Top pick
This system works with almost every type of security accessory, offers options for internet and power backup, and has a built-in Wi-Fi 6 router.
The original Ring system is easy to use and inexpensive to set up, and it has more camera add-ons than any of our other picks.
Compatible with: Amazon Alexa, Works with Ring
The Ring Alarm Pro system is the most comprehensive DIY home security system we’ve tested. It’s easy to set up and use, it allows you to customize it with a large selection of compatible add-ons, and it features an affordable monitoring plan, starting at $20 per month or $200 per year (see below for more details). The Ring Alarm Pro system can’t integrate with as many third-party smart-home devices as our other picks can, but it does have a built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router (more on that below), which can replace your existing router or create a mesh network to improve your Wi-Fi’s speed (see our guide to the best mesh-networking kits for more info). The Eero router also provides backup internet access via a cellular connection (as part of a Ring Home Premium plan), should you have a power or internet outage.
However, if you already have a mesh Wi-Fi network, don’t want one, or don’t need backup internet, opt for the original Ring Alarm system instead; it performs almost exactly the same way but costs about $50 to $100 less, depending on your starter package.
The Ring Alarm systems have the loudest sirens of our test group, but the original Ring Alarm is the louder of the two. Video: Rachel Cericola
They’re always on call. Ring is the only one of our picks to offer both 24/7 monitoring and 24/7 customer service, which is available over the phone. In contrast, SimpliSafe customer service is available only from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Eastern, while Abode has live phone support from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.
It works really well. Measuring a deafening 113 dB on our sound meter, the Ring Alarm system has the loudest siren of any system we tested. The Ring Alarm Pro came close, tying with the Abode system for second at 104 dB. Both Ring systems sent us smartphone alerts within 4 seconds of the alarm being triggered, with email alerts as an option, as well. You can configure the siren on the base station to go off from 0 to 180 seconds after a triggering event. If you dismiss an alarm within 30 seconds, the monitoring service will not call you. Ring also has a “customizable police response” option, which means you have to okay a police response versus the monitoring company just sending them.
The monitoring plan is optional but essential. Ring allows you to self-monitor and not sign up for a subscription. But going that route means that when your alarm is triggered, you’ll only get smartphone alerts—you won’t be able to arm or disarm the system at all using the app. Professional monitoring is available as a $10 monthly add-on to the subscription plans (which also start $10 per month). It’s still a bargain compared with our other picks, with both plans including cellular backup and 180 days of video storage for cameras. The top-tier plan, Ring Home Premium ($20 per month), adds in 24/7 video recording for select wired cameras, 24/7 internet backup, Ring Edge, and Eero Secure.
It can get super-fast Wi-Fi. The Ring Alarm Pro has a built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router. That means the base station can both serve as the brains of your security system and replace your current Wi-Fi router, depending on your service. If your home is particularly large or has struggled with Wi-Fi coverage in the past, you can also set up the Eero router as a mesh Wi-Fi network, which can extend and improve your Wi-Fi’s range and performance with extra Eero 6 Extenders. Eero claims that its network covers 1,500 square feet and can support up to 75 connected devices at a time. Although we didn’t test that many devices, we did put an extender by the front door to ensure a strong connection with outdoor cameras. When connected to our home internet, the Eero router actually gave us speeds a little better than promised, up to 900 Mbps.
There’s a backup plan for the backup plan. The base station has a built-in battery that provides 24 hours of backup power (confirmed by our testing), which is comparable to that of SimpliSafe’s system. However, with Ring Alarm Pro, you can also add up to three backup power packs for an additional 24 hours of power, depending on usage. The Ring Home Premium plan also includes 24/7 internet backup, which is powered by AT&T, in case your Wi-Fi goes down. Speeds on this backup connection are noticeably slower than normal, though we were able to live-view security cameras and even stream Netflix while connected to the Eero router. The backup connection includes 3 GB of data, which you’ll eat through quickly if you’re viewing cameras, watching movies, and doing anything else you normally do on the web—it’s really designed for short-term emergency situations. (Should you need, you can purchase additional data for a reasonable $3 per gigabyte.)
You have a lot of hardware options. Ring’s system doesn’t integrate with a lot of third-party smart-home systems and devices, but Ring does offer a lot of compatible accessories, including a smoke/CO listener, the First Alert Z-Wave Plus Smoke/CO Alarm (2nd generation), a water-leak sensor, a glass-break sensor, and even a sensor for when you want to monitor doors or windows that are cracked open a little. It also has more indoor, outdoor, and doorbell camera options than any other system we’ve tested. The Ring Alarm Pro base station also incorporates the features of the Ring Smart Lighting Bridge, a tiny box that can wirelessly connect Ring lights to your home network.
Ring also offers service add-ons. If you’re looking to beef up your security, Ring has two opt-in services (which we have not tested). Alarm Guard Response is a service that will send out an eyewitness to verify an event before sending emergency services. It’s available only in areas where your town or municipality requires verification, and it costs $75 per response. The other service, Ring Virtual Security Guard, costs a steep $99 per month but is like having your own personal security team to monitor your camera activity for suspicious activity and intervene as necessary.
Ring has improved its privacy policies. No company we cover has encountered more controversy for its products and service than Ring. There have been reports of hacking and even incidents citing Ring’s own employees spying on customers. Ring has worked on cleaning up its practices by adding mandatory two-factor authentication and settings that allow customers to opt out of law enforcement requests and the ability to view and manage all services and users linked to your Ring account from the app (under Device Settings). Ring is also the only one of our picks to offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for cameras, which means no one can access your video content except you, even in the case of a subpoena from law enforcement, though complying is a pretty common practice with most video cameras.
How the Ring Alarm has held up
Editor Jon Chase has been a Ring customer since May 2020, and he says that he has never had an issue with false alarms—except in instances where he forgot to disarm the system. “One weekend, I tripped it and then turned it off using the app, but I instantly received an automated call asking me to acknowledge that I had turned off the alarm. It works great, and I haven’t had the fear of false alarms and the cops showing up, as I’ve had in the past.”
Flaws but not dealbreakers
You may need a subscription plan. Ring allows all system owners to receive smartphone notifications, but you will need a Ring Home plan to use the Ring app to arm and disarm the system. And professional monitoring is now a $10 add-on to the Ring Home Standard and Ring Home Premium plans, which are from $10 to $20 per month.
You may need an extra app. One of the bonus features of the Ring Alarm Pro system is its built-in Eero Wi-Fi 6 router. That said, to set up and manage the Eero router’s features, you need to download the Eero app. So this one product uses two apps—plus the Alexa app, if you plan to add a smart speaker to your system. However, once you set up the router, you probably won’t consult the Eero app much.
It doesn’t always play nice with others. Ring doesn’t offer as much integration with third-party smart-home devices, since it supports only Alexa and everything under the Works with Ring umbrella. If you want more integration and the ability to arm, disarm, and check the status of your security system by voice, we recommend the Abode Smart Security Kit.
