Brinks Home vs NorthStar Home
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Brinks Home
Control your home security system and smart devices remotely. Arm or disarm alarms, manage lights, thermostats, locks, and view live camera feeds from anywhere. Receive real-time notifications for security events and daily activities.
- Remote alarm control (arm/disarm)
- Smart device management (lights, locks, thermostat)
- Live and recorded video monitoring
- Real-time event notifications
- Geo-fencing automation
- Energy management features
Read full descriptionHide full description
Complete Smart Home Control in One App Manage your Brinks Home security system and smart home devices with just a few taps. Convenient and easy to use, our app allows you to monitor automate, and customize your home’s security, temperature, lighting, and more—all from the palm of your hand. Total Control at Your Fingertips Tap into the app whether you’re upstairs or uptown. Powered by Alarm.com, the Brinks Home Mobile App goes beyond basic security, allowing you to: • Arm and disarm your system. • Receive notifications for system events. • Quickly verify or cancel an alarm. • Lock and unlock your doors. • View video from your cameras. • Adjust your thermostat. • Manage home automation rules. Stay Connected From Just About Anywhere Receive alerts to see who’s at the door and check your cameras for a live look at what’s happening at home. If you forgot to arm your system you can do it on the go—and set up automatic reminders to let you know. Focus On What’s Important Enjoy peace of mind knowing your smart home system is working for you 24/7, backed by our always-on professional monitoring. Manage Your Account & Update Settings You can also manage your Brinks Home account, make a payment, view your bill, and more through the app.
NorthStar Home
Monitor and control your home or business remotely from your Apple devices. Manage security, view live video, and automate devices like lights and thermostats. Receive real-time notifications for important events.
- Real-time remote monitoring
- Interactive security control
- Live video streaming
- Home automation management
- Customizable push notifications
- Apple Watch integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
With a NorthStar Home security system, you can monitor and control your home or business in real-time and from anywhere - from your iPhone, iPad, or your Apple Watch. NorthStar Home's interactive security, video monitoring, energy management, and home automation solutions give you instant awareness and remote control for the places you care about most. With Apple Watch support, your home is always at your fingertips, and on your wrist. Glances let you quickly see home status, and through the watch app you can control your key devices and even view live video from your home. Note: This app requires a compatible system and an interactive NorthStar Home service plan. Feature availability varies based on system, equipment, and service plan. Visit www.northstarhome.com for more information. Remote features: • See what’s happening at your property • Arm or disarm your security panel • Watch live video and recorded clips from your security cameras • Turn on or off lights • Set the ideal temperature • Lock or unlock doors • Search your complete system event history • And much more! With NorthStar Home, you can also receive real-time email, text message, and push notifications for the specific events that matter to you. Beyond important emergency related events, you can also immediately know when: Your kids get home from school
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Brinks Home at 4.6 against NorthStar Home's 3.2. Brinks Home also leads on ratings volume (21K vs 59) and review sentiment (16% vs 7%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Brinks Home holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Brinks Home has 21K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of Brinks Home's written reviews are positive against 7% of NorthStar Home's.
Brinks Home ships an update every 3 months, NorthStar Home every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Brinks Home | NorthStar Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (21K ratings) — better | 3.2 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews — better | 7.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 21K — better | 59 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 380 MB | 377 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Monitronics | Northstar Alarm Services, LLC |
Customer experience
Brinks Home
NorthStar Home
Bugs and requests
Brinks Home
Reported bugs
4 issues- Cameras not recording properly
- Frequent false alarms
- App connection issues
- Inability to manage account details in app
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to customize recording settings
- Longer video clip duration
- Automatic arming/disarming schedules
- Two-way communication for cameras
- Improved mobile app navigation
NorthStar Home
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Brinks Home
No in-app purchases
NorthStar Home
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Brinks Home free?
Is NorthStar Home free?
Which has better reviews, Brinks Home or NorthStar Home?
Do Brinks Home or NorthStar Home have ads?
Which is updated more often, Brinks Home or NorthStar Home?
Other comparisons















