We recommend products and services based on unbiased research from our editorial team. We make money via affiliate links, which means if you click a link on our site, we may earn a commission. Any commissions we receive do not affect our recommendations; if you want to know more about how that works, read more.
According to the FBI’s annual crime report and U.S. News & World Report’s annual listings, New Jersey continues to post lower violent- and property-crime rates than the U.S. average. The FBI’s state view shows that in 2023 New Jersey remained below national levels across major categories, with larceny-theft comprising most property offenses, and state officials report notable declines in motor vehicle theft through 2024 and into 2025 following targeted enforcement. These trends help keep New Jersey among the safer places to call home.
New Jersey homeowners should feel good about these trends, but a home security system can still help make peace of mind a “shore” thing. Our picks — Vivint, Frontpoint , ADT, and SimpliSafe — offer 24/7 remote monitoring of entrances and rooms, easy-to-use equipment, and helpful support. Prioritize features that reduce false alarms and speed response, like video verification (for example, SimpliSafe’s Fast Protect Monitoring) and emerging dispatch standards such as TMA AVS-01, along with dual-path connectivity and privacy-forward video options. It still pays to get quotes from a few companies to see what’s the best fit for your needs, but all four of these systems have their place in the Garden State.
The Best Home Security Systems in New Jersey: Summed Up
Vivint | Frontpoint | ADT | SimpliSafe | |
| Prices start at | Varies by package | Varies by package | Varies by package (pro install) | Standard $19.99/mo. or Fast Protect $29.99/mo. |
| Contract length | Month-to-month 60 months (financed) | 12 months 36 months | 36 months | No contracts |
| Cameras | Indoor Outdoor Doorbell | Indoor Outdoor Doorbell | Indoor Outdoor Doorbell | Indoor, Doorbell |
| Sensors | Intrusion Smoke/flood/CO Panic button | Intrusion Smoke/flood/CO Panic button | Intrusion Smoke/flood/CO Panic button | Smoke/FreezeFlood/Panic Button |
| Smart home features | Lights Locks Thermostat Garage door | Lights Locks | LightsLocks Thermostat Garage door | Locks, Thermostat |
| Control panel | Touchscreen Mobile app | Touchscreen Mobile app | Touchscreen Classic keypad Mobile app | Base station, Keypad, Web or Mobile App |
How We Found the Best Home Security Systems in New Jersey
In our national home security system review, we spent eight months testing the eight best security companies around.
Each company had to offer four basic types of protection:
- Intrusion — door, window, and glass-break detectors
- Surveillance — indoor and outdoor cameras
- Environmental — fire, carbon monoxide, and flood detectors
- Life safety — panic and life alert buttons
With sensors around doors and windows to alert you of any glass breakage, extensive camera systems that monitor every corner of your home, and panic buttons to quickly alert police in case of an emergency, these companies had every security feature we were looking for. Today’s systems add smarter detection (for example, on-device video analysis and privacy zones in platforms like HomeKit Secure Video) and even radar-powered motion features (see Ring’s 3D Motion Detection) to cut nuisance alerts. Many also offer video verification options that can help monitoring centers prioritize real emergencies.
The eight companies we tested all covered the basics of home security well, but only ADT, Vivint, and Frontpoint planned for every conceivable situation in our original tests. Since then, DIY options like SimpliSafe have expanded capabilities — including video-verified monitoring — while maintaining contract-free flexibility, keeping them competitive for many New Jersey homes.
The 4 Best Home Security Systems in New Jersey
Vivint – Best for Home Automation
Vivint offers a robust lineup of automated home security and the most flexible automation options out of our four favorite companies. It’s professionally installed and well-suited if you want whole-home integration (locks, lights, thermostat, garage) with streamlined controls.
One comment we heard over and over from our testers was that they loved Vivint’s mobile app. Like the ADT app, it lets you do things like lock and unlock doors, view smart cameras remotely, change the temperature in a specific room, or even arm and disarm your entire system — and it maintains a high average rating in the App Store.
With all of those options, we expected it to be one of the more confusing systems to navigate. But our tester reported the opposite, saying the app was so intuitive that they found themselves using it even when they were inside the house, ignoring the sleek command center. Vivint’s design and app experience continue to be strong differentiators among pro-installed systems.
As much as we love Vivint’s high-tech equipment, it does come with important contract considerations. If you pay for equipment upfront, service can be month-to-month; if you finance equipment, agreements commonly extend up to 60 months per Vivint’s service terms. Buying outright avoids equipment financing and long terms, and you only purchase the gear you want.
Vivint requires professional installation. If you’re not ready for that kind of commitment or prefer DIY setup, we recommend checking out Frontpoint, or consider ADT’s DIY path via ADT Self Setup.
Frontpoint – Best for Customer Support
If you’re not comfortable making the substantial financial commitments that ADT and Vivint both can require, Frontpoint is a great way to test the home security waters without necessarily diving in headfirst.
Where some pro-installed options offer only short trial periods, Frontpoint typically gives you more time — around 30 days — to decide if you want to keep your system. It doesn’t offer professional installation, but our testers generally found that DIY setup wasn’t too much of a hassle.
Its website is personalized to guide you through your specific package’s installation with thorough guides, video tutorials, and a detailed FAQ section that helps you quickly solve any problems that pop up along the way. If, for some reason, you’re still having issues, we’re confident that Frontpoint’s customer service will have your back.
From our first phone call, Frontpoint’s reps made us feel taken care of in a way that ADT’s and Vivint’s didn’t quite manage. They patiently answered all of our questions and asked a lot of smart ones themselves, helping us to get the best security for our home’s unique layout. We never felt like they were pushing us towards a specific package, either. Frontpoint’s reps come off as invested in helping you find what fits your needs best.
ADT – Most Popular Provider
Home security is an industry where name recognition matters. According to a study from the University of North Carolina, over 60% of potential home intruders are deterred by a security sign or sticker. That’s good news for ADT customers, as its blue shield is by far the most well-known in the home security world. There’s a reason the brand enjoys such instant recognition: It’s been defending homes since 1877, and it has the largest customer base of any company we saw, with over 6 million active subscribers.
While ADT’s logo is ideally the only deterrence you’ll need, it’s backed up by truly cutting-edge home security technology. It has motion sensor video cameras, remote control options, and a command layout that was simple to use at every step. We loved how we could monitor all of our cameras remotely using the app (see the ADT+ app). That way, if an alarm is triggered, we’d be able to tell which one specifically was set off, check the live feed, and begin taking next steps immediately. ADT’s monitoring approach aligns with industry efforts to reduce false dispatches and improve response, including the TMA AVS-01 standard.
We were also impressed by the level of customization that ADT boasts in both its plans and technology. Package-based pricing varies with smart-home and video add-ons. Professionally installed systems typically require a 36-month agreement (24 months in California) per ADT’s terms, while ADT Self Setup offers a DIY path with no long-term contract.
We also loved the attention to detail in things like vacation mode, which adjusts your room temperature and lights while you’re away for maximum protection. You can even program your system to react to specific situations, like having your doors unlock automatically if a fire is detected.
The main downside to ADT is that you’ll be locked into a three-year contract on professionally installed systems, and trial periods tend to be short. If you’re not comfortable making that kind of commitment, consider Frontpoint’s DIY model or ADT Self Setup.
SimpliSafe – Most Flexible
You’ll be seeing a lot more of SimpliSafe in the home security space. Its no-contract options and updated equipment keep it competitive with national leaders. SimpliSafe users can self-install and choose month-to-month monitoring — the Standard plan is typically $19.99/month, while Fast Protect (with video verification to help speed response) is about $29.99/month. Cancel anytime.
One caveat to bear in mind when choosing SimpliSafe: their included security camera is solid for indoor basics, but if you want advanced outdoor motion features like radar-powered 3D motion mapping you’ll find them on select competitors (for example, Ring’s 3D Motion Detection). Also note that while smart-home interoperability continues to improve, the Matter standard still doesn’t support cameras yet, limiting true cross-platform camera integration (details).
How to Find the Right New Jersey Home Security System for You
Research your neighborhood’s crime profile
The problem with most statistics is that they are overly broad — lumping together diverse areas and populations to create numbers that may be mathematically true but paint a less-than-accurate picture of any individual’s reality. The answer is… more statistics? Yes, but get granular. Check out the crime map of your New Jersey neighborhood to get a sense of historical disturbances in your neck of the woods, and pair it with official sources like the NJ State Police NIBRS/UCR portal and the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer. Use that information to build a more informed security system for your home.
Register your security system
False alarms are a significant drain to police resources and also desensitize residents, neighbors, and burglars to alarm systems. To cut down on the noise, most states and municipalities across the U.S. institute home security system policies to keep homeowners accountable for their alarms. New Jersey doesn’t have any statewide laws dealing with false alarms, so you will need to check with your local government. Many New Jersey municipalities require alarm permits and impose escalating fines for repeated false alarms — look up your town’s ordinance on eCode360 or your municipal code library, and ask your provider to enable Enhanced Call Verification to reduce unnecessary dispatches (TMA guidance). Fire alarm systems are governed under the statewide New Jersey Uniform Fire Code, which requires systems to be maintained to prevent nuisance alarms. New Jersey municipalities that hold a formal false alarm policy require you to register your security system. You’ll pay a hefty fee if you don’t register your system before it summons police to your door.
Compare quotes
We focused our search on companies that operate nationwide, and we believe they’re the best choice for New Jersey homeowners, too. But it’s always a good idea to compare offers with local providers so you can find exactly what you’re looking for. Before you sign, verify that any installer is properly licensed in New Jersey (use the state’s license lookup for burglar/fire alarm installers) and ask about contract terms, monitoring options, and video verification. We found two local companies offering home security in New Jersey that have high ratings across Google, Yelp, and Angie’s List:
New Jersey Home Security FAQ
Keep Reading
