ADT takes the win for this round. With a professional installation, you can be more confident that your system is installed properly, and you can avoid any costly mistakes. With ADT, a trained technician will come out to your home and make sure your system is ready to use. You’ll be able to ask questions and get tailored advice. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that ADT’s professional installation is a win for everyone. Protect America systems require do-it-yourself installation. While this does involve+ a little extra work for the homeowner, it also means lower up-front costs and greater flexibility.

One of the perks of a DIY installation is that you can avoid paying an installation fee. With Protect America, once you receive your security system, you can install it yourself in an hour or less. This also prevents you from having to find a time that works best with your schedule for having a technician to come out and service your home. If you’re not comfortable with a DIY installation, then we would recommend ADT instead. The price of ADT’s installation service starts at $99.

ADT wins for our Trial Period category – ADT security provides a 6-Month Money Back Guarantee, the lengthiest trial period that we know of. If you are not happy with your security system within the first six months, ADT will give you a refund for the cost of installation and/or any monitoring fees. Protect America also offers a trial period, albeit a shorter one. For a full refund, you must return your equipment within 15 days.

Protect America takes the prize for this round. There are no upfront costs to pay when choosing Protect America’s services. Having no upfront cost for equipment is great for those looking for affordability. For the basic Copper Package with a landline connection, you’ll only pay $19.99/mo. If you’d prefer cellular monitoring, with the Copper Package, you’ll pay $41.99/mo. With ADT security, monitoring is more expensive and starts at $45.99/mo.

ADT and Protect America are neck-and-neck in this category. Each one offers indoor cameras with similar specifications (720p HD video, night vision, motion detection, and more) and weatherproof outdoor cameras.

It’s a tie for both providers since their apps are apple-to-apples. Here some features of each provider’s app: arm or disarm your security system; receive alerts and notifications; watch live video feeds. Keep in mind that both ADT and Protect America require higher-tier service plans to use mobile app access, so do a close price comparison once you’ve decided on your non-negotiable must-have security features.