Comparison

Alarm.com vs Vivint

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Remote property control
  • Intelligent alerts and live video
  • Security automation
  • Smart lock and light control
  • Video camera monitoring
  • Two-way doorbell communication
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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.

About

Vivint

Manage your entire smart home ecosystem from a single application. Control security systems, cameras, locks, lighting, and thermostats remotely. Receive real-time alerts for enhanced home safety and energy efficiency.

Highlights
  • Arm/disarm security system
  • Remote camera viewing and recording
  • Two-way talk with doorbell camera
  • Smart lock control
  • Thermostat and lighting management
  • Customizable automation rules
  • Real-time alerts and notifications
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The Vivint app brings home security, energy management, and smart home features all into one place. Whether you’re on the go or at home, managing your home has never been simpler. The Vivint app allows you to: Arm or disarm your security system Control your whole system anytime, anywhere, with the touch of a button. Arm and disarm your system and set up custom actions to automate your smart home.   Stay in control, even when you’re away See and speak with visitors through your doorbell from anywhere with 2-way talk and clear 180x180 HD video. Unlock the door for a guest, change the temperature, turn on Smart Deter, and much more, even if you’re not home. View live camera feeds and recordings Keep your home safer with cameras and security that work together. Check on what's happening around your home day and night, and rewatch important events with 30-day DVR recording and Smart Clips. Save energy Create custom schedules for your lights and turn them off from anywhere. Adjust your thermostat from your phone to save money, even if you’re away. Lock and unlock your home Know your home is secure by checking the status of your smart locks, and lock or unlock your doors with a swipe. Check to see if the garage door is open through the status indicator on the app, and be alerted right away if you happen to leave it open.   Receive alerts and notifications Know if one of your cameras has deterred a lurker, your garage door was left open, a package has been delivered, and much more. Note: Vivint Smart Home System and service subscription required. Call 877.788.2697 for information on a new System. Note: If you’re looking for the app that supports the Vivint Go! Control Panel, search and download the “Vivint Classic” app.

Screenshots

Alarm.com4 screens
Vivint4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Alarm.com at free against Vivint's free with in-app purchases. Vivint's advantage is ratings volume (860K vs 141K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Alarm.com against 4.6 for Vivint. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vivint has 860K ratings behind it against 141K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 23% of Alarm.com's written reviews are positive against 22% of Vivint's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Alarm.com ships an update every 4 weeks, Vivint fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Alarm.com versus Vivint: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAlarm.comVivint
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (141K ratings) — better4.6 (860K ratings)
Positive reviews23.0% of reviews — better21.8% of reviews
Number of ratings141K860K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#101 — better#150
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size443 MB502 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlarm.comVivint

Customer experience

Alarm.com

All ratings141,339 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral2.2%
Negative4.0%
Written reviews1,084 reviews
Positive23.0%
Neutral11.5%
Negative65.5%

Vivint

All ratings860,388 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral3.5%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews2,634 reviews
Positive21.8%
Neutral11.7%
Negative66.5%

User reviews

Alarm.com

From 141K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and intuitive app
  • 🔒 Provides good security and monitoring
  • 👍 Easy to use and control home devices
  • 💡 Helpful for remote home management

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues and app crashes
  • 🔋 Unreliable notifications and alerts
  • 👎 Poor customer service and technical support
  • 🕰️ Slow response times for arming/disarming

Vivint

From 860K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use app
  • 🔒 Provides good security and peace of mind
  • 📽️ Clear and reliable camera footage
  • 🔔 Helpful doorbell and motion detection features
  • 🔌 Integrates well with smart home devices

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent app crashes and connectivity issues
  • 🕰️ Slow camera loading and video playback
  • 📉 Declining app performance over time
  • 🔍 Unreliable motion detection and recording
  • 🤖 Poor customer service and technical support

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

Vivint

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App freezes and fails to load cameras
  • Cameras frequently go offline unexpectedly
  • Alarm system triggers false alarms
  • Sync issues between app, panel, and devices
  • Compatibility problems with newer iOS/Android versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add landscape mode support for tablets
  • Improve customization options for alerts and notifications
  • Integrate with more smart home platforms
  • Provide better video storage and playback capabilities
  • Enhance two-way audio functionality

In-app purchases

None

Alarm.com

No in-app purchases

None

Vivint

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Alarm.com free?
Alarm.com is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Vivint free?
Vivint is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Alarm.com or Vivint?
Alarm.com is rated higher. Alarm.com averages 4.7 out of 5 from 141K ratings, while Vivint averages 4.6 from 860K ratings.
Do Alarm.com or Vivint have ads?
Neither Alarm.com nor Vivint shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Alarm.com or Vivint?
Alarm.com ships an update every 4 weeks, and Vivint fortnightly. Most recently, Alarm.com was updated on September 29, 2026 and Vivint on September 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Alarm.com or Vivint?
Alarm.com currently peaks at #101 in the App Store charts, and Vivint at #150. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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