New York’s Best Local Security System Companies

Overview
New York City is the largest city in the United States and a microcosm of America as a whole. But with a city of over 8 million people, there's bound to be a few problems with crime. While a security system might not be necessary if you live in a building with its own security, there are plenty of places where you’ll need some extra help to protect your little slice of New York. Whether you live in a house in Queens or a studio apartment in Central Park West, you can find a security system to keep you and your home safe.

We called local security system companies in New York to find information that can help you decide if a local company is better than going with a large national security provider like ADT.

While it’s easy to choose a national security company, local companies can have a lot to offer. Here are a few differences between the local security companies in New York City and the big brands.

Another advantage with local security companies in New York is that they often have a physical storefront so you can stop by to get help or ask about services. National brands don’t usually have storefronts, instead relying on phone calls and websites for sales and customer support.

However, small companies also have limited resources, which means you might wait longer for a consultation, installation, or basic customer service than with a national brand.

You shouldn’t expect a stellar website or online pricing from local providers in New York. Only a couple of the companies we looked at even listed pricing and equipment packages at all. None of the companies have an online shop.

Because local security providers aren’t massive corporations (many are small businesses), they don’t have the same resources to put into customer support.

While some providers answered our emails within a few hours, most took several days to reply, and some didn’t reply at all. You're better off sticking to traditional customer service methods and heading into the store or giving them a call with your question.

Small companies usually don’t have the money to provide customer service 24/7. You still get security monitoring 24/7, but you can’t get customer service outside of regular business hours. Three of our top NYC security systems have 24/7 customer service: Total Security Integrated Systems, Linked Security, and Alarms R Us.

Customer service typically covers problems with your equipment, setting up service appointments, managing your account, and paying your bill.

Total Security Integrated Systems has a strong, customer-first philosophy. The majority of the customer reviews we read about this company said Total Security employees were courteous and professional.

The professional monitoring contract lasts only one year, which is the best option you can get other than a no-contract plan. We also liked that Total Security has a large service area. It covers all of New York City, Long Island, Westchester County, and Bergen County in New Jersey.

Monthly monitoring prices for Total Security Integrated Systems start at $24.95 a month if you choose a landline connection. This is very competitive with ADT, which has plans starting at $28.99 a month. If you want a cellular connection that can stay in contact with the monitoring station during a power outage, you can expect to pay at least $34.95 a month.

However, Total Security Integrated Systems doesn’t list a specific brand of equipment on its website so you have to call in for this information. This can be a disadvantage since you don’t know what brands to expect beforehand.

If you call Total Security Integrated Systems, you can get 24/7 customer support. You can also visit one of two Total Security Integrated Systems showrooms: West Hempstead, New York, and Elmwood Park, New Jersey. These are a bit of a drive from downtown New York. The showrooms have more limited hours but are great places to talk with an expert about your home security needs.

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Brooklyn-based Linked Security has some of the most competitive pricing we’ve seen from a New York security company. It also doesn’t have a long-term contract, so you’re free from hefty cancelation fees like Vivint has.

Linked Security’s monitoring plans start at $20 a month, which is lower than most other NYC home security providers we researched. Only All Island Security manages to go lower on price, but the companies don’t have overlapping service areas outside of Queens. Even then, Linked Security is the better deal since it doesn’t lock you into a contract.

Linked Security installs systems from popular security brands such as Honeywell, DSC, Linear, Interlogix, and more. This wide selection of equipment means you can go with a favorite brand or just get monitoring services if you already have one of these systems in your home.

Linked Security has an impressive five-star rating on Google and Yelp, though there are only 39 reviews between the services as of this writing. Customers say Linked Security is easy to work with, and it responds to requests promptly. Linked Security has a limited service area: it serves only the five boroughs of NYC, which isn’t great if you live in the greater metropolitan area but not the city proper.

You can contact customer support 24/7 or stop by the storefront in Brooklyn between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.

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Unlike most local providers, Alarms R Us has an impressive website that closely matches the quality you might expect from a national provider. The company is more transparent than others we looked at, with equipment and monitoring prices readily available online. It’s also easy to request a quote or find information on pricing and equipment.

The company serves all of NYC. Although it also serves some areas outside of the city, it doesn’t list anything specific online, so you’ll need to call in to get more info on what those areas include.

Monitoring plans from Alarms R Us start at $25 a month. This is about the same as what Total Security Integrated Systems charges. You pay up front for equipment so there isn’t a contract and you don’t have to worry about hidden cancellation fees. We had to call the company directly to confirm there isn’t a contract since the website doesn’t list contract information, or lack thereof, which can be a little confusing.

The website’s design avoids clutter and shows relevant information in a handy menu. You can call customer service 24/7 or stop by the location in Brooklyn on Stillwell Avenue if you need help. Online customer reviews often praise Alarms R Us for its professionalism, expertise, and years of experience.

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Vertex Security is the only security provider we looked at that has a central location in Manhattan. This makes it ideal for a quick stop if you live in the heart of the city. It also means Vertex can respond quickly to customer requests throughout all five boroughs.

We found that customer sentiment about Vertex Security on Google and Yelp was positive enough to include in our comparison.

After calling Vertex Security, we found that its monitoring plans start at $39 a month, which is more expensive than other providers we looked at. The basic monitoring plan uses a landline connection, but you can upgrade to a GSM cellular connection if you go with the plan that costs $55 a month.

Although its monitoring is expensive compared to other New York security options, the upside is Vertex Security doesn’t require a contract. You can cancel the service anytime.

Vertex Security has an excellent equipment selection. It supports several brands of security systems such as Alarm.com, Honeywell, DSC, and Napco. It’s worth noting that Vertex is the only company we looked at that explicitly supports Alarm.com, the same security equipment used by national brands like Brinks.

Customer reviews online talk a lot about the professionalism of Vertex’s installers and say the technicians are quite knowledgeable. Another thing we noticed was that Vertex Security usually shows up on time to appointments, so you don’t have to wait around for hours.

You can also learn more by visiting the Mr. Locks Security Systems (different name, same company) store on 2nd Avenue in Kips Bay next to the Morton Williams Cafe.

While you can email or call the company for help, you can also stop by the store Monday through Saturday. The business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., which feels limited compared to companies with 24/7 customer service.

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Although it serves only Queens and Long Island, All Island Security has one of the best prices for home security monitoring. If you live on Long Island, it’s an excellent local option to consider.

When we called All Island Security about contract terms, the representative said that the base contract lasts five years; it’s the longest contract in our comparison. If five years is too long a commitment, don't worry—you can also negotiate a different contract length since the website also lists one-, two-, and three-year contracts.

All Island Security has the lowest monitoring price on our list: $19.95 a month. This plan uses a landline connection to connect to the central monitoring station. You can upgrade to a cellular connection for an additional $10 a month. Cellular connections are less vulnerable to power outages and intruders who cut phone lines.

All Island Security uses Napco alarm equipment, a popular third-party burglar alarm. The base contract includes some basic equipment for free such as a keypad, motion detector, three entry sensors for doors and windows, a backup battery, a siren, and security signs.

Most customer reviews on Google, Yelp, and Facebook give All Island Security five stars. Many customers comment on how quickly the company responds to alarms, its respectful sales agents, and its competitive prices.

All Island Security has limited customer service hours if you need help with your system: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. These are shorter hours than other New York security systems we reviewed. You can stop by the location on Old Country Road in Mineola during business hours.

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We approached our review of security companies in New York in much the same way a consumer would. We started by looking for customer reviews on Google, Angie’s List, Facebook, and Yelp. We found about 20 companies and ultimately chose nine that had enough positive reviews for our research.

After narrowing our list of New York security system companies, we emailed and called each company to get details about pricing, contracts, and equipment.

Even in a metropolis like New York with a population of over 8 million people, actual customer reviews of local security providers are rare. There were very few customer reviews for us to use as a reference for our comparison, so we relied on our established knowledge of security systems to fill in the gaps.

Here are some other local New York security providers that didn’t make our top rankings but are worth mentioning.

General Security isn’t as large as Slomin’s, but it is the second-largest home security company on this list. Not only does it install security systems throughout all of New York state, but it also sells systems in Virginia, North Carolina, and Florida.

Unfortunately, we had to exclude it because we weren’t able to get pricing and contract information over the phone. The company insists on coming out to your home to do a consultation first.

Paragon Security is another security provider that’s centrally located in Manhattan. It offers security systems from a variety of manufacturers (like Honeywell) and doesn’t charge extra for you to use a mobile app with your security system. The company also offers locksmith services, which is a nice bonus.

We didn’t include Paragon Security in our comparison because we couldn’t get any pricing or contract information when we emailed and called the company.

We excluded this company because it mostly just installs security cameras. While Security Camera NY Inc. does install home security systems, we found its monitoring prices were a bit too high compared to the competition. Central station monitoring starts at $35.00 per month.

New York City does not require an alarm permit to have an alarm system in your home. If you live outside NYC, check with your local police department to see if they require a permit.

If you pay a professional installer from a security company to set up your system, they need to have a license to install security and fire alarm systems under New York state law. Master electricians can also install alarm systems in New York.

You can ask your installer for their license information, and they should provide you with an 11-digit ID number.

The New York Department of State’s Division of Licensing Services maintains an Index of Licenses and Registrants where you can look up license information about an installer.

Yes, you can install your own security system without a license. Only professional installers need licenses.

• A professionally monitored home security alarm can alert the police if someone breaks into your home.
• With the right equipment, it can also alert the fire department if there’s a fire or medical emergency.
• You can get a discount on your homeowners insurance for having a monitored security system.
• If you get security cameras in your system, you can get evidence to help file police reports and insurance claims.
• Many security systems work with smart home devices (like a smart lock or video doorbell) that you can control with a mobile app.

Each of the New York home security systems we looked at has something that makes it stand out from the competition. You should choose the one that is right for your situation.

Here’s a quick rundown of the top alarm companies in New York:

• If you want excellent customer service and 24/7 customer support, go with Total Security Integrated Systems.
• If you want the most affordable monitoring in NYC, consider choosing Linked Security.
• If you want to use a helpful, transparent website and get competitive monitoring prices without a contract, choose Alarms R Us.
• If you want a quick installation turnaround when getting a new system, Vertex Security is an ideal choice.
• If you live on Long Island and want affordable monitoring, check out All Island Security.

If you decide to choose a national home security company like ADT or Frontpoint, take a look at our review of the best home security systems and security systems for renters.