# ADT Pulse ® vs Alder Security

The clearest difference is rating: ADT Pulse ® at 4.8 against Alder Security's 2.1. ADT Pulse ® also leads on ratings volume (851K vs 193) and review sentiment (28% vs 6%). Alder Security's advantage is monetization model (free vs subscription) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

ADT Pulse ® holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ADT Pulse ® has 851K ratings behind it against 193, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of ADT Pulse ®'s written reviews are positive against 6% of Alder Security's.

ADT Pulse ® ships an update every 3 months, Alder Security every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ADT Pulse ® | Alder Security |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (851K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adt-pulse/id355736423/reviews)** | [2.1 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alder-security/id1267996005/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **851K** | 193 |
| Positive reviews | **28.2% of reviews** | 5.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 99 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ADT LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/355736426) | [Alder Holdings, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1083656127) |

## What reviewers say

### ADT Pulse ®

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/adt-pulse/id355736423)

Control your home or business security and automation system remotely. Manage cameras, lights, locks, and thermostats, and receive alerts for peace of mind. Arm or disarm your system, adjust settings, and set custom automations from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Remote system arming/disarming, Control lights, locks, and thermostats, View live surveillance camera feeds, Receive security and arrival alerts, Set custom automations and schedules, Remote door lock/unlock

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Reliable system
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🔒 Provides peace of mind
- 🚀 Convenient remote access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Connection issues with app
- 🐛 Slow camera feed loading
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Expensive service

**Reported bugs**

- App unable to connect to security system
- Camera feeds frequently going offline
- Arm/disarm functions not working reliably
- Notifications not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Ability to view full video history
- Geofencing for automatic arming/disarming
- Tighter integration with smart home devices
- Faster app response times


### Alder Security

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alder-security/id1267996005)

Manage your home's security, lighting, climate, and cameras from one place. Receive real-time alerts, remotely arm/disarm your system, and monitor live video feeds. Control various connected devices like locks and thermostats for comprehensive home automation.

**Highlights:** Remote security system control, Real-time alarm status and alerts, Live video monitoring, Event recording for cameras, Control lights, locks, and thermostats, Monitor multiple cameras

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Professional installation and setup
- ✅ System functionality works when properly configured
- 📱 Simple and intuitive interface design
- 🎥 Multi-camera support on single app
- 🔐 Face ID support available

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and freezes constantly
- 📵 Persistent login and authentication issues
- ⚠️ Unreliable push notifications
- 🔌 Poor connectivity and offline errors
- ⏱️ Slow app performance and lag

**Reported bugs**

- App requires constant re-login despite 'remember me' selection
- Password reset page unresponsive
- Camera feed takes 5+ minutes to load or fails entirely
- App crashes when viewing indoor cameras
- Notifications not clearing from notification center

**Requested features**

- Granular notification settings per camera
- Customizable notification sounds for doorbell
- Thermostat scheduling automation
- Improved activity log descriptions
- Separate app for indoor and outdoor cameras consolidation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ADT Pulse ® free?

ADT Pulse ® is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Alder Security free?

Alder Security is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ADT Pulse ® or Alder Security?

ADT Pulse ® is rated higher. ADT Pulse ® averages 4.8 out of 5 from 851K ratings, while Alder Security averages 2.1 from 193 ratings.

### Do ADT Pulse ® or Alder Security have ads?

Neither ADT Pulse ® nor Alder Security shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ADT Pulse ® or Alder Security?

ADT Pulse ® ships an update every 3 months, and Alder Security every 6 months. Most recently, ADT Pulse ® was updated on October 18, 2026 and Alder Security on October 15, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*