Frontpoint wins this round by a nose. Its month-to-month plan is ideal for renters or people who aren’t ready for a long commitment. Most of Brinks’ plans lock customers into a three-year contract, which is fine for some more established customers, but not so great if you’re not sure about the service. That said, Brinks does have a partnership with Nest, and with Nest, you’re not required to enter into a contract. offer a month-to-month agreement.

Starting at $29.99/mo., Brinks’ price for professional monitoring beats Frontpoint’s $44.99/mo. by a large margin. In addition, Brinks offers a better deal on its least expensive equipment package, asking $199 vs. $319.95 for the Frontpoint Safe Home Starter Package.

Both Frontpoint and Brinks offer strong professional monitoring options, but with Nest, Brinks also offers the option of self-monitoring, which Frontpoint doesn’t do. Brinks wins in this category for that reason.

Both of these providers offer DIY installation, which many customers will appreciate. However Brinks also offers professional installation, so if you’re not tech-savvy or you just don’t have the time, they’ll do it for you.

Frontpoint is the winner here by a narrow margin, offering a three-year equipment warranty, whereas Brinks only offers a two-year warranty.

It’s a close call here. Both Brinks and Smith Thompson have mobile apps that allow you to arm/disarm your security system, control smart home devices, view cameras, and more. To access mobile app control, you will have to choose a higher tier monitoring plan with Smith Thompson, but you’re free to use Brinks’ mobile app with any monitoring plan or Brinks package that you choose.