Best Home Security Systems for 2026: Top Smart Hubs to Protect Your Home

When choosing a security system for your home, you might be tempted to start by choosing between a DIY setup or professionally installed systems with monitoring services. Remember to make your decision after considering the equipment, installation, monitoring options, and other features you want. Here is some information to keep in mind about these settings when shopping.

Equipment choice

Do you just need to monitor your entries? A good video doorbell for your front door and an exterior camera covering the rear may be enough; easy to install and monitor yourself. If you want to keep a closer eye on your home, inside and out, with 24/7 monitoring and quick access to emergency response services, you’ll need a more robust system. DIY and professional brands offer home security bundles with most, if not all, of the equipment you would need to get started and the ability to add unique devices if necessary.

Smart home and AI

Most home security devices are compatible with Alexa and Google Home smart hubs, but if you prefer Apple HomeKit or another smart home ecosystem, you may need to do a little more shopping and comparing to find a system compatible with your existing smart home devices. Don’t worry too much about compatibility, as Matter makes it easy to connect previously non-compatible devices (although that hasn’t quite happened for security cameras yet).

Smart home features are also constantly evolving, especially with AI. Over the past two years, SimpliSafe has added AI face and motion detection to help its surveillance officers, ADT has added support for Nest’s familiar AI face recognition features, and Arlo has increased its services to include AI detection of fires, barks, screams and more. You’ll have to pay a lot more for these features and consider your own privacy if you’re interested in cutting-edge upgrades.

Facility

Keep in mind that all of this equipment will need to be installed. While there’s not much to installing a security camera or even a wired video doorbell, whole-home systems can be a little more demanding to install and configure. Some are easy to DIY and use adhesive to position devices without leaving permanent marks, but not all systems do this. If you prefer to leave this to an expert and have them explain how to use the system, a professional home security service may be the solution.

Monitoring and alerts

Virtually all home security systems allow for self-monitoring, probably through an app on your phone. They will also send you push notifications when something happens, such as when a package is delivered to your door. Basic sensors can send alerts to the specific sensor that has been triggered or tampered with, while adding a camera allows for more complex recognition. You can customize these alerts to get only the information you want (e.g. only when a person is detected), while most will automatically ignore things like vehicles.

Professional monitoring and emergency functions

Determine if you want to be in charge of all monitoring or if you want help. Most systems allow you to add a professional monitoring plan, some even require it from the start. These services often cost more than $30 per month and sometimes much more if AI features are added.

More advanced features, such as facial recognition, glass break sensors, and communication with emergency services, may not be available from all manufacturers and devices. When choosing a home security system, consider the level of monitoring you want and who you want to have that monitoring, as well as emergency response options.

Extensibility

Most home security systems allow you to purchase single sensors or compatible devices and add them, one at a time, whenever you want to upgrade or fix a specific problem. But they do it very differently. Some only allow you to purchase devices from their own brand, while others are compatible with a variety of third-party smart home devices. Some have very limited add-on options, while others have many choices. Whatever you decide, we recommend checking out add-on options on a security system website to see what potential upgrades will look like.

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Initial costs

We listed “cost” last for a reason. A complete home security system will likely cost you at least a few hundred dollars, so be prepared for that. It is possible to spend a lot more or a lot less on equipment. Also keep in mind that the size of the system greatly affects the cost. Starter systems, like many others we’ve listed here, typically cost between $150 and $300 and allow you to add other compatible devices over time. Larger systems with 10 or more devices will cost at least several hundred dollars and can range up to $1,000 or more, depending on the technology included.

Ongoing costs

Ongoing costs may carry a little more weight when choosing the best security system. Expect an ongoing monthly fee for a professional service and possibly a contract that guarantees you those fees for a year or two (although we favored choices with no contract required). Signing a contract may not be ideal, but it may also come with free equipment or installation and lower upfront costs.

If you’re comfortable with self-monitoring, DIY systems may not incur ongoing costs. Monthly subscriptions (no contract) for cloud storage, enhanced features, and possibly even professional monitoring are usually an option with DIY systems, often for lower monthly fees than professional services.

Privacy and security

Always look for a brand that will protect your data and has a good track record of security, encryption, and data breach protection. It’s not always easy: Many security companies have had problems in the past with breaches, privacy violations, or even employees spying through their home security cameras.

We look at a company’s current practices, its track record, and how it has improved over the past several years when making recommendations. SimpliSafe is still one of the standout players in security, which is part of the reason they earned the top spot on our list. Although Ring has made missteps in the past, it has improved in recent years and even removed its policy of providing video footage to police. So we’re comfortable recommending Ring at this time.