Vivint review
Updated September 30, 2026 · SmartHomeCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 30, 2026
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Our verdict
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.
Key facts
- Best for
- A full home covered by a single monitored plan, installed for you.
- Price
- $199.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Monitoring per month
- $24.99 to $44.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Minimum contract
- 0 to 60 months (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Products
- Alarm, Camera, Smart-lock, Video-doorbell, Smoke-alarm (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Professional monitoring
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Local storage
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Money-back period
- 30 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Top resolution
- 4k (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Recording retention
- 10 days (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Installation required
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Vivint LLC (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Pricing model
- Monitored
- Power source
- Wired, Poe
- Ecosystems
- Official website
- vivint.com
Smart home devices
- Price from
- $199.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Hub required
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Local control
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Energy reporting
- Yes (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Subscription per month
- $24.99 to $44.99 (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Warranty
- 1 year (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Markets
- US (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Legal entity
- Vivint LLC (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Headquarters
- United States (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Support channels
- Phone, Help-centre (Source, checked September 30, 2026)
- Device types
- Hub, Sensor, Thermostat, Lighting, Plug
- Protocols
- Wi fi
- Ecosystems
Apps and profiles
- Elsewhere
- XLinkedInTrustpilotfacebook.com
Pros and cons
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.
- The entry figure of $199.99 comes with a 30 days money back window and a 1 year warranty behind the hardware.
- The hub runs on wi fi and the range works with google, so an existing Google setup can absorb it.
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.
- Support runs through phone and help centre only, so phone is the practical route when a hub or camera needs troubleshooting.
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.
How it compares on our data
Vivint sits mid table on the two numbers most readers check first. On monthly monitoring it places 46 of 51 brands, which is a reasonable showing for a fully monitored service. On entry price it falls further down, at 65 of 70. Put together, the two rankings say the same thing as the pricing: the recurring fee holds its ground against the field, while the figure you pay at the start sits above most of the brands next to it. Anyone comparing on sticker price alone will misread the package, and anyone comparing on the monthly line alone will understate the total.
Core features
The range covers alarm, camera and smart lock, so cameras, a video doorbell, a smart lock, an alarm and a smoke alarm can all sit on the same account. Professional monitoring is part of the plan, which is the piece a self installed camera cannot copy: a monitoring centre watches for break ins and makes the call. Local storage is supported, so footage can sit on the equipment itself, and video is retained for 10 days. Installation is required, so the hardware does not go up on its own and a visit has to be booked before anything starts recording. The trade is speed and hands off setup against less control over when and how the work happens.
Plans and prices
The Vivint security plan is advertised at $199.99 to begin with. The plan then bills $24.99 to $44.99 a month, and those two line items are where readers should look separately: the entry figure is the introduction, the monitoring figure is the recurring cost that carries on afterwards. Contract terms run 0 to 60 months, so the length of the term decides how much of the monitoring fee is actually paid. Add the two together over the intended term rather than judging the headline number alone, because a high entry price spread over a long term tells a different story from the same entry price over a short one.
The company behind it
The contract is with Vivint LLC, which is headquartered in the US, and the terms of service set out what each side owes. Support runs through phone and help centre only, so phone is the main route and the help centre covers written questions. For an installed system with a hub in the house, that means a call is the realistic way to get anything resolved, which suits people who are happy on the phone and less so people who prefer to type.
How Vivint compares
- 8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.1- 8.8 vs 8.5
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 8.9
8.8 vs 9.0- 8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.4Arno
- 8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 8.7- 8.8 vs 9.2
- 8.8 vs 9.2
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 9.0
8.8 vs 9.1
8.8 vs 8.7BlazeVideo DE
Frequently asked questions
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.
Where can I buy a Vivint system?+
The service sells in the US only, and Vivint LLC is based in the US. Buyers elsewhere should treat the brand as out of reach rather than ordering hardware across borders, because what the subscription buys is the monitoring service rather than the devices alone.
What does the monitoring plan actually include?+
Professional monitoring is included in the plan, which is the clearest difference from a self installed camera brand such as Annke. Vivint also supports local storage, so footage can sit on the equipment itself, and video is retained for 10 days on the recording service.
What can I connect, and does it fit my smart home?+
The range spans alarm, camera and smart lock, and the devices around the home include hub, sensor and thermostat. The hub runs on wi fi and works with google, so voice control is available through Google. The app also reports energy use, which adds a little value when a thermostat and sensors sit on the same account.
Can I change my mind after signing up?+
There is a 30 days money back window on the plan, so an early exit is possible inside that period. After it closes the commitment continues under 0 to 60 months terms, and the $24.99 to $44.99 subscription carries on regardless. Worth weighing that window against your own moving or decorating plans.
How do I get help if something stops working?+
Support runs through phone and help centre only, so phone is the live route and the help centre covers written questions. There is no chat or email channel listed, which matters if a hub or camera needs sorting out while nobody is at home to take a call.
How good is the camera footage?+
Cameras reach 4k at the top of the range, and the outdoor camera takes its power over wired and poe, which suits a fixed position such as a driveway or a back door where cable routing is practical rather than awkward.
Sources
- vivint.com checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Installation required, Legal entity, Money-back period, Products, Support channels
“All Vivint security system purchases include professional installation”
- vivint.com/company/about-us checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Local control
“Using your Vivint products without a monthly fee means your system will not have the benefit of 24/7 monitoring and will lose app access, though you can still control your system through your Vivint...”
- vivint.com/how-to-buy checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Price, Price from, Subscription per month
“A Vivint security system starting at $199.99”
- vivint.com/legal/terms-of-services checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Device types, Headquarters, Markets
“control panels, hubs, display devices, various cameras (outdoor, doorbell, indoor), thermostats, security alarms, door locks, detectors (smoke, CO, heat), sensors (door/window, glass break, water,...”
- vivint.com/legal/warranty checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Warranty
“This limited warranty starts on the date the Covered Product is professionally installed or shipped to you by Vivint and lasts for one year (the "Warranty Period").”
- vivint.com/packages/security-cameras checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Minimum contract, Top resolution
“To avoid a long-term contract buy upfront and pay month-to-month - requiring a five-year contract”
- vivint.com/products/app checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Energy reporting
“Energy savings insights are built directly into the Vivint app to help you understand your energy usage patterns to help you save money”
- vivint.com/products/monitoring checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Pricing model, Monitoring per month, Professional monitoring
“Every Vivint system includes 24/7 Professional Monitoring - All Vivint systems include 24/7 Professional Monitoring”
- vivint.com/products/outdoor-camera checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Power source
“Outdoor Camera Pro 3 uses a wired Ethernet connection with Power over Ethernet (PoE)”
- vivint.com/products/smart-hub checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Hub required, Protocols
“The Vivint Smart Hub is necessary to control your entire Vivint system”
- vivint.com/products/video-recording checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Local storage, Recording retention
“Footage is stored on your Vivint security cameras - stored directly on the cameras”
- vivint.com/products/works-with-vivint checked September 30, 2026
Backs: Ecosystems
“Google Nest smart speakers and Nest thermostat work seamlessly with your Vivint system”
Compiled from 12 source pages, checked September 30, 2026. We did not open an account.