Compare Smith Thompson Home Security vs. ADT Home Security Systems

When comparing Smith Thompson vs ADT, let’s first examine their similarities, as this is the much shorter list.

Though both are home security companies with a good amount of time in the industry, and their own monitoring services (which are never outsourced), this is essentially where their commonalities end. 

Where ADT requires an industry-standard thirty-six-month contract and only monitors its own equipment, Smith Thompson takes a no-contract approach, and can also serve as a monitoring service for most existing home security systems.

Where ADT is a nationwide company, Smith Thompson exclusively services Texas and Arizona. Where ADT has a large, comprehensive selection of devices and equipment, Smith Thompson’s offering is much more limited. 

Home security basics cover a variety of different elements. These include who manufactures the equipment, how the installation is handled, how easy it is to relocate the system, and whether it includes wireless sensors and a central control panel.

The installation process can be either carried out professionally by a licensed company technician, or designed to be completed by the homeowner him- or herself.

Professional installations are usually only required by companies who provide wired systems, as this should be done by someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, in order to minimize the possibility of an incorrect placement or connection.

Though Smith Thompson has some wireless devices, most of their system is wired to a central control panel, and the company therefore requires a professional installation.

ADT, on the other hand, offers both completely wireless and wired options. Installation fees for both companies are similar, with ADT’s costs ranging between $99 and $199 (depending on the specific devices), and Smith Thompson averaging $89.

ADT can relocate the system for no additional cost to the customer, to any state in the U.S., as it is a nationwide company.

Smith Thompson only operates in Arizona and Texas, but can also offer relocation services within this limited coverage area. 

Devices in home security systems can be roughly divided into four different protection categories: intrusion, environmental, surveillance, and additional security.

The first category is mostly comprised of the devices that come to mind automatically when thinking of home security. Essentially: motion sensors, entry point sensors for doors and windows, and lass break sensors.

Some companies can also automatically include garage door sensors, recessed door sensors, and crash & smash protection (which keeps your system working even if the intruder breaks the central control panel).

Environmental protection is usually extra, though it can be included in more comprehensive, premium plans.

The sensors in this group monitor fire, flood, carbon monoxide, smoke, and temperature changes—the advantage to having these included in your security system, even if you already have a smoke detector, is that your monitoring center and the appropriate authorities can be notified in time, hopefully preventing disaster.

Surveillance refers to cameras, which can be placed indoor, outdoor, or even in doorbells. Generally, installing surveillance cameras comes at a considerable additional cost.

Finally, additional security features are especially useful for the elderly or the infirm—panic buttons and medical alerts can literally save lives.

One of the most overarching drivers of customer satisfaction with a particular home security company is how it handles security threats and alarms.

While customer service is an essential part of the equation, it’s also important to consider how many types of monitoring the company offers, the amount of fail-safes, and whether the monitoring center has other centers as backups in case of power outages or disaster.

Another consideration is whether the company outsources of owns its monitoring centers, though this is not necessarily a surefire indicator of excellence—the center’s certifications are considerably more important. 

In the case of ADT vs Smith Thompson, both offer professional monitoring services, performed by centers the companies own themselves (Smith Thompson has one, whereas ADT owns six across the U.S.).

Both companies conduct monitoring over cellular or broadband, but ADT also offers the option of working over the landline.

Finally, both companies can dispatch fire and police department emergency responders, but only ADT also dispatches medical professionals.

Additionally, ADT offers the option of a 2-way intercom, allowing customers to communicate directly with the monitoring center via the central control panel.

This can both minimize false alarms, and also help personnel gain a better idea of the situation immediately. 

When comparing the costs and pricing of Smith Thompson vs ADT, we took into account the fees for installation and equipment, as well as the two companies’ warranties on their devices.

We also looked at their policy regarding contracts, since this can help determine if an upfront equipment fee is required, is essentially given on loan for the duration of the contract term, or is folded into the monthly fee as though it were a rental cost. 

Both ADT and Smith Thompson have a similar number of packages (4 to the latter’s three), and a monthly fee for their professional monitoring services.

The two companies’ installation fees are also comparable, a $89 for Smith Thompson, and $99 for ADT (though this can go up to $199, depending on the equipment you choose).

However, Smith Thompson’s monitoring is considerably less expensive, with its professional, 24/7 monthly monitoring starting at just $16.95, and maxing out at $23.94.

This comes out to a little over $0.50 a day for the basic plan, and still less than $1 a day for the most comprehensive package, (which includes an upgraded smartphone-enabled cellular transmitter). 

On the other hand, Smith Thompson does charge an upfront equipment fee of $299—which makes sense, given that the company doesn’t parcel out its services under a long-term contract.

Though it includes $850 worth of devices upon subscribing, ADT gets around an equipment fee precisely by requiring a standard, 26-month contract. 

It’s no secret that home security companies have understood that the future lies in home automation and the so-called internet of things.

More and more appliances are automatically outfitted with smart home capabilities, and more and more consumers are beginning to rely on digital assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, to control the tech in their homes and offices. 

When smart tech is incorporated into home security systems, consumers can not just feel safer and save money in some cases, but also have more convenience in their lives.

Imagine running in between meetings, on the go, and still being able to check when your kids get home from school, unlocking and locking the door behind them, turning on the lights, A/C, or heating from your smartphone.

Not sure whether you forgot to buy milk? Check your fridge via its internal camera.

The doorbell rang—see who’s there in the doorbell cam, and then let your kids know whether it’s safe to open and sign for that delivery you were waiting for.

And it’s all controlled with the flick of a finger.

As ADT has approximately one hundred more years in business than Smith Thompson, it makes sense that the company has garnered considerable more negative feedback.

Despite being a national company rather than one that exclusively serves Texas and Arizona (as Smith Thompson does), ADT doesn’t have that high a number of disgruntled customers.

Likewise, as the company’s representatives take responding to these complaints seriously in a timely fashion, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) has still determined it fair to give ADT an A+ rating with the organization. 

For their part, Smith Thompson also holds an A+ score with the BBB, but their ratio of positive to negative reviews is considerably skewed towards the overwhelmingly positive (from a total of 192 as of this writing, only two are negative).

This trend continues in both companies’ respective TrustPilot scores of 9.8 and 2.2, with the lower rating belonging to ADT. 

Consumers should keep in mind, however, that the larger a company is, the more complaints it’s bound to have, especially when they’ve been in business for a considerable amount of time.

Longevity is regularly associated with financial strength. After all, if the company has been able to meet its obligations for decades, this must mean that it’s finances are in good order, and that it’s ultimately a trustworthy place to take your business—but this isn’t necessarily true.

While it’s true that a household name can offer stability and a sense of continuity, it can also mean the company conducts its business by going with what’s tried and true.

In practice, newer companies can often offer more advantageous terms, a higher degree of flexibility, or be quicker to embrace technological advancements. 

In the comparison between ADT and Smith Thompson, though, these generalizations don’t apply.

Essentially, Smith Thompson is a good choice for residents of Texas and Arizona who are looking for inexpensive, back to basics home security, without the need of having to sign a long-term contract.

Consumers who want to incorporate more elements into a more comprehensive system, will be better off with ADT.