Best Home Security Systems Without a Subscription

CR’s security-system picks include models from Abode, Arlo, Eufy, Kangaroo, and Roku

Many security systems offer optional subscriptions for professional monitoring.

By Daniel Wroclawski

Updated by Justin Krajeski

Home security systems can feel out of reach financially. Many of them require you to pay monthly for professional monitoring, where dispatchers keep an eye on your system and alert the authorities in the event of a break-in. The subscriptions can be pricey (up to $50 per month), though they also offer compelling perks like voice control and cloud video storage for security cameras.

Some of them, such as the Ring Alarm systems, even require a monthly fee for basic features, such as the ability to arm and disarm them from your smartphone and receive notifications when the alarm goes off.

But Consumer Reports has found a few great security systems that let you monitor your home from your smartphone free—no subscription needed.

When one of these systems is triggered, a siren goes off to scare away potential intruders and you get an alert on your smartphone so that you can call the police yourself. This is sometimes called “self-monitoring” in home security lingo. One thing to be aware of is that if you call 911 from out of town, the dispatcher then has to contact your hometown’s police department, which could delay the police response. You can call your local police department directly instead.

You also have some flexibility where monitoring is concerned. “Many of these DIY systems offer optional professional monitoring,” says Claudio Ciacci, CR’s test engineer for home security systems. “You can sign up for it temporarily if, say, you go on a long vacation.”

To see all the systems we tested, check our full home security system ratings. And for more on how we test DIY security systems, see our free home security system buying guide.

Best Home Security Systems Without a Subscription

Years ago, purchasing a home security system meant having a technician come to your home to snake wires to every door and window sensor, and paying monthly for the system’s features. Today’s systems are wireless, meaning you can skip most of the installation hassles.

How CR Tests Home Security Systems

Consumer Reports rates each home security system for security essentials, ease of use, ease of setup, and motion detection. Our ratings also note the flexibility of professional monitoring options, whether systems offer two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access, and more.

Security essentials: Our test engineers evaluate each system for features and functionality that Consumer Reports says every system should provide, including motion sensors and smartphone apps.

Ease of use and setup: Our ease-of-use test looks at how easily you can set up and then interact with the systems through apps and keypads.

Motion detection: Our test engineers challenge the sensors with various forms of movement, such as crawling or walking slowly past them.

To learn more about how we test DIY security systems, see our buying guide.

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