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Alarm Grid Review: Security without the Contracts and Fees

By Celeste Tholen
Researcher & Writer
See all articles
August 03, 2018
Alarm Grid Logo

Did you know that there are alarm companies that let you create your own security system to fit your unique needs? Well, many do but Alarm Grid takes this concept to a more customizable level than most. To this end, there are many different options available for alarm monitoring, security systems, home automation, and other security products through Alarm Grid. They offer tech support and design assistance to help you create your personalized security system and they do not force you into a long-term contract. But no contract also means you will pay more upfront for equipment. Let's dig into this Alarm Grid Review to find out more.

What is Alarm Grid and how does it work?

Alarm Grid is basically an a la carte system for home security. You decide what features you want and personalize your security system to fit your home. It's perfect for those who like DIY projects.

Alarm Grid's Honeywell equipment

Alarm Grid prices their Honeywell equipment lower than the MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price). Honeywell's alarm products all integrate together and they play nice with the home automation Z-Wave technology that Alarm Grid offers. As you may already know, Z-Wave is a protocol that enables manufacturers to produce a wide variety of home automation devices that are compatible with your system (thermostat controls, door locks, automated lighting systems, etc.) For an extra $10 per month you can have access to your system through your smartphone via Total Connect, Honeywell's interactive service. See equipment pricing in the table below.

Central monitoring station

Alarm Grid has three UL-listed (an industry standard certification) central stations located across the country. They are located in New Jersey, Florida, and California. They partner with Criticom Monitoring Services (CMS) to help respond to your emergency. We invite you to read more about Criticom and monitoring stations in general.

Alarm Grid prides itself in using CMS because they have backup locations in the case of a natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy. Note: most reputable monitoring stations like Criticom or Rapid Response are highly secured and backed up for such emergencies.

Alarm monitoring

Alarm Grid offers three different plans for monitoring: Self Monitoring, Basic Monitoring, and Monitoring Plus+. Alarm monitoring packages notify the emergency responders in case of burglars, fire, smoke, and floods. One benefit of Alarm Grid vs. many competitors is there are no contracts or activation fees.

Self Monitoring Features

Self Monitoring plan has a monthly price of $10.

  • Email and Text Alerts - Setup instant notifications for any event that happens
  • Control System Remotely - Use an app to control your system from anywhere
  • No central monitoring is included. So, if an emergency happens and you do not respond to the alerts, neither the fire or police department will be notified of your potential emergency.

Basic monitoring features

The Basic Monitoring plan is $15/month.

  • Detailed Reports - Includes when the alarm was activated or deactivated and by whom
  • Central Station Monitoring by Criticom
  • Homeowner's Insurance Discount (this is included in all monitored alarm systems)

Monitoring Plus+ features

With the Monitoring Plus+ plan you get all the features of the Self Monitoring and Basic Monitoring plans combined plus additional features for $20/month.

  • Weather Reports
  • News Reports
  • Traffic Reports

Additional add-ons are $10 each

There are additional features you can add-on to your plan for an extra cost. These add-ons can be added to any of the alarm monitoring plans for an additional $10 each.

  • Cellular Communication (the safest communication available today for a security system)
  • Remote Home Automation - Control Z-Wave connected devices to remotely control lights, locks and HVAC systems
  • Video Surveillance

Honeywell products

Below is a table with the various Honeywell security system options that Alarm Grid currently offers. The number in parenthesis is the model number.

Security SystemHoneywell L5100PKHoneywell L3000PKHoneywell L5100PK-WIFI-4GHoneywell L5100PK-5811Honeywell L5100PK-4GHoneywell VISTA-21iP-6160KT
Price$304.99$245.99$534.99$309.99$466.99$215.99
Control PanelL5100PK LYNX Touch WirelessL3000 LYNX Plus WirelessL5100PK LYNX Touch WirelessL5100PK LYNX Touch WirelessL5100PK LYNX Touch WirelessVISTA-21iP with 6160 alphanumeric keypad
Door/Window Sensors3 included (5816)3 included (5816)3 included (5816)3 included (5811)3 included (5816)N/A
Motion Detectors1 included (5800PIR-RES)1 included (5800PIR-RES)1 included (5800PIR-RES)1 included (5800PIR-RES)1 included (5800PIR-RES)N/A
Key Fob1 included (5834-4)1 included (5834-4)1 included (5834-4)1 included (5834-4)1 included (5834-4)N/A
TransformerN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A1361 AC
Type of SystemWireless, InternetWirelessWireless, Internet, CellularWirelessWireless, CellularWired, Internet

Z-Wave Technology

Alarm Grid offers various Z-Wave smart home (also known as home automation) products including controllers, lights, locks, and thermostats. The table below shows the different controllers, locks, and thermostats Alarm Grid has to offer.

Model NumberHoneywell L5100-ZWAVEHoneywell Tuxedo Touch WIFIHoneywell Tuxedo Touch Yale YRD220 Yale YRD210 Honeywell ZWSTAT
Price$24.99$471.99$399.99 $298.99 $246.99 $159.99
Controller
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Lock
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Thermostat
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes

Leviton Dimmers

The table below shows the different Z-Wave dimmer lights available through Alarm Grid.

Model NumberVRI06-1LZVRI10-1LZVRE06-1LZVRMX1-1LZVRCZ1-1LZVRP03-1LWVP00R-1LZVP00R-10Z
Price$83.99$97.99$196.99$159.99$76.99$79.99$20.99$17.99
Watts6001000N/AN/AN/A300N/AN/A
Incandescent
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
LED
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Electronic/MagneticNoneNoElectronicMagneticNoNoNoNo
Low Voltage
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
1-Button Zone
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Lamp Dimming Plug-In Module
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Coordinating 3-Way
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes

Leviton Switches

Below is a table that shows the different Z-Wave switch and control lights available through Alarm Grid.

Model NumberVRS15-1LZVRS05-1LZVRCS1-1LZVP0SR-1LZVP0SR-10Z
Price$92.99$84.99$76.99$10.99$7.99
Incandescent15A5AN/AN/AN/A
Fluorescent
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
LED
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
1-Button Zone
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table X
No
Table X
No
Coordinating 3-Way
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table X
No
Table Check
Yes
Table Check
Yes

Resources to get you started

Alarm Grid offers a couple different resources to help you get started with your security system needs. Since you will be installing it yourself, they work hard to provide as many helpful resources as possible. Alarm Grid offers product manuals so if you have any questions about your system you can look the manual up online. They also post videos so you can see exactly how to install your equipment. They try to help you feel comfortable installing your own system but if you have any questions, they also can be reached at: 888-818-7728. Visit Website: Alarm Grid

What do consumers think of Alarm Grid?

Alarm Grid customers seem to be happy with their decision, sporting an A- BBB rating (the Better Business Bureau). However, they only registered with the BBB in September 2013, so this company is still relatively new compared to most reputable national competitors. Their comment feed and testimonials are all fairly positive as customers appear happy with Alarm Grid's customer service and the value of their products. However, they are not the only new company with positive reviews so it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their reputation as they grow.

Alarm Grid Wants Your Feedback And So Do We!

Alarm Grid wants to know how you like their products. After using your Alarm Grid products for three months, you can write-up a review of how much you love it or hate it. By doing this, Alarm Grid will give you one free month of alarm monitoring. Suffice it to say, this may be one of the reasons the consumer reviews we've found on them are so positive. For this reason, we encourage you to look for reviews throughout the web - not just on their website. Are you an Alarm Grid customer or did you get a quote from them when shopping for an alarm system? We'd love to learn about your experience.