Comparison

Vivint vs Brinks Home

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

Head to head
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.

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.

Screenshots

Vivint4 screens
Brinks Home4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Vivint at fortnightly against Brinks Home's every 3 months. Vivint also leads on ratings volume (860K vs 20K) and chart position (#150 vs unranked). Brinks Home's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, review sentiment 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

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 — 4.6 for Vivint against 4.7 for Brinks Home. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Vivint has 860K ratings behind it against 20K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 22% of Vivint's written reviews are positive against 17% of Brinks Home's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Vivint ships an update fortnightly, Brinks Home every 3 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Vivint versus Brinks Home: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVivintBrinks Home
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (860K ratings)4.7 (20K ratings) — better
Positive reviews21.8% of reviews — better16.5% of reviews
Number of ratings860K — better20K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#150 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size502 MB380 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVivintMonitronics

Customer experience

Vivint

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

Brinks Home

All ratings20,380 ratings
Positive91.6%
Neutral2.4%
Negative6.0%
Written reviews266 reviews
Positive16.5%
Neutral9.8%
Negative73.7%

User reviews

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

Brinks Home

From 20K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🔒 Provides peace of mind
  • 👍 Great app and system

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable
  • 🔍 Poor customer service
  • 💰 Expensive and not worth the cost
  • 🕰️ Long wait times for support
  • 📱 App is not user-friendly

Bugs and requests

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

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

In-app purchases

None

Vivint

No in-app purchases

None

Brinks Home

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Vivint free?
Vivint is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Brinks Home free?
Brinks Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Vivint or Brinks Home?
Brinks Home is rated higher. Vivint averages 4.6 out of 5 from 860K ratings, while Brinks Home averages 4.7 from 20K ratings.
Do Vivint or Brinks Home have ads?
Neither Vivint nor Brinks Home shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Vivint or Brinks Home?
Vivint ships an update fortnightly, and Brinks Home every 3 months. Most recently, Vivint was updated on September 29, 2026 and Brinks Home on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons