Vivint vs Ring – Which Security System is Best?

As a homeowner, you will always want the best for your property. Hence, factors like security are always prioritised, even when the property is your own or rented. With the help of home security products, users can monitor their surroundings and get a heads-up against possible robbery attempts. With home security, brands like Ring and Vivint come into the picture.

Both Vivint and Ring have a good history of selling no-nonsense home security products. These products are classified into multiple segments to serve unique applications. Vivant and Ring share various features among their security systems or products. Similarly, being present in the same market, users sometimes put both brands against each other, to decide which is the best.

As a result of this comparison, this article will try to explain both brands and their similarities. It will also explore various parameters and use them to compare Vivint and Ring as security systems brands.

Vivint Security Systems: An Overview

Vivient is one of the modern brands that has left quite an impression in a very short period. By combining innovation with automation, Vivian has emerged as a brand for smart home users. It has an interesting lineup of products ranging from doorbell cameras to surveillance systems. Known for its premium price range of products, Vivint makes sure to make every penny worth it.

The unparalleled security experience is achieved by integrating security systems with various devices or even smart hubs. Vivint offers several subscription packages to suit the needs of every type of user. The monitoring can be set to 24×7 modes to ensure maximum security of your surroundings. Besides this, the products have a user-friendly design to ensure simple DIY installations.

Pros

• The quality of the products offered by Vivint is superior to the competitors
• It offers a range of advanced security features for all types of users
• It offers a month-to-month contract alternative to the users
• A dedicated team of professionals for maintenance, installation, and repairs
• Every user gets Vivint mobile app connectivity irrespective of their subscription package
• It allows 24×7 monitoring along with recording, for all the packages
• All the equipment gets lifetime warranty cover
• Almost all the products are compatible with smart home integrations
• It offers flexible financing options to the user

Cons

• The compatibility of its products with third-party smart home integration is limited to a few options
• When a financing option is chosen for the equipment, only lengthy contracts are available to the user
• When compared to the competitors, the equipment and services are priced higher
• It offers a trial period of only three days
• Additional installation fees need to be paid by the user

Ring Security Systems: An Overview

Similar to the Vivint security systems, Ring is also a popular provider of smart home security systems. With a presence of over a decade, Ring has successfully managed to become a well-known brand in the market for security systems. It aims towards creating safer neighborhoods for its users and hence the products are designed keeping this mission in mind.

It has a wide range of security solutions for almost every type of application. From outdoor cameras to automobile units, Ring promises all-around security. It always keeps the design of its product range suitable for DIY installations thereby reducing the complexity of installations. Ring has also incorporated technological changes into its products, making them compatible with various devices and smart hubs.

Pros

• Ring offers a huge configuration of products in the camera and doorbells segment along with add-ons
• The majority of the products are priced aggressively, making them suitable for the budget-oriented users
• Along with the normal monitoring features, the products also offer self-monitoring mode
• It offers dedicated app-based connectivity to all users, irrespective of their subscription package
• The monthly fees for its product range are cheaper than the competitors
• The products have a user-friendly design and do not require professional installation
• All the products have yearly fees which reduces the hassle of monthly payments
• It offers extended warranty options over its product range to ensure maximum protection against damages or repairs

Cons

• The basic or starting package of Ring security products has fewer sensors compared to the high-end products
• The keyboard on the control section is a bit confusing
• Some of the settings and features are complex to reset
• The initial warranty period is short
• It offers professional monitoring only in limited subscription packages
• Recording control options are not available which keeps the product in continuous recording mode

Vivint vs Ring: Key Similarities

Both Vivint and Ring brands belong to the same market for security systems. As a result, it is common for them to share most of the features. These features are the basic norm for a security system and are included to maintain a standard. We will discuss some of the most common similarities between Vivint and Ring security systems below:

1. 24×7 Professional Monitoring

Both brands offer a 24×7 professional monitoring feature with their products. With this feature, the user can monitor their surroundings with active alarms. By configuring the settings, these alarms can help in notifying the possible threats. The 24×7 monitoring feature can be set to a continuous recording mode or changed to an alarm-set recording mode. This way, users can choose between 24×7 surveillance or save storage space for the recorded files. This feature also notifies the relevant authorities, depending on the settings.

2. Camera Options

Cameras are the backbone of any surveillance system and hence Vivint and Ring offer various camera options to the user. The camera unit should capture all the details of the surroundings with less or zero distortion. This helps in identifying any suspect or other details while replaying the recorded video. High-quality indoor and outdoor cameras are included in the basic package of these brands. The doorbell cameras are also offered with a two-way communication feature. Besides this, special cameras with night vision and motion activation are also offered as add-on units.

3. Mobile App

Since everything is connected with a smartphone app, Vivint and Ring have also stepped up their game for security systems. Both brands offer a mobile app for their security systems. This app acts as a centralized program for all the connected security devices. It also helps the user in getting alerts, live feeds, statistics, and other data related to the connected security devices. The app connectivity helps simplify the data transfer between the user and the security system without needing a computer or similar device. Access through the mobile app is available from basic to premium subscription packages of both brands.

4. Smart Home Integration And Device Compatibility

Pairing security systems with a smart home is a very common practice in the current age of technology. By doing this, it becomes possible to control the security systems via a centralized system. Besides this, additional control via voice command is also achievable. Both Vivint and Ring offer the smart home integration feature over their product range, making them compatible with modernized homes. Due to the smart home integration, remote control via devices like tablets, smartphones, computers, etc also becomes easy.

Vivint vs Ring: Key Differences

Now that we are aware of the similarities between both brands, let us discuss how these brands differ from each other. Both brands are undoubtedly becoming popular in the security market which creates confusion between the users like “Which brand is the best one?”. To solve this confusion we will now discuss some important parameters. With these parameters, it will become easy to compare Ring and Vivint security systems with each other.

1. Installation And Its Cost

Installation is a crucial factor for a security system since the overall positioning depends on this process. Both Ring and Vivint security systems have always focused on creating user-friendly products that can be installed via the DIY method. This helps in reducing or removing additional charges on professional installations. Some products somehow need professional installations to ensure a good mounting and balancing of these products. Hence, these brands also offer optional installation charges for these products.

2. Equipment Cost And Buying Options

Sometimes, the price tag becomes a deal-breaker during the selection of a home security product. As a user, everyone wants to spend less or equal to the amount of features offered by a product. The equipment cost thereby becomes a priority for these users. Both Ring and Vivint offer a wide range of products for budget, mid-range, and premium segments. The availability of the products is made simple by introducing flexible payment options. With this, users can buy a product and pay a specific amount over a set period. This option helps when buying add-ons for the security system.

3. Monitoring Plans And Their Pricing

Both Ring and Vivint offer different monitoring plans to the users. These monitoring plans are divided to offer certain features to the users as per their needs. The standard features are included in the basic subscription plans. To offer additional features to the users, mid-range plans are made available. The premium or high-end plans focus on increasing comfort at the user’s end while also adding special features. The subscription package comes as either a month or year-based plan.

4. Image And Streaming Quality

The main goal of setting up a security device is to monitor any suspicious activities in your surroundings. The live feed through the security devices helps in getting instant updates on the alarms or routine checkups. The product needs to stream better-quality graphical data. Both brands have focussed on using high-definition lenses for their camera-supported devices. The data encoding and transfer process is done with zero latency. This helps the user in getting live updates via images or videos in better quality. Usually, the streaming quality is set between 720p to 1080p HD resolution. Only specialized units offer 2K or 4K streaming.

5. Field Of View

The camera lens of the security products can capture visual data within a specified field of view. When users want to monitor a large area, they have to set up multiple cameras to cover the required field of view. To solve this, the camera comes with a higher field of view. The viewing angle lies anywhere between 120 degrees to 180 degrees. This helps in capturing large chunks of surroundings with just a single camera unit. The devices are also fitted with a tilting or panning mechanism which moves the whole unit at a required angle. With this mechanism, the camera can capture 360 degrees of data.

6. Storage Options

We all know that surveillance systems provide a 24×7 live feed to the user. However, the user can’t view the feed 24×7. To simplify it, the security systems record and store the data for the user to replay later. This saves the user’s time but creates problems for storing multiple files. Hence, these products come with expandable memory slots where users can switch external memory cards. Ring and Vivint also offer the option of cloud storage to directly upload the files on a server, making it easy for the user to access them later.

7. Power And Battery

Like any other electronic device, security products also require a stable power supply to operate. The provisions for the power supply depend on the device’s capability. A power cable can be connected to the unit if the device needs a wired power source. Similarly, for portable products, rechargeable batteries can be used. The rechargeable battery’s capacity is selected to last longer and reduce frequent recharging sessions. To prevent the security system from going offline in case of power cuts, a secondary power supply is given via solar-powered batteries or rechargeable batteries.

8. Warranty

Whenever the security system suffers accidental damage, users might have to repair or replace it. This process might drain the money of the user if the unit is heavily damaged. Thanks to the warranty, the brands cover the repairs and replacements. Both Ring and Vivint offer a minimum of 1-year warranty on their security systems. This warranty covers free repairs, replacements, pick-up/drop-off, and other services. If the users want to avail of the warranty for a long time, the brands also offer warranty extension options at additional fees. In the extended warranty period, the brands cover only manufacturing defects.

Comparison Table: Vivint vs Ring

Vivint vs Ring – FAQs

Conclusion

The security systems offered by brands like Ring and Vivint make surveillance of your surroundings easy. These security systems offer important features like 24×7 monitoring, live feed, app connectivity, and many more. Since the standard features are almost similar for most brands, the additional features become deal-breaking when selecting between two brands. This article discussed the similarities and differences between Ring and Vivint security systems. By studying the differences between these brands, you can choose a favorable product to monitor your surroundings.