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Today we will be comparing home security providers Vivint Smart Home and Nest Secure, and see how they stack up! We’ll go over equipment, monitoring plans, and more!

When you are shopping for a home security system, it is always a good idea to see how expandable the system you are interested in is. There are many ways you expand a home security system to give it a more personal feel. Most systems allow you to add home automation and video cams to them. Security companies offer different ways and different prices for how you monitor your system. Today we will be taking a look at Vivint and Nest Secure by going over their monitoring services and add-on equipment.

Vivint Smart Home Control Panel

The main component of Vivint’s security system is their Smart Hub. Vivint’s Smart Hub has a super slim design, and it connects all your devices to once place wirelessly. It has a 7-inch full colored touchscreen control panel. You will be able to control all of your system’s functions from the control panel. The Vivint Smart Hub comes with a built-in cellular chip so you don’t have to have a landline or internet connection for it to work. It can however connect to your home’s WIFI network giving you double the connection protection. It is powered by being directly plugged into an outlet, but it includes a backup battery just in case your power goes out. The Vivint Smart Hub has a built-in microphone with 2-way audio that allows you to directly communicate with Vivint’s central monitoring station during an emergency. It has a built in Z-Wave protocol that allows you to use other branded security and home automation devices with it. If your Vivint security system or devices are triggered by something, the Vivint Smart Hub’s 100-decibel internal siren will sound.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option, our home security system at Link Interactive »

Nest Secure Control Panel

Nest is well known for their high-quality security cameras, and now they have security system that is just as impressive called the Nest Secure. The Nest Secure’s connects all your devices through its control panel call the Nest Guard. The Nest Guard has a cone shaped design with built-in indicator lights that will change colors to show different system statues. The Nest Guard connects directly to your home’s WIFI network, but you do have the option to have a cellular chip installed. It has push-button keypad that allows you to quickly arm and disarm your system. You can create custom user codes for different users for you Nest Secure system that can be enabled and disabled at any time. The Nest Guard is powered by an AC power source, and it includes a backup battery. The Nest Guard stands out from other control panels due to it have a motion detector built right into the control panel that can detect motion within a 10 ft range of the Nest Guard. The Nest Guard includes audio chimes for when your system is armed/disarmed, opened/shut doors, and other chimes for other events. If you Nest Security system is triggered the Nest Guard will sound its internal 85-decibel siren.

See our cutting-edge control panel by Qolsys »

Who wins?

Vivint and Nest offer really great control panels that are easy to use, and have some really great features. Vivint’s control panel has an amazing touchscreen display, and due to it having a Z-Wave protocol you can easily expand it. The Nest Guard has a built-in motion sensor which is pretty revolutionary when it comes to home security hubs. However, Vivint’s Smart Hub is much nicer with more features and for this reason we are making them the winner of this category.

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

To protect the entryways to your home, Vivint offers several different tamper proof intrusion sensors. They offer wireless and battery-operated door/window, motion, glass break, and tilt sensors. These sensors are used as the man line of defense in protecting your home. Their door/window sensor will protect your door/windows, motion sensors will detect motion in larger areas, glass break sensors listen for the sound of breaking glass, and tilt sensors will let you know when your garage doors has been opened and shut. Vivint offers a battery-operated keychain remote that will allow you to arm and disarm your system with the touch of a button. To keep your home safe from environmental dangers such as floods/leaks, CO gas, and fire, Vivint offers sensors each of these environmental dangers. These sensors are battery-operated and will make an audible alert if triggered. All equipment offered from Vivint is professional installed so you don’t have to worry about setting up the equipment yourself.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive »

Home Automation

There are a lot of great home automation and video surveillance devices that you can use with your Vivint Smart Hub. Due to the Vivint Smart Hub having a built in Z-wave protocol you can use other branded smart home devices like smart locks. You can add a Kwikset smart lock to your Vivint security system that will allow you to remotely unlock and lock your doors. The Kwikset smart lock allows you to create custom user codes that are entered on its illuminated push-button keypad. If you have garage doors on your home you can control them remotely using a garage door controller from Vivint. You will also receive instant notifications anytime your garage doors have been opened or shut. Vivint has a few smart thermostats for you to choose from which can learn the temperature of your home, and automatically turn on and off your home’s heating and cooling system. If you are looking for a way to turn your home into a total smart home, you can add some Phillips smart bulbs to your Vivint security system. Phillips smart bulbs are energy efficient, and they can be remotely controlled on the go. You can set custom timers for when your Phillips smart bulbs turn on and turn off.

Video Monitoring/Cameras

Vivint offers all the video cameras you could need to an extra layer of security to your home. They offer indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell cameras that work by connecting to your home’s WIFI. Their cameras have night vision, motion sensors, and they all capture crystal clear video clips. You can use their 2-way audio features to directly communicate with whomever is around your cameras.

Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive »

Nest Secure Equipment

When Nest designed their Nest Secure, they went for simplicity and that is reflected in the variety of basic equipment they have to offer you. Their main intrusion sensor is called the Nest Detect. The Nest Detect is a combo door/window sensor and motion sensor. It is battery-operated and wireless. The Nest Detect will alert you when a door/window has been open in which it has been placed as well as monitor for motion in the area it is placed. Nest offers their Nest Tags as a quick a way for you to arm and disarm your system. You simply need to tap a Nest Tag on your Nest Guard to quickly arm and disarm your system. When it comes to environmental safety sensors Nest offers their Nest Protect. The Nest Protect is wireless and battery-operated and it will monitor for dangerous rises in CO gas and smoke. If these are detected your Nest Protect will make an audible alert. All the equipment offered by Nest is totally DIY, but they do include a step by step setup guide.

Recommended: An alternative DIY (do-it-yourself) option called Link Interactive »

Home Automation

Nest has some nice home automation devices and video cams for you to choose from, and they all work perfectly with their Nest Secure system. When it comes to home automation devices, Nest offers a really nice smart thermostat and they have partnered with Yale to produce a super high-quality smart lock. Their Smart Thermostat has an amazing full colored display, and its green leaf icon lets you know you are saving money on your home’s energy cost. The Nest Smart Thermostat will learn your home’s energy patterns, and automatically adjust your home’s temperature to your preference. Their Yale Smart Lock comes in a few different colors, and it has an LED illuminated keypad. This lock is tamper-proof, and you can create different users codes. You can control both the Nest Smart Thermostat and the Nest Yale Smart Lock on the go through the Nest app.

Monitoring/Cameras

When it comes to video surveillance equipment, Nest has the major types of video cams out on the market. They have several different models of indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell cameras. Their cameras have advanced features that allow you to capture detail images along with producing and capture video in HD resolution. You can use their cameras’ night vision technology to capture crystal clear images even when there is no light around. Nest cameras’ motions sensors will trigger them to start to record, and you will be sent an instant alert. You can use their cameras’ 2-way audio feature to directly communicate with the people around your Nest cams. Nest cams are work through PoE (Power over Ethernet), or by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI.

Recommended: See all of our Alarm.com powered video monitoring options at Link Interactive »

Who wins?

Vivint’s and Nest Secure basic equipment are quite different from one another. However, they do both offered wireless and battery-operated environmental and intrusion sensors. Nest Secure’s Nest Detect is one of the first of its kind being a door/window and motion sensor which is pretty impressive. Vivint have several different sensors you can use with your Smart Hug allowing you to give your home total protection. Because Vivint has more basic equipment than Nest Secure, we are giving them the win for this category.

You’ll have no problem converting either a Vivint security system or Nest Secure system into a home automation system. We really like that Vivint offers several different types of home automation devices so that you can really turn your home into a smart home. We love Nest Thermostats due to their advanced energy saving features that a lot of other smart thermostats can’t compare to. However, Vivint does have a larger selection of add-on equipment, and for that reason we are making them our winner for this category.

Vivint Smart Home vs Nest Secure App

To keep an eye on your Vivint or Nest Secure systems, you can use their professional, self, and video monitoring services. Vivint’s and Nest Secure’s self-monitoring services are done through their apps which are free to download and work for Apple and Android devices. Their apps will allow you remote control of your system and all connected devices. You will also receive push notifications for any event triggered by your system or connected devices. Nest’s basic features for their app are free to use with an optional subscription for stored video clips while Vivint charges a month to month fee to even use the basic features of their app. Nest doesn’t directly offer professional monitoring services themselves, but they have partnered with Brinks Home Security to provide professional monitoring. Nest with Brink’s professional monitoring service works the same as Vivint’s professional monitoring where you have a professional monitoring service watching over your home 24/7. Both Vivint’s and Nest Secure’s video monitoring is done directly through their apps where you can stream live and recorded video.

Recommended: Check out Link Interactive. With Link Interactive you’ll get the Alarm.com app (the gold standard in home security), and top of the line security equipment at great affordable prices. See details »

Vivint Smart Home vs Nest Secure vs Link Interactive

Shopping around for a home security system can be an adventure, and if you have narrowed your choices between Nest and Vivint you are on the right track. Nest offers top of the line security, home automation, and video surveillance equipment, and all of their equipment maintains high reviews from their consumers. Vivint has an awesome modern security control panel that can be expanded to include a ton of equipment which really can give your home security a personalized feel. Due to Vivint having a wider variety of home automation equipment, and a nicer control panel we are choosing them as our overall winner.

Recommended Alternative: Link Interactive

If you’d like a better bang for your buck without skimping on features and quality of service, take a at the Link Interactive home alarm system.

Link Interactive and Vivint are very similar in terms of equipment and monitoring services. At Link we offer a better, more advanced control panel in the the Qolsys IQ 2 Panel with Alarm.com self-monitoring and third-party professional monitoring. We also offer cutting-edge video monitoring services, all at a much better price point than Vivint.

We have thousands of 5-star reviews on various reputable third party review sites complimenting our awesome after-sales support! 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!