- Professional monitoring is included rather than sold as an add on, and the plan also supports local storage with video kept for 10 days.
- A single plan spans alarm, camera and smart lock, so cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock, an alarm and a smoke alarm run on the same account.
- The recurring fee of $24.99 to $44.99 places Vivint at 46 of 51 on monthly cost, which reads well for a monitored service.
Cons
- The entry figure of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, far above the $19.99 Annke charges and the $13.95 The Home Security Superstore charges for a single device.
- Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, so the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee keeps going well past the point where a cheaper kit would have paid for itself.
- The service sells in the US only, which closes it off for buyers in other countries.
Who each suits
GHome Smart
Who it suits
- Renters and homeowners adding cameras and small devices on a budget
- Households already set up with Alexa or Google
- Anyone wanting local recording without paying for a plan
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers planning a Matter-based mixed-brand home, where Aqara or SONOFF fit better
- Shoppers who want professional alarm response from a plan
- Readers focused on lighting and blinds, where Lutron covers more of that range
Vivint
Who it suits
- Households that want professional monitoring and installation handled rather than self installed.
- People fitting out a whole home at once, since one account covers alarm, camera and smart lock.
- Owners who already run Google in the home, as the range works with google.
Who should look elsewhere
- Buyers outside the US, where the service is not offered.
- Shoppers on a tight entry budget, since Annke at $19.99 and Aqara at £36.98 both start lower than $199.99.
- Renters who may move during the term, because contract terms run 0 to 60 months.
Current offers
GHome Smart
Current offer
Discount code
10% off your first order: 10%
Discount code from the newsletter signup popup on the homepage, applied to the first purchase
Source, checked September 30, 2026
Country by country
| Country | GHome Smart | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Yes | No |
Questions about each
GHome Smart
What does GHome Smart cost to get started?+
Prices start at $9.99 across the whole range, and the camera collection begins at $23.99. That sits under the site entry median of €127.49, so a small setup of a few devices is cheap to try and easy to extend later without renegotiating anything.
Do I need a hub or an installer?+
No hub is required and installation is not required, so devices in plug, lighting and thermostat connect on their own over wi fi and zigbee. That suits renters and anyone who does not want cabling pulled through a house or a visit from a tradesperson just to get sensors paired.
Vivint
What does a Vivint system cost to begin with?+
The introductory figure for the Vivint security plan is $199.99. After that, the recurring monitoring charge is $24.99 to $44.99 a month, and installation is required, so the real outlay is the entry figure plus the monthly fee for as long as the system stays in the house. Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, which sets how long that addition continues.
Is there a contract, and how long does it run?+
Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, spanning a short arrangement at one end and a multi year tie in at the other. That length decides how much of the $24.99 to $44.99 monitoring fee you pay in total, so the term matters more than the entry figure of $199.99 for anyone planning to move within a few years.