Alamo Smart Home vs. ADT.Side by side, no spin.
You’re comparing a San Antonio company with 1,300+ local reviews against the biggest name in the industry. Both give you 24/7 professional monitoring. Everything ADT-related below is quoted from adt.com as published on September 5, 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.
Alamo vs. ADT, line by line.
ADT’s terms vary by package, promotion and state, so we’ve used what ADT publishes on its own website. Where a figure isn’t published there, we’ve left the row out rather than guess.
| Alamo Smart Home | ADT (as published on adt.com, Sept 5, 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly monitoring | $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics and cloud recording | Professionally installed monitoring starting at $45.99/mo; Self Setup starting at $24.99/mo |
| Contract | Never required. Optional if you want to lock your rate | 36-month monitoring contract for professional install (24 months in California) |
| Cancelling early | Nothing to cancel if you don’t take a contract | ADT may charge 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial term |
| Equipment ownership | You buy it and you own it. It stays with you | “Professionally installed system remains property of ADT.” Financing up to 60 months on pro install, up to 36 months on Self Setup |
| Who installs | Salaried Alamo technicians, employees not subcontractors | Professional install, or Self Setup where the customer installs the devices |
| Who monitors, and where | 24/7, from San Antonio | 24/7 professional monitoring; station location not published on the pages above |
| Service | Same-day service on most calls, by the tech who installed it | Six-month money-back guarantee, applied after ADT attempts to resolve system issues |
| App | Alarm.com on Qolsys panels | ADT+ app, built around ADT and Google Nest devices |
| Rating source | 4.9 stars, 1,300+ Google reviews | Ratings vary by source; ADT cites App Store 4.8 and Google Play 4.6 for the ADT+ app |
Prices and terms change. If you’re reading this months from now, check adt.com yourself, then call us at (210) 625-6575 and we’ll walk through both.
What’s actually the same.
ADT has been doing this a long time and there are real things we don’t dispute.
Both give you 24/7 professional monitoring. Not a self-monitored app that pings your phone and hopes you’re awake. In both cases a staffed center receives the alarm signal around the clock and gets emergency services moving.
Both give you a genuine smart-home app. Arm and disarm from anywhere, watch cameras, unlock a door for the dog walker, adjust the thermostat, get a notification when the back door opens. Ours runs on Alarm.com; ADT publishes its own ADT+ app. Both do the job.
Both use professional-grade equipment with cell and battery backup, so the system keeps working when the power or the internet drops.
Both are licensed. Ours is Texas #B05229001. Ask any company for its number and check it with the state.
If those four things are all you need, either company will protect your home. The differences below are about what you pay, what you own, and who shows up.
What’s different about Alamo.
Four differences do most of the work, and three of them are financial.
The monthly, over the length of the term
$19.99/mo versus a published starting rate of $45.99/mo for professionally installed ADT monitoring. Over 36 months that gap is roughly $936 before taxes or any package upgrade, and neither figure includes equipment.
The contract
We don’t require one. ADT’s published residential terms describe a 36-month monitoring contract for professional install, with a charge of 75% of the remaining monthly service charges if you end it early. We’d rather earn the month than hold the month.
Who owns the hardware
Yours, in our case — quoted on site after a free walkthrough, bought once, kept forever. ADT’s residential terms state that a professionally installed system remains ADT property. That’s a real difference if you ever sell the house or change providers.
Who you actually deal with
A security analyst walks your property before anything is quoted. A salaried Alamo technician installs it. Monitoring runs from San Antonio. When you call, you get our office. From your neighbor, not a call center.
More on the money side in our San Antonio cost guide and our no-contract page.
What does switching from ADT actually involve?
Three steps, and the first one is homework we can’t do for you.
- Read your current agreement. Find your term end date and what your provider charges to end it early. That number decides your timing, and it’s specific to your contract — not something we can look up for you.
- Book the free on-site analysis. An analyst walks the house, looks at what’s on your wall, and tells you what can be reused. We can often take over compatible existing panels; the on-site analysis is what confirms it for your home. Where a panel can’t be adopted, we’ll say so plainly 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.
One honest caveat about equipment: if a system was professionally installed by a provider whose terms say the hardware stays that provider’s property, that hardware may not be yours to keep. Check your paperwork before anyone unscrews anything.
Not sure where to start? Call (210) 625-6575. A real person picks up, and nobody on our side works on commission.
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.
security company
- 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 quoteAlamo vs. ADT — what people ask.
Straight answers — no fine print, no pressure. Still wondering about something? Call the local team at (210) 625-6575.
What is a good alternative to ADT in San Antonio?
Alamo Smart Home is a San Antonio company holding Texas license #B05229001, with 4.9 stars across 1,300+ Google reviews. Monitoring is $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics and cloud recording, with no required contract and equipment you own. Systems run on Alarm.com with Qolsys panels, installed and serviced by salaried local technicians.
How much does ADT cost per month?
As published on adt.com on September 5, 2026, ADT lists professionally installed monitoring starting at $45.99/mo and Self Setup monitoring starting at $24.99/mo, with plan tiers named Secure, Smart and Complete. Prices vary by package, promotion and state, so confirm on adt.com. Our monitoring is $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics.
Does ADT require a contract?
For professional installation, ADT’s published residential terms describe a 36-month monitoring contract, or 24 months in California. Those terms also state that on early termination ADT may charge 75% of the monthly service charges due for the balance of the initial term (adt.com, September 5, 2026). We never require a contract — it’s offered, not mandatory.
Do I own my ADT equipment?
ADT’s published residential terms state that a professionally installed system remains the property of ADT, with financing available up to 60 months on pro install and up to 36 months on Self Setup (adt.com, September 5, 2026). With us you buy your equipment after a free on-site quote and you own it outright, including if you switch providers later.
Can Alamo take over my existing ADT system?
We can often take over compatible existing panels, and the free on-site analysis is what confirms whether yours is one of them. Before that visit, check your current agreement — where a provider’s terms say the professionally installed equipment stays that provider’s property, the hardware may not be yours to reuse. We’ll give you a straight answer either way.
What app does ADT use, and what does Alamo use?
ADT publishes the ADT+ app, built around ADT and Google Nest devices. We run Alarm.com on Qolsys panels. Alarm.com states its services are sold, installed and supported only through authorized service provider partners, which is how a local company delivers the same platform many others do.
Is a local security company as reliable as ADT?
Both provide 24/7 professional monitoring on equipment with cell and battery backup. What differs is who handles it. Our monitoring runs from San Antonio, our installers are salaried Alamo employees rather than subcontractors, and most service calls are handled the same day. Check any company’s Texas license with the state before you decide.
What does it cost to switch to Alamo?
The on-site analysis is free and there’s no obligation. Monitoring is $19.99/mo, or $24.99/mo with video analytics and cloud recording, and your first two months are on us with an install. Equipment is quoted on site once we’ve seen the house, since a two-bedroom bungalow in Alamo Heights and a place on five acres near Boerne need different systems.
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.
Prefer to talk to someone here in San Antonio?
A real person picks up Mon–Sat, 7am – 9pm.
After hours? We text back within 20 minutes.