Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team
Smart & Secure Centre vs Vivint
Where Smart & Secure Centre and Vivint differ
| Compare |  Smart & Secure Centre |  Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £15 | $199.99 |
| Products | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell | Alarm, Camera, Smart lock, Video doorbell, Smoke alarmCovers more |
| Money-back period | 14 days | 30 daysHigher |
| Top resolution | 2k | 4k |
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Minimum contract | Not confirmed | 0 to 60 months |
| Professional monitoring | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Local storage | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Recording retention | Not confirmed | 10 days |
| Installation required | Not confirmed | Yes |
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Key differences
- Smart & Secure Centre scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 8.8.
- Products: only Vivint offers Smoke alarm.
- Support channels: only Smart & Secure Centre offers Email.
- Support channels: only Vivint offers Help centre.
- Money-back period is higher at Vivint: 30 days vs 14 days.
- Pricing model: only Smart & Secure Centre offers Diy.
- Pricing model: only Vivint offers Monitored.
- Power source: only Smart & Secure Centre offers Battery.
- Ecosystems: only Smart & Secure Centre offers Alexa, Homekit, Matter.
Our verdict on each
Smart & Secure Centre
Smart & Secure Centre suits homeowners and renters who want cameras, video doorbells, smart locks and alarm kits from a single GB supplier, with kit priced from £15 and support by email and phone. An overall score of 9.2 reflects strong value, with trust the weaker part.
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 | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.8HigherEntry price of £15 undercuts Aqara at £36.98 and Annke at $19.99. | 8.2Entry price of $199.99 ranks 65 of 70, while monitoring at $24.99 to $44.99 ranks higher. |
| Offer | 9.1Catalogue spans alarm, camera and smart lock with battery, wired and poe options, and returns run 14 days. | 9.2HigherA single system covers alarm, camera and smart lock, and the app adds energy reporting on top. |
| Trust | 8.1Support runs on email and phone from a 2020 company registered as EasyGates Limited in the GB. | 9.1HigherA monitored service with a 1 year warranty, 30 days money back and phone support. |
Where they rank in our lists
| Ranking | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Home security cameras | 39 of 83 | 19 of 83 |
| Video doorbells | 27 of 54 | 19 of 54 |
| Smart locks | 21 of 43 | 18 of 43 |
| Home alarm systems | 19 of 35 | 12 of 35 |
| Smart thermostats | 13 of 24 | 7 of 24 |
Sources behind this comparison
Smart & Secure Centre
- smart-secure.co.uk: 11 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Vivint
- vivint.com: 16 facts, checked September 30, 2026
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Diy | Monitored |
| Power source | Battery, Wired, PoeCovers more | Wired, Poe |
| Ecosystems | Alexa, Google, Homekit, Matter, SmartthingsCovers more | |
| Legal entity | EasyGates Limited | Vivint LLC |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United States |
| Founded | 2020 | Not confirmed |
| Support channels | Email, Phone | Phone, Help centre |
Smart home devices
| Fact | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Device types | Lighting, Plug, Hub, Sensor, Thermostat | Hub, Sensor, Thermostat, Lighting, Plug |
| Price from | Not confirmed | $199.99 |
| Protocols | Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Wi fiCovers more | Wi fi |
| Matter certified | No | Not confirmed |
| Hub required | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Local control | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Energy reporting | Not confirmed | Yes |
| Subscription per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99 |
| Warranty | Not confirmed | 1 year |
| Markets | GB, IM | US |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monitoring per month | Not confirmed | $24.99 to $44.99highest quarter | $0 |
| Minimum contract | Not confirmed | 0 to 60 monthsat the median | 0 |
| Money-back period | 14 dayslowest quarter | 30 daysat the median | 30 days |
| Recording retention | Not confirmed | 10 dayslowest quarter | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
Smart & Secure Centre
Pros
- Entry price of £15 sits under Aqara at £36.98 and Annke at $19.99.
- The catalogue covers alarm, camera and smart lock alongside lighting, plug and hub, so security kit and smart home kit can be ordered together.
- Power options run battery, wired and poe, so a battery setup and a wired install can both be covered in the same order.
Cons
- Matter certified is no, so anyone building a home around that standard should choose a certified brand instead.
- Resolution caps at 2k, which is short of the detail some buyers expect from a camera only specialist.
- The model is diy, so alarm panels and cameras arrive for the buyer to fit and no installer is included.
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
Smart & Secure Centre
Who it suits
- Households in the GB that want cameras, video doorbells, locks and alarm kit in the same order.
- Buyers who fit their own kit, since the model is diy and power runs battery, wired and poe.
- Shoppers already running alexa, google and homekit, who can keep new devices inside platforms they own.
Who should look elsewhere
- Aqara, whose entry price of £36.98 sits higher, for readers who would rather have that catalogue.
- Annke, at $19.99, for anyone shopping for a different starting point to £15.
- The Home Security Superstore, at $13.95, for buyers whose priority is the lowest opening figure in the group.
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.
Country by country
| Country | Smart & Secure Centre | Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Isle of Man | Yes | No |
| United Kingdom | Yes | No |
Questions about each
Smart & Secure Centre
How much does Smart & Secure Centre charge for its kit?+
Cameras, doorbells, locks and alarm kits start at £15, which puts the brand at position 7 of the 70 brands ranked on price. The cost part of the score reads 9.8, and the overall score reads 9.2.
What can I buy from Smart & Secure Centre?+
The security side covers alarm, camera and smart lock, and the smart home side adds lighting, plug and hub. That mix lets a household order a camera, a video doorbell, a lock and an alarm panel together, then add lighting, plugs, hubs, sensors and a thermostat from the same supplier.
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.