Alamo Smart Home vs. Smith Thompson.Side by side, plan by plan.
Two Texas companies, both with no required contract and 24/7 professional monitoring. One publishes the lowest basic rate we found; the other is headquartered in San Antonio. Everything about Smith Thompson below is quoted from smiththompson.com as published on October 15, 2026.
Rated 4.9 on Google · 1,300+ Texas homeowners
Free on-site quote + 2 months free — from your neighbor, not a call center.
Flat $19.99/mo monitoring, no contract required — while the big brands charge $50–90 on long contracts.
Is Smith Thompson a good home security company? Yes. Here’s what we have in common.
Smith Thompson is a family-owned Texas company that has published the same $16.95 monitoring rate since 1978 and never required a contract. It runs its own UL-certified central station in Texas and is headquartered in Plano with offices in San Antonio, Austin and Houston. For basic monitoring, it is hard to beat on price.
A lot of what Smith Thompson does well, we do too.
- No required contract, on either side. Smith Thompson says it has “never required a contract” since 1978. We don’t require one either. Neither company is going to hold you to a three-year term.
- Same platform, more or less. Smith Thompson’s smart plan uses a 7-inch IQ2 touchscreen panel with PowerG sensors and the Alarm.com app. We install the newest Qolsys IQ Panel 5 on the Alarm.com platform. The app on your phone will look very similar.
- 24/7 professional monitoring with cellular backup. Both systems send signals over cellular, so a cut phone line or a power outage doesn’t take you offline.
- Equipment priced separately from monitoring. Smith Thompson calls “free” equipment bundled into long contracts a gimmick. We agree. Both companies charge for hardware once and keep the monthly rate about monitoring.
- Both are licensed in Texas. Smith Thompson’s license is B-02469. Ours is #B05229001. Check any company’s number with the state before you sign anything.
If those five things cover what you need, you’ll be well looked after with Smith Thompson or with us. Where we differ is who installs and services the system, what you’re paying to monitor, and where the company is based.
Smith Thompson vs. Alamo Smart Home, line by line.
Smith Thompson’s basic plan costs less per month than ours. Once you add app control, the monthly rates are close, and its smart plan costs more per month than our video plan. Equipment and service terms differ more than the monthly does. Where Smith Thompson doesn’t publish a figure, we left it out.
| Alamo Smart Home | Smith Thompson (as published on smiththompson.com, Oct 15, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly monitoring | $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics and cloud recording | Plan 1 $16.95/mo (monitoring of an existing system), Plan 2 $21.95/mo (adds app arm/disarm), Plan 3 $29.95/mo (smart home and automation). Its FAQ lists Plan 2 at $24.95 |
| Rate history | No published rate history | “Same Rate Since ’78” on the $16.95 plan |
| Up-front cost | Equipment quoted after a free on-site security analysis, bought once | $89 transmitter to take over a compatible system; new standard system from $399; smart panel $499 (FAQ says from $449) |
| Contract | Never required. Optional if you want to lock your rate | No contract. Cancelling requires 30 days’ notice |
| Free months | First two months of monitoring free | Yearly prepay option with one month free ($186.45 on Plan 1) |
| Who installs | Salaried Alamo technicians, employees not subcontractors | “Licensed, background checked alarm technician”; employment model not published |
| Who monitors, and where | UCC in San Antonio: UL-listed, FM-approved, TMA Five Diamond | Its own “dual, fully redundant, UL certified facilities,” described as Texas based |
| Repairs | Most service calls same day | $79 service call plus parts outside the 1-year warranty |
| Offices | 503 E Ramsey Rd, San Antonio. Austin and Houston served by local technicians; no offices there yet | Plano HQ, plus offices in San Antonio (Hardy Oak Blvd), Austin (N. Mopac) and Houston (Westheimer) |
| Rating source | 4.9 stars, 1,300+ Google reviews | No review count shown on its site |
Prices and terms change. If you’re reading this months from now, check smiththompson.com yourself, then call us at (210) 625-6575 and we’ll walk through both.
What’s the difference between Smith Thompson and a local San Antonio security company? Four things.
Smith Thompson is a Plano company built around monitoring existing systems cheaply. We’re a San Antonio company built around designing, installing and servicing a full system with our own salaried technicians. The differences come down to what you pay for each month, who does the repairs and what they cost, and what you can add later.
What you’re paying for each month
Smith Thompson’s $16.95 plan is monitoring for an older keypad system, typically a DSC 1616 or Honeywell Vista 15 or 20, with an $89 cellular transmitter added. If that’s what’s on your wall and it works, that is a very good price. App control is Plan 2, at $21.95. Our $19.99 includes 24/7 monitoring and the Alarm.com app on the newest Qolsys IQ Panel 5. At $24.99 you add video analytics and cloud recording. Smith Thompson’s smart plan, the closest match, is $29.95.
The first year, side by side
With two months free, a year of our $19.99 monitoring comes to $199.90. Twelve months of Smith Thompson’s Plan 1 is $203.40, or $186.45 if you prepay the year. On basic monitoring the first year is close. Equipment is the bigger number for both. We quote ours on site after we see the house, so we can’t put a figure on it here. Our San Antonio cost guide covers typical ranges.
Who comes out when something breaks
Smith Thompson publishes a $79 service call plus parts once you’re past its one-year warranty, and tech support hours on weekdays and Saturdays. Our installers are salaried Alamo employees, and most service calls are handled the same day by the team that knows your system.
What you can grow into
Smith Thompson’s quote builder says it doesn’t service apartments, asks owners of homes over 6,000 sq ft to call, limits business systems to 4,500 sq ft of interior space, and provides burglary monitoring only for businesses. We also do commercial security and access control, cameras, and whole-home automation with Josh AI, Control4, Crestron and Lutron.
Is Smith Thompson the best home security company in San Antonio, Austin or Houston? It depends on the city.
Smith Thompson publishes the same rates and plans in all three cities and lists an office in each. We’re headquartered in San Antonio and have local technicians in Austin and Houston, but no office in either city yet. In San Antonio, you’re choosing between two local teams. In Austin and Houston, Smith Thompson has an address closer to you than we do.
San Antonio
Both companies have a San Antonio address: Smith Thompson at 18911 Hardy Oak Blvd, and us at 503 E Ramsey Rd. The difference is that our monitoring center, UCC, is also in San Antonio, and our whole company is here. Smith Thompson’s headquarters is in Plano.
Austin
Smith Thompson lists an Austin office at 7000 N. Mopac Expressway. Alamo was founded in Austin, but today our Austin home security customers are served by our local Austin technicians. If a local office address matters to you, Smith Thompson has one in Austin. We don’t yet.
Houston
Smith Thompson lists a Houston office at 5100 Westheimer Rd, and its locations page lists the Woodlands, Spring, Sugar Land, Katy, League City, Pearland and Cypress. Our Houston home security service is handled by local Houston technicians, with no Houston office yet. In both cities, whoever you choose, you’ll need a city alarm permit before monitoring starts.
Should I go with Smith Thompson or Alamo? It depends on what’s on your wall.
Pick Smith Thompson if you already have a working DSC or Honeywell keypad system and want the lowest monthly rate we found. Pick Alamo if you want a new system designed for your home, video verification, smart-home or commercial work, and a salaried team in San Antonio that installs and services it.
Smith Thompson is probably the better fit if
- You have a working DSC 1616 or Honeywell Vista 15 or 20 and just want it monitored. $89 and $16.95 a month is a good deal.
- You don’t need the app, cameras or automation.
- You live in Austin or Houston and want a company with a local office address.
- You want a rate the company says hasn’t changed since 1978.
Alamo is probably the better fit if
- You want someone to walk your property first and design the system around it.
- You want video analytics and cloud recording included at $24.99 instead of a $29.95 smart plan.
- Your home is large, or you also need security at a business with warehouse space, access control or cameras.
- You want same-day service from a salaried technician and a San Antonio monitoring center.
Still deciding? Read a few recent reviews for both companies. Ours are on our reviews page.
How do I cancel Smith Thompson and switch? Three steps.
Smith Thompson’s FAQ says it needs 30 days’ cancellation notice, sent through its support page, email, mail or fax. There’s no contract to buy out. Give notice, book a free on-site analysis with us, and time the install so your monitoring overlaps by a day or two. That way your home is never unmonitored.
- Give notice first. Smith Thompson publishes a 30-day notice requirement. Count back from the day you want monitoring to end.
- Book the free on-site analysis. An analyst walks the house and tells you what can be reused. We can often take over compatible existing panels; the visit is what confirms it for your home. If your panel can’t be taken over, we’ll tell you at the visit and quote the replacement.
- We install and set up the app. Sensors, cameras, locks and thermostat in one place, tested before we leave. Your first two months of monitoring are on us.
About equipment: Smith Thompson’s cellular transmitter connects your panel to its monitoring center. Ask what happens to that piece when you leave, and check your paperwork before anyone unscrews anything. More on how we handle terms on our no-contract home security page, and if you’re also weighing a national brand, see Alamo vs. ADT.
What does Alamo Smart Home cost, and what do you get?
Residential monitoring is $19.99 a month, or $24.99 with video analytics and cloud recording. The first two months are free. No contract is required. Equipment is bought once, quoted after a free on-site analysis, and it’s yours. Commercial monitoring is $44.99 a month with a touchscreen panel included.
- Monitoring: 24/7 through UCC (United Central Control) in San Antonio, UL-listed, FM-approved and TMA Five Diamond certified.
- Equipment: the newest Qolsys IQ Panel 5 on Alarm.com, cellular and battery backup.
- People: installed and serviced by salaried Alamo technicians, not subcontractors. Most service calls same day.
- Commercial: $44.99/mo including a free touchscreen panel, installation, basic sensors and the remote app.
- Company: Orenda Securities LLC dba Alamo Smart Home, Texas license #B05229001, 503 E Ramsey Rd Ste 103, San Antonio, TX 78216. 4.9 stars across 1,300+ Google reviews.
Call (210) 625-6575. A real person picks up Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm.
Meet your local team — and your first 2 months of monitoring are on us.
A trained security analyst walks your property in person and recommends exactly what you need — nothing you don’t. Then a licensed, salaried Alamo technician installs it and sets it up around how you actually live. No commissioned sales reps. No pressure.
- Free on-site analysis with a local security analyst
- Two months of professional monitoring, on us
- No contract required — it’s optional, never mandatory
- The same local, salaried team for as long as you own the home
You’re choosing one of Texas’ most trusted security teams.
As smart devices and cameras grow, having a reliable local service company is essential — even if you hope never to need it.
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- 24/7 professional monitoring
- Remote app control
- Monitoring starting at $19.99
- True local company
- Highest quality equipment
- Same-day service
- No required contracts
- Immediate service calls
- 6-month install guarantee
- Long contracts
- High monitoring rates
- Out-of-state & remote support
- Service headaches
- Multiple apps
Don’t get trapped in high monitoring rates. Switch to Alamo at $19.99/mo — no required contracts, same local Texas team.
Get a free quoteSmith Thompson vs. Alamo: what people ask.
Common questions, with Smith Thompson’s figures as published on October 15, 2026. Still wondering about something? Call the local team at (210) 625-6575.
What’s the difference between Alamo Smart Home and Smith Thompson?
Both are Texas companies with no required contract and 24/7 professional monitoring. Smith Thompson, based in Plano, publishes $16.95/mo monitoring for existing systems and $29.95/mo for its smart plan (smiththompson.com, October 15, 2026). Alamo, based in San Antonio, charges $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics, and designs, installs and services each system with salaried technicians.
How much does Smith Thompson cost per month?
As published on smiththompson.com on October 15, 2026: Plan 1 is $16.95/mo for monitoring an existing system, Plan 2 is $21.95/mo with app arm and disarm, and Plan 3 is $29.95/mo for smart home security. Its FAQ lists Plan 2 at $24.95. Start-up is $89 for a transmitter, $399 for a new standard system, or $499 for the smart panel.
Does Smith Thompson require a contract?
No. Smith Thompson says it has never required a contract since 1978. Its FAQ asks for 30 days’ cancellation notice through its support page, email, mail or fax (smiththompson.com, October 15, 2026). Alamo doesn’t require a contract either; one is optional if you want to lock your rate.
Has Smith Thompson really kept the same rate since 1978?
That’s what Smith Thompson publishes. Its pages say the $16.95 basic monitoring rate hasn’t changed since 1978. That rate covers monitoring of an existing standard alarm system. App control, smart panels and cameras are priced on higher plans, at $21.95 and $29.95 a month, plus equipment.
Where is Smith Thompson’s monitoring center?
Smith Thompson says it owns and operates “dual, fully redundant, UL certified facilities” that are Texas based, and it doesn’t outsource monitoring. Its pages don’t name the city. Alamo’s monitoring is handled 24/7 by UCC in San Antonio, which is UL-listed, FM-approved and TMA Five Diamond certified.
Does Smith Thompson serve San Antonio, Austin and Houston?
Yes. Smith Thompson lists security service in Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio and their surrounding areas, with offices on Hardy Oak Blvd in San Antonio, N. Mopac Expressway in Austin and Westheimer Rd in Houston. Alamo is headquartered in San Antonio and has local technicians in Austin and Houston.
Can Alamo take over my Smith Thompson system?
Often, yes. Smith Thompson’s smart plan uses an IQ2 panel on Alarm.com, and many of its customers have DSC or Honeywell panels. We can often take over compatible existing panels, and the free on-site analysis confirms it for your home. Ask Smith Thompson what happens to its cellular transmitter when you cancel.
Is Smith Thompson cheaper than Alamo?
For basic monitoring of an existing keypad system, yes: $16.95 against our $19.99. With app control, Smith Thompson’s $21.95 is close to our $19.99. For smart home security, its $29.95 plan costs more than our $24.99 video plan. With two months free, a first year of our $19.99 monitoring is $199.90.
Is Smith Thompson a good company?
By its published record, yes. It’s family owned, has operated since 1978, runs its own UL-certified central station and doesn’t require contracts. Its basic $16.95 monitoring rate is the lowest published rate we found. Before you choose any alarm company, read a few of its recent reviews, including ours.
When is Smith Thompson the better choice?
When you already have a working DSC 1616 or Honeywell Vista panel, want it monitored for the lowest monthly rate, and don’t need the app, cameras or automation. It’s also a fair pick in Austin or Houston if a local office address matters to you, since we don’t have an office in either city yet.
Let’s talk about what you need.
Your free quote starts here.
Two months free monitoring. No contract required. A San Antonio company at 503 E Ramsey Rd, Ste 103 — just a conversation about the home you’ve worked hard for.
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