Best Home Security Systems Without a Subscription

Consumer Reports rates each home security system for security essentials, ease of use, ease of setup, and motion detection. Our ratings also note the flexibility of professional monitoring options, whether systems offer two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access, and more.

Security essentials: Our test engineers evaluate each system for features and functionality that Consumer Reports says every system should provide, including motion sensors and smartphone apps.

Ease of use and setup: Our ease-of-use test looks at how easily you can set up and then interact with the systems through apps and keypads.

Motion detection: Our test engineers challenge the sensors with various forms of movement, such as crawling or walking slowly past them.

To learn more about how we test DIY security systems, see our buying guide.