Best Security Systems in Indianapolis

Overview
Whether you were born in the Hoosier State or just recently moved in, you can protect your home from burglars and fires by getting a home security system.

The tricky part is finding the right company to install it. That’s why we researched, called, and emailed the top security companies in Indy to find out which one has the best prices, longest customer support hours, and best contract terms.

Read our reviews to find the best local home security companies in Indiana, and you’re sure to find one that fits your situation.

Here are a few differences in the ways companies approach equipment and customer service that we think are worth pointing out.

We like that OnGuard Security Solutions has such a large selection of home security equipment. It was the only security provider we looked at that listed so many brands on its website. You can expect security devices from all of the major security manufacturers like Alarm.com, Honeywell, 2GIG, DSC, and Qolsys, among others.

When you look at the cellular monitoring plans from companies in Indianapolis, the average cost is around $33 a month, making OnGuard’s fee of $31.95 more affordable than most of the competition. The only company with cheaper cellular monitoring is Indiana Alarm at $28 a month. You can save even more money if you go with landline monitoring from All About Security, which we review below.

OnGuard Security Solutions has a three-year contract, which can be a benefit as well as a drawback. The advantage of a contract is you don’t need to invest as much money up-front during the installation process. The disadvantage is that you usually pay higher monthly fees over the long term.

OnGuard has generous customer service hours throughout the week so you can get ahold of someone to help if your system has a problem or you need to ask about your account. The company isn't open on Sundays, but this is typical of the companies on this list. Emergency services associated with your monitoring contract are available 24/7, which is a separate service from customer support.

>>Shop Now

What we like most about Guardhouse Security Services is that it has competitive pricing with national security providers like Frontpoint and Vivint. Its prices are indeed higher than many competitors in Central Indiana, but this allows Guardhouse to keep up-front costs low. Instead, you pay for your equipment throughout your three-year contract.

Speaking of prices, Guardhouse has two prices we want to highlight. First is the company’s landline monitoring, which starts at $26.95 a month, and the second is the cellular monitoring, which starts at $36.95 a month. Cellular monitoring is a better option since it’s less vulnerable to savvy burglars who target phone lines and turn off power to your home.

Guardhouse has a three-year contract, which locks you into paying for equipment over the long term. This is mostly a disadvantage if you want to switch providers or cancel monitoring services early.

The company has long hours for its customer service offerings, so you can get help six days a week, especially since the Guardhouse offers additional hours outside an average person’s work schedule. Please note that emergency services associated with your alarm are available 24/7. Burglar alarm systems from this company use Honeywell equipment, which is a respected manufacturer in the security devices industry.

>>Shop Now

All About Security has the lowest prices among the Indiana home security companies on this list. Basic landline monitoring starts are $15.99 a month, which is much lower than the $20 average for this type of service. Similarly, the company also offers alarm monitoring via broadband internet and cellular connections. These services cost $24.99 a month and $32.99 a month, respectively.

You’ll notice that the cellular monitoring price is a little higher than that of OnGuard Security Solutions, but this is still a very good price that matches the $33 average of providers in Central Indiana.

We also like that All About Security doesn’t insist its customers sign a long-term contract, which not only requires a credit check but isn’t ideal if you need only short-term monitoring for your home. Unfortunately, without a contract, you pay more up-front for equipment, so it’s a good idea to save up some money for this purpose, and avoid putting the equipment on a credit card.

Of the providers we looked at All About Security is the only one with 24/7 customer service, which is nice to have in case one of your system’s motion sensors or smoke detectors breaks unexpectedly in the middle of the night.

>>Shop Now

Indiana Alarm pulls out all the stops with its website—it not only highlights a wide variety of monitoring plans but also shows how its prices, contract, and services compare to national providers like ADT and SimpliSafe. We like this kind of transparency in a security company.

We especially like that Indiana Alarm has five monitoring plans to choose from:

• Landline monitoring for $18 a month
• Broadband internet monitoring for $25 a month
• Cellular monitoring with mobile app controls for $28 a month
• Cellular monitoring with home automation for $32 a month
• Cellular monitoring with home automation and security cameras for $39 a month

One of the first things you’ll notice about these prices is that they are extremely competitive with both national and local Indiana security companies alike. In particular, cellular monitoring prices are an excellent value. While All About Security certainly has lower prices with landline and broadband monitoring, Indiana Alarm comes out on top as the best value for cellular monitoring services.

Indiana Alarm doesn’t require a contract, which is helpful if you want more flexibility from your home security provider. But this means you need to pay higher installation and equipment costs, which can be too expensive for some customers. If you’re not interested in paying a lot up front, you can finance your equipment by signing a three-year contract, though the monthly fee will go up.

Indiana Alarm has limited customer service hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (ET) on weekdays. Because these hours align closely with when many customers are at work, it’s a little harder to get help, unless you call in during your lunch break. Customer service isn’t the same as 24/7 emergency monitoring, so your home has protection from burglars any time of day.

>>Shop Now

It seems that Circle City Security Systems knows its customers want to use a smartphone to control their alarm system, so it includes the feature in every monitoring plan it sells. Even when most adults use a smartphone, you’d be surprised how often companies like SimpliSafe treat the function as a reason to charge extra, so it’s nice that Circle City Security Systems offers mobile access in every monitoring plan.

Circle City Security Systems started selling home security in 1976, making it the oldest company on this list by a wide margin. This also means it has more experience than the competition, which is hard to beat when you want to work with a knowledgeable company.

The company has a three-year contract, which can be a disadvantage if you want something more flexible, but we think that it’s a good choice if you want to save on up-front costs. The cellular monitoring rates for Circle City Security Systems start at $35 a month, which is more expensive than the average of $33. But it’s still competitive with Guardhouse, which charges $36.95 a month.

Circle City Security Systems has a few monitoring plans above the basic plan. These plans add home automation and security cameras, which increases the monthly fees to $45 and $55 a month, respectively.

Similar to Indiana Alarm, Circle City Security Systems has limited customer service hours. You only have between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (ET) on weekdays to contact the company about your account, equipment repairs, and service requests. While this doesn’t affect the 24/7 burglar monitoring in your home, it’s still nice to get customer service when it’s convenient for your schedule.

>>Shop Now

In the many years we’ve reviewed home security systems, we’ve honed our expertise so we know what questions to ask and where to look when researching. To that end, we relied on a variety of resources to determine if a company makes the list.

Our first step was to identify 20 Indiana companies through searches on Google Maps, Yelp, and Facebook. We looked at any customer reviews we could find on these sites and also looked to see if there were any complaints on the Better Business Bureau related to the companies.

One of the last things we looked at was a company’s website. We scoured the websites for information on monitoring costs and contract terms. If we found enough information, we followed up with the company over email and phone calls to fill in any gaps. We eventually chose eight companies to highlight on this list.

One of the side effects of having a top five is that sometimes we don’t get to cover everything we want. Here are a few companies that deserve an honorable mention.

No, customers who live in Indianapolis do not have to get a permit to have a security system in their home.

Even though homeowners don’t have to get a permit for their alarm system, they are responsible for any false alarms that occur on their property and must pay a penalty as follows:¹

Yes, many cities and counties in Indiana (including Marion County²) require a license for all companies that sell services related to the installation and monitoring of alarm systems.

We’ve compiled a brief list of cities and counties in Indiana that require permits for burglar alarms. This isn’t a comprehensive list, so you should ask your local police department about permits if your city isn’t on the list.

There’s something to like about each of the Indianapolis area companies we reviewed. That’s why we recommend each company based on a specific attribute that makes it stand out. Ultimately, you should choose the alarm system installer that works for you.

Here’s a quick recap of our recommendations for each company:

• OnGuard Security Solutions: Best overall
• Guardhouse Security Services: Runner-up
• All About Security: Best value
• Indiana Alarm: Most transparent
• Circle City Security Systems: Free remote access

If you don’t feel like any of these companies is right for you, you should consider checking out a national provider like Brinks, Cove, or Ring. Take a look at our review of the best home security systems to learn more about these and other national security providers.

1. Municode Library, Indianapolis - Marion County, “Sec. 811-502. - Penalties for false alarms.”; Municode Library, Indianapolis - Marion County, “Sec. 103.52. - Schedule of Code provisions and penalties”
2. Municode Library, Indianapolis - Marion County, “Chapter 811 - Alarm Systems”
3. Fort Wayne Fire Department, “Code Enforcement”