Alarm.com vs NorthStar Home
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Alarm.com
Connect and protect your home or business with a unified system. Remotely control security, locks, lights, and cameras, and receive intelligent alerts for crime, fire, or water damage. Automate routines and manage your property from anywhere.
- Remote property control
- Intelligent alerts and live video
- Security automation
- Smart lock and light control
- Video camera monitoring
- Two-way doorbell communication
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Keep your home or business connected, protected and one step ahead with Alarm.com. Our technology connects your security, locks, lights, video cameras and more into a single system that protects you from crime, fire, carbon monoxide and even water damage. Our all-in-one app for iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch makes it easy to: • Control your entire property remotely • Know what’s going on with intelligent alerts and live video feeds • Automate your daily security routine and other time-consuming tasks Our Apple Watch-supported features make connecting with home or work as easy as checking the time, with alerts, video clips and a full range of smart controls accessible right on your wrist. Note: This app requires a compatible system and an interactive Alarm.com service plan. Feature availability varies based on system, equipment, and service plan. Visit www.alarm.com for more information. Our smarter home security features include: • Control your security panel, locks, lights and more from anywhere • Get alerts when people enter and leave, or when there’s unexpected activity • Watch live and recorded video from indoor and outdoor cameras • Customize your video alerts to see specific activity only • Talk to visitors through your doorbell camera and unlock your door from the same screen • Use Scenes commands to activate multiple devices with one touch Our smarter business security features include: • Arm or disarm your security panel across multiple locations • Get alerted if the store opens late or an employee accesses a restricted area • Get smarter video alerts that highlight specific types of activity • Automate your lights, locks, thermostats and more • Track and manage access to multiple properties • Buzz open your access control doors from the Doorbell Call screen • Respond to alarm events and alert emergency personnel Dependable in emergencies and helpful every day, Alarm.com is the all-in-one solution for the connected, protected home or business.
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
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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: Alarm.com at 4.7 against NorthStar Home's 3.2. Alarm.com also leads on ratings volume (142K vs 59) and review sentiment (23% vs 7%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Alarm.com holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Alarm.com has 142K ratings behind it against 59, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 23% of Alarm.com's written reviews are positive against 7% of NorthStar Home's.
Alarm.com ships an update every 3 weeks, NorthStar Home every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Alarm.com | NorthStar Home |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (142K ratings) — better | 3.2 (59 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 22.7% of reviews — better | 7.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 142K — better | 59 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #169 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 443 MB | 377 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alarm.com | Northstar Alarm Services, LLC |
Customer experience
Alarm.com
NorthStar Home
Bugs and requests
Alarm.com
Reported bugs
4 issues- Inconsistent display of system status
- Inability to update WiFi settings remotely
- Unexpected resets of user preferences
- Delayed or missing video recordings
Requested features
4 requests- Customizable notification sounds
- Ability to bypass specific sensors
- Improved video quality and reliability
- Integration with other smart home platforms
NorthStar Home
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Alarm.com
No in-app purchases
NorthStar Home
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Alarm.com free?
Is NorthStar Home free?
Which has better reviews, Alarm.com or NorthStar Home?
Do Alarm.com or NorthStar Home have ads?
Which is updated more often, Alarm.com or NorthStar Home?
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