ADT Pulse ® vs Kwikset
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ADT Pulse ®
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.
- 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
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The ADT Pulse® app allows you to control your home or business security and automation system from virtually anywhere. Using your iOS device, you can manage your home or business security system, surveillance cameras, lights, locks, thermostats and more! With a tap or swipe you can easily help protect what matters most to you, and enjoy an additional level of peace of mind. With ADT Pulse, you can: • Arm your system before you leave your home or business from virtually anywhere in the world. • Turn on your lights right from your app before you arrive at home or work. • Ensure you have turned off small appliances after you leave your home directly through the app. • Lock and unlock your doors remotely to allow the dog sitter or others to enter your home when you’re away. • Receive alerts when your children arrive home from school and view live video to check in on them. • Adjust your thermostat or put it on a schedule that fits your life. • Set up custom automations and schedules with vacation modes for the ultimate amount of control for your home! To use the ADT Pulse app, you must be an active ADT customer and subscriber to ADT Pulse interactive services.
Kwikset
Control and monitor your smart locks remotely, manage guest access with custom codes, and receive instant security alerts. Integrate with popular smart home ecosystems for enhanced automation and peace of mind.
- Remote lock monitoring and control
- Guest access code management
- Instant activity and security alerts
- Multi-home and lock management
- Smart home ecosystem integration (Wi-Fi, Matter)
- Encrypted data security
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At Kwikset, we understand that the locks you choose to protect your home is a decision you do not take lightly. That is why we do not take shortcuts when it comes to quality, because we know that a better lock means better peace of mind. Remote Access Control Monitor the status of your locks and manage your home's access seamlessly from anywhere at any time. Trusted Access Management Share app access with guests or create scheduled or one-time access codes for keyless entry. Instant Activity Alerts Receive instant notifications anytime someone accesses your home, or when invalid codes are entered, or lock tampering occurs. Intuitive Home Management Easily configure and manage multiple homes and locks for complete control. Seamless Integration with Smart Ecosystems Add your lock via Wi-Fi to your preferred smart home ecosystems, including Google Home or Amazon Alexa, or amplify automation through IFTTT. Kwikset’s new Halo Select lock is Matter and Wi-Fi compatible, giving you the same Wi-Fi options as our other Halo locks. With Matter, you can connect to Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, Samsung SmartThings, and other Matter hubs via Thread. Matter features may differ from ecosystem to ecosystem. You can check out www.kwikset.com/matter for more information. Security and Peace of Mind Kwikset provides unparalleled security while safeguarding your privacy. All data shared between the lock, the server, and the Kwikset app is encrypted, and our servers are exclusively hosted in the US. Our goal is to provide you with the utmost convenience, trust, and safety for your smart living experience. The Kwikset App is compatible with all Kwikset Halo and Kwikset Aura smart locks. Kwikset®, a trusted leader in residential security and a registered trademark of ASSA ABLOY Americas Residential Inc., an ASSA ABLOY Group Company
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Kwikset at free against ADT Pulse ®'s subscription. Kwikset also leads on review sentiment (48% vs 28%) and chart position (#198 vs unranked). ADT Pulse ®'s advantage is ratings volume (850K vs 60K) and device support (5 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ADT Pulse ® against 4.8 for Kwikset. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ADT Pulse ® has 850K ratings behind it against 60K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 28% of ADT Pulse ®'s written reviews are positive against 48% of Kwikset's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 8, 2026.
| Parameter | ADT Pulse ® | Kwikset |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (850K ratings) | 4.8 (60K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 28.1% of reviews | 47.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 850K — better | 60K |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Subscription | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | — | #198 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 99 MB | 356 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ADT LLC | ASSA ABLOY AMERICAS RESIDENTIAL INC. |
Customer experience
ADT Pulse ®
Kwikset
User reviews
ADT Pulse ®
From 850K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Reliable system
- 👍 Easy to use app
- 🔒 Provides peace of mind
- 🚀 Convenient remote access
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connection issues with app
- 🐛 Slow camera feed loading
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 💰 Expensive service
Kwikset
From 60K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure access
- 👍 Convenient remote control
- 👍 Helpful for short-term rentals
- 👍 Great design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Connectivity issues
- 🔋 Battery life problems
- 🐛 Unreliable app performance
- 🐛 Firmware update challenges
- 🐛 Difficult setup and pairing
Bugs and requests
ADT Pulse ®
Reported bugs
4 issues- 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
4 requests- Ability to view full video history
- Geofencing for automatic arming/disarming
- Tighter integration with smart home devices
- Faster app response times
Kwikset
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes and freezes
- Inability to update firmware
- Inconsistent lock status reporting
- Pairing failures with Bluetooth and WiFi
Requested features
4 requests- Customizable notifications
- Ability to manage multiple locks
- Scheduled auto-lock feature
- Integration with smart home platforms
In-app purchases
ADT Pulse ®
No in-app purchases
Kwikset
No in-app purchases
