Get A Quote

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

When you come across a home security system you like, you want to make sure it has the monitoring services, add-on equipment, and bonus features that fit your specific wants and needs. Most modern-day security systems all come with some sort of self or professional monitoring services. Also, most modern-day security control panels can be expanded to include home automation equipment and video surveillance equipment. Today we will take a look at and compare Vivint with Abode by going over their add-on equipment, monitoring services, and apps.

Vivint Smart Home Control Panel

Vivint offers a stunning modern day cellular and wireless hub called the Vivint Smart Hub. The Vivint Smart Hub is a 7-inch full colored touchscreen security hub. The Vivint Smart Hub is extremely thin which makes easy to place. Due to the Vivint Smart Hub being cellular, you don’t have to worry about having a landline or internet connection for it to work. However, if for some reason your cellular signal drops, the Vivint Smart Hub will connect to your home’s WIFI network as a backup. It is powered by an AC power source, and it comes with a 24-hour backup battery. All the features of your system can be controlled with a simple touch on your Vivint Smart Hub’s touchscreen. You can arm and disarm your system, check device status, add/remove devices, and customize your systems features right from the Vivint Smart Hub’s touchscreen. If your Vivint security system or connected devices are triggered, the Vivint Smart Hub will sound its internal siren while alerting your central monitoring station. You can communicate with your central monitoring station during an emergency directly through the Vivint Smart Hub’s 2-way audio feature. The Vivint Smart Hub is really expandable, and it includes a Z-wave protocol that allows you to use smart home devices with your Vivint Smart Hub like smart lights or smart locks.

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

Abode Control Panel

Abode is not a well-known name in the security world as of yet, but their control panel known as the Abode Iota is a pretty superior security control hub. The Abode Iota has a tower shape design. It works by connecting directly to home’s WIFI network. You do have the option to upgrade your Abode Iota to include a cellular chip. The Abode Iota is powered by an AC power source, but it does include a backup battery that can last up to 5 hours. All of the features of the Abode Iota are controlled through its keypad including arming and disarming your system. One really standout feature of the Adobe Iota is that is has 1080P HD camera that is built right into it. The Abode Iota’s built-in camera also includes motion sensors that will trigger it to start to record. The Abode Iota is super expandable, and you can add up to 160 devices to it. If your Abode system or devices are triggered, the Abode Iota will sound its 93-decible internal siren. It also includes a 2-way audio feature that allows you to directly communicate with whomever is around your Abode Iota. The Abode Iota comes with Smash and Crash protection which means if your Adobe Iota is damaged it will still transmit a signal. The Abode Iota works with a Z-Wave device which means you will be able to use smart home devices with it like smart thermostats.

See our cutting-edge control panel by Qolsys »

Who wins?

Vivint’s and Abode’s control panels are quite different from one another. We really love the sleek design of the Vivint Smart Hub, and the fact that it’s packed full of features. We really love the fact that the Abode Iota comes with its very own built-in cam, which most other control panels don’t have. However, due to the Vivint Smart Hub being thinner than the Abode Iota, and the fact it has some really great security features, we are giving them the win for this category.

Vivint Smart Home Equipment

Vivint offers all the basic equipment you could need that works perfectly with their Vivint Smart Hub. All of their security and environmental safety devices are wireless and battery-operated. To protect the entryways to your home Vivint offers door/window, motion, glass break, and tilt sensors. Their door/window sensors will make sure there you are alerted when someone enters your home. Vivint’s motion sensors will monitor large areas of your home for motion when your system is armed. Their glass break sensors are great at covering areas with lots of glass windows, and they will listen for the sound of breaking glass. Vivint’s tilt sensor will let you know when your garage door has been opened or shut. If you are looking for another way to quickly arm and disarm your system, you can use Vivint’s keychain remote. Their keychain remote has a push-button design with a built-in panic button. To protect your home from environmental dangers such as fire, CO gas, and water/flood damage, Vivint offers a smoke, a CO, and a flood sensor. These sensors will look for rises in the listed above environmental factors, and make an audible alert if these rises are detected. All equipment offered by Vivint is installed by a professional security tech, 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

You will have plenty of smart home devices and video surveillance equipment to choose from with Vivint. Vivint offers automated door locks that allow you to create custom user codes which can be enabled and disabled at any time. You can remotely lock and unlock these automated doors locks offered by Vivint through their app. If you are looking for a way to remotely close and open your garage doors, Vivint offers a garage door controller. Their garage door controller will also send you instant alerts anytime your garage door has been opened or shut. To make your home greener, you can add a smart thermostat or smart bulbs to your Vivint security system. Vivint offers smart thermostats that can be remotely controlled, and they work for most HVAC heating and cooling systems. The smart thermostats offered by Vivint will automatically adjust your settings so that your home is saving on energy. The smart bulbs offered by Vivint can have custom timers set for when they come on and go off, and you can remotely control them through the Vivint app which is another way to save yourself some money your home’s energy cost per month.

Video Monitoring/Cameras

You can also add a variety of video cams to your Vivint security system. Vivint offers indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell cameras. Their cameras are wireless which means all they will work by connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network. All of their cameras can capture video in stunning 1080p, and they include night vision, 2-way audio, and motion sensors.

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

Abode Equipment

Abode has all the basic security equipment you need to keep your home complete covered with security devices. They also have a nice selection of environmental safety sensors that will keep your home protected from natural disasters. Both their security and environmental safety sensors are wireless and battery-operated. To protect the doors and windows of your home, Abode offers several different models of door/window sensors. They offer standard, mini, slim, and recessed door/window sensors that are sure to fit any door frame in your home. They offer two different models of glass break sensors, an acoustic and vibration glass break sensor which are used to listen and feel the sounds and vibrations from breaking glass. They have two different types of motion sensors as well. Abode offers a standard motion sensor that will detect motion in an area that it is placed, and a wide-angle motion cam that will take snaps shots when motion is detected in the place it is located. They also offer an outdoor external siren and an indoor external siren that will allow you to hear your Abode system being triggered no matter where you are in or around your home. For another quick and easy way to arm your system, Abode offers keypads and keychain remotes. Their keypads have a push-button design with an illuminated keypad. This keypad has a rechargeable battery that last up to 6-months. Their key fob has a push-button design, and you can quickly arm and disarm your system with the push of button. Adobe also offers a separate push-button key fob that will immediately let emergencies services know that help is needed when the button is pushed. To protect your home from environmental dangers, Abode offers a smoke and water leak sensor. Their smoke sensor will make an audible alert if smoke is detected, and their water leak sensor will make an audible alert if a flood or water leak is detected. All the equipment offered by Abode is DIY (do it yourself) which means you will need to setup all the equipment yourself, but they do include a step-by-step setup guide for a really easy installation.

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

Home Automation

Abode wanted to make sure that their Abode iota was really expandable, and they offer a lot of great addon equipment you can use with it. Abode has a few special addon sensors that we haven’t really seen with other security companies. Abode offers a Multi Sensor which a wireless and battery-operated sensor that will detect light, motion, and humidity changes. Abode also offers a system status sensor that plugs directly into an AC outlet. This sensor has an LED indicator light that will always show the same light color as your system which lets you know your system’s status. That is about all Abode directly offers when it comes to home automation equipment. The Abode iota however does have a Z-wave protocol which means you can use other branded home automation equipment with it like smart locks that are not offered directly through Abode.

Monitoring/Cameras

You do have a few video cams to choose from that you can use with your Abode system. Abode offers their Abode Cam and Outdoor Smart Cam. The Abode Cam is an indoor camera that is powered by an AC power source, and it works by directly connecting wirelessly to your home’s WIFI network. It can capture video clips in 1080P HD, and it includes 2-way audio, motion sensors, and night vision. The Abode Outdoor Smart Cam is a super compacted video surveillance camera, and it can actually work as a doorbell camera. You can power the Abode Outdoor Smart Cam two ways; through your existing doorbell wiring or through an AC power source. It works by connecting to your homes WIFI network, and it can capture video in 1080P in a 152-degree wide field of view. It has 2-way audio, night vision, and even facial recognition technology.

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

Who wins?

Both Vivint and Abode offer wireless and battery-operated sensors that connect wirelessly to their control panels. We do really like the fact that Vivint offers a nice variety of environmental safety sensors. We really love the fact that Abode went above and beyond by making sure you have different models of different entryway sensors. Due to Abode having the larger selection of basic equipment than that of Vivint, we are making them the winners for this category.

Vivint and Abode offer similar types of add-on equipment that works well with their systems. We love all of the great home automation equipment that you can buy directly through Vivint like automated smart locks. The Abode Outdoor Smart Cam is a really superior video surveillance cam, and we really like the fact you can use this as a doorbell cam as well. Vivint however, does offer a wider variety of video and home automation equipment that you can buy directly through them, and for this reason we are making them the winner of this category.

Vivint Smart Home vs Abode App

Vivint and Abode offer self, professional, and video monitoring services. Their self-monitoring services are done through their apps which are free to download and work for most smartphones. Their self-monitoring services are quite similar where you will be able to remotely control your system and any connected devices while on the go. Both of their self-monitoring services also provide event push notifications, home automation device control, device and system customization, and streaming of live and recorded video. The big difference between the two lies in their pricing. To use either of their apps there is a month to month fee. With Abode its around $6 a month, and with Vivint the price to use their app varies but that same price includes professional monitoring. Their professional monitoring services work the same where you have a 24/7 professional monitoring station watching over your home for emergencies. However, for video, professional, and self-monitoring services you pay around $20 a month with Abode while these same services will be about $35-$40 a month with Vivint. Vivint also requires a contract but this does give you a huge discount on equipment while Abode is contract free, but you must pay for all your equipment upfront.

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 that is affordable. See details »

Vivint Smart Home vs Abode vs Link Interactive

Vivint and Abode offer different types of security control panels, but both are highly rated. Vivint offers a touchscreen control panel, and all of their equipment is professionally installed. The Abode iota has some built-in features that other control panels don’t have, and they have a huge selection of basic equipment for you to choose from. This was a hard one to call, but because of the overall money saving ability that you get with Abode, 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!