Comparison

Brinks Home vs NorthStar Home

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Real-time remote monitoring
  • Interactive security control
  • Live video streaming
  • Home automation management
  • Customizable push notifications
  • Apple Watch integration
Features
Read 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

Brinks Home4 screens
NorthStar Home4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Brinks Home versus NorthStar Home: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrinks HomeNorthStar Home
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (21K ratings) — better3.2 (59 ratings)
Positive reviews16.4% of reviews — better7.1% of reviews
Number of ratings21K — better59
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size380 MB377 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMonitronicsNorthstar Alarm Services, LLC

Customer experience

Brinks Home

All ratings20,380 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews281 reviews
Positive16.4%
Neutral9.6%
Negative74.0%

NorthStar Home

All ratings59 ratings
Positive52.5%
Neutral3.4%
Negative44.1%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive7.1%
Neutral7.1%
Negative85.7%

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

None

Brinks Home

No in-app purchases

None

NorthStar Home

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Brinks Home free?
Brinks Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NorthStar Home free?
NorthStar Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Brinks Home or NorthStar Home?
Brinks Home is rated higher. Brinks Home averages 4.6 out of 5 from 21K ratings, while NorthStar Home averages 3.2 from 59 ratings.
Do Brinks Home or NorthStar Home have ads?
Neither Brinks Home nor NorthStar Home shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Brinks Home or NorthStar Home?
Brinks Home ships an update every 3 months, and NorthStar Home every 2 months. Most recently, Brinks Home was updated on November 9, 2026 and NorthStar Home on November 3, 2026.

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