Get A Quote

Let’s compare Vivint Smart Home with Scout Alarm and see which of them comes out on top. We’ll go over equipment, features, monitoring and more!

You may be one of the thousands of homeowners shopping for a security system right now. The process can feel overwhelming due to the amount of security products on the market. We are here to make your shopping experience much less stressful by providing you information on the top security products and companies. Today we will be taking a look at and comparing what Vivint and Scout Alarm have to offer.

Vivint Smart Home Control Panel

Vivint’s control panel is a little different than other control panels that are currently on the market. Vivint decided to design their own control panel which they call the SkyControl. The SkyControl panel has a 7-inch HD touchscreen display that shows the current status of the security system. The control panel’s display has all the options and features for a user to fully control all their home security and automation devices right from the control panel.

The SkyControl also has a built-in two-way audio feature which allows you to directly communicate with Vivnt’s central monitoring station. The control panel is cellular with WIFI backup, so it will work even if your internet goes down. The SkyControl Panel is powered by an AC power source, and has a backup battery just in case the power goes out. The panel also offers up to 48 different user codes and is Z-Wave/home automation compatible.

To see an alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, check out our home security system at Link Interactive »

Scout Alarm Control Panel

Scout Alarm offers a really nice control panel as well that connects all of your security equipment and other devices to one singular place. Their control panel is called the Scout Hub. The Scout Hub is a wireless control panel that connects all of the security sensors and other devices to it wirelessly. It works by connecting to your home’s WIFI network but also includes a cellular backup just in case your internet goes down.

The Scout Hub includes an internal 105-decibel alarm that can be easily heard no matter where you are in your home. Their hub is powered through an AC power source, and it does include a built-in backup battery just in case your power goes out. One really stands out feature that we like about the hub is the way the Scout Hub uses zones. The Hub will tell you exactly which zone (sensor) has been triggered which will give you a better idea of where and what is exactly happening in your home.

The Scout Hub also includes Z-Wave technology which will allow you to expand your system to include the use of some smart home devices. All equipment that is sold to you by Scout Alarm is DIY (do-it-yourself) which means that you will need to set up the equipment yourself.

To see an alternative DIY option, check out our home security system at Link Interactive »

Who wins?

Both Vivint’s and Scout Alarm’s control panels are very easy to use. They both include Z-Wave technology that allows you to expand your system with other branded security and home automation devices. Scout Alarm’s control panel however includes the cellular chip included with their control panel while Vivint charges an upgrade fee for this feature in their basic panel. Because Vivint does offer a few choices for their control panels we are giving the win for this category to them.

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

Vivint’s control panel and sensors are completely wireless so you do not have to worry about having wires run all over your home. Vivint offers a few different types of basic sensors that will protect the entryways and interiors of your home. Vivint offers wireless battery-operated door/window sensors that work with a variety of different door/window frames. For those of you looking to protect whole areas of your home you can use Vivint’s motion sensors to cover these large areas. Their motion sensors are battery operated and pet immune. For glass breakage, Vivint offers battery operated glass break sensors that can easily detect the sound of glass breaking.

For smoke and CO detection they offer smoke and CO detectors that are battery operated. They will make an audible alert any time these threats are detected, and they will also trigger your system. You can use Amazon’s Echo and Google Home to control your equipment using voice commands. Vivint also offers professional installation which is great for those who may not be that tech savvy.

Additional equipment

Vivint has some great additional equipment you can use with their system which really allows you to customize your security solution. Vivint offers few different styles of smart locks. The smart locks that are offered through Vivint will allow users to create custom user codes, get alerts any time the locks have been unlocked or locked, and remotely unlock and locks these locks. Vivint offers garage door controllers as well. Their garage door controllers will allow you to open and close your garage doors remotely, and you will receive alerts any time your garage door has been left open or has been closed.

Cameras/Video Surveillance

Vivint also offers video surveillance equipment. Vivint offers an outdoor, indoor, and video doorbell camera. Their cameras are wireless which means they work by connecting to your home’s WIFI network. They are powered through an AC power source, and they can capture video clips in stunning HD. Their doorbell camera includes a 2-way audio features that allows you to directly communicate with whomever is around your doorbell camera. Vivint offers a playback DVR for extra storage of your video clips. Also, there is a lot of other branded security and home automation products that will work with your Vivint system such as Nest thermostats.

Scout Alarm Equipment

Scout Alarm offers a nice variety of basic equipment that you can use with their control panel. You can purchase their Door Panel which is a pretty different type of intrusion sensor compared to other intrusion sensors that are out on the market today. The Scout Alarm’s Door Panel is a larger sensor meant to be placed on the outside of an entryway door. This sensor will alert you any time it has been opened and closed. This sensor can also be used to quickly arm and disarm your system by tapping an RFID sticker to the Door Panel or using Scout’s key fob. These stickers can be placed on anything that is easy to move around. When you tap these stickers on your Hub or Door Panel, they will automatically arm or disarm your system. The Door Panel also includes a 105-decibel alarm built in.

The next basic sensor that is offered by Scout is their Access Sensor. These sensors are used to protect the door and windows of your home. They are battery operated and will alert you to anytime a door or window has been opened. Scout also offers motion sensors that are wireless and battery operated. Scout’s motion sensors use PIR technology to detect motion and have a 90-degree field of view. Scout Alarm offers glass break sensors that are wireless and battery operated. Scout Alarm’s glass break sensors are used to detect the sound of glass breaking within a 15 ft. range of the sensor. Scout Alarm offers key fobs that are battery operated and have a push button design. Their key fob remotes allow you to quickly arm and disarm your system with the touch of a button.

Lastly, Scout Alarm offers Smoke, CO, and flood sensors to help protect your home from environmental disasters. These sensors are battery operated and wireless, and they will make an audible alert any time they are triggered. These sensors along with Scout Alarm’s other sensors will all trigger your system to cause an event any time they are triggered.

Additional Equipment

Scout’s control panel has Z-Wave technology which means you can use other branded home automation and security products that are not offered by Scout. For example, one of the most popular Z-Wave devices used with the Scout system are Yale automated door locks. The Yale automated door lock has an illuminated touch pin pad that allows you to create custom user codes. It is battery operated and allows for quick one-touch locking and unlocking of this lock. The Yale automated door lock can also be unlocked and locked on the go, and any user codes for it can be enabled or disabled at any time.

Cameras/Video Surveillance

Scout Alarm also offers an indoor camera as a part of their line of add-on equipment. Scout Alarm’s indoor camera is wireless which means it works by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network, and it is powered through an AC power source so make sure you have one nearby. Their indoor camera records in full HD (1080P) video resolution so that you will receive crystal clear images. This indoor camera has a 155-degree field of view and comes with night vision so that you can view video even when there is limited or no light. The Scout indoor camera also has a built-in motion detector that will trigger the camera to start recording whenever motion is detected near the camera.

Who wins?

Vivint has a larger selection of what they actually offer for add-on equipment than that of Scout Alarm. Vivint strives to be a one stop shop when it comes to putting together your security system, and thus why they offer a larger variety of add-on equipment. The automated lock offer by Scout Alarm is really nice, and we really like its quality and design. Seeing that Vivint has a larger variety of add-on equipment offered directly through them gives them the win for this category.

Vivint Smart Home vs Scout Alarm App

Vivint and Scout Alarm offer self, professional, and video monitoring services. Their self-monitoring services are done through their apps which are free to download and work for Apple and Android devices. Both apps will allow you to receive push notifications any time your sensors or system has been triggered. They allow you to also remotely control your system and devices connected to it while on the go. You can arm and disarm your system, stream and view video, and customize settings and alerts right through the apps.

The biggest difference between the two companies comes with their pricing per month for their monitoring services/app usage and contracts. Vivint’s pricing for their monitoring service fees tend to be on the high side while Scout Alarm’s monitoring service fees tend to be much cheaper. Also, Vivint requires a contract with their monitoring services while Scout Alarm’s monitoring services are contract free.

However, if you want a better way to control your safety, look at our security system here at Link Interactive.

Vivint Smart Home vs Scout Alarm vs Link Interactive

Vivint Smart Home and Scout Alarm are great companies that can provide you with great security, home, and video surveillance equipment along with monitoring services that are meant to keep your home totally protected. Vivint has a great reputation and has been in the business for a long time. Scout Alarm is an up and coming security company with great reviews from their customers. Today we are choosing Scout Alarm as our overall winner due to their pricing, high-quality products, and ease of use. But…here’s a better alternative then both of these systems:

Meet Link Interactive

Link Interactive and Vivint are pretty similar in terms of equipment and monitoring services. At Link we offer the Qolsys control panel, Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party professional monitoring. We both also offer home automation control and cutting-edge video monitoring services. The difference is in the experience. With our Alarm.com security system, you open yourself up to more features and compatibility with various on-market smart devices.

We encourage you take a look at our offer here, get a quote and compare. You can also call us direct at 1-877-826-5443 for further details and speak with a rep!