When we first reviewed Frontpoint’s smart home security system back in 2017, we were impressed with its easy installation procedure, responsive sensors, and nice selection of components, but not with its contract requirements and pricing. Since then, Frontpoint has updated its hub and added some new package names and options, and it still offers a wealth of security and home automation components. You’ll pay more for monitoring than you will with more affordable DIY systems from SimpliSafe and Wyze, but you no longer have to commit to a contract.
Frontpoint Plans and Pricing
Up until recently, you had to commit to a one- or three-year monitoring plan when you purchased a Frontpoint system, but that is no longer the case as you can now take advantage of a month-to-month monitoring plan. However, self-monitoring is no longer an option, and if you don’t have a monitoring plan, you lose access to the mobile app and smart features such as home automation and voice control.
Frontpoint’s monitoring plan will cost you for $19.99 per month for first three months, and then $44.99 per month thereafter. Along with 24/7 professional monitoring, you get access to the mobile app, wireless and cellular connectivity, alerts and notifications by email and text message, geo-location services, and crash and smash protection. You also get access to live and recorded video streaming for any installed cameras, cloud storage for up to 1,000 clips, motion-triggered alerts, and smart lighting and smart lock control. By way of comparison, SimpliSafe’s Interactive Plan goes for $24.99 per month, and Blue by ADT charges $19.99 per month for its Pro monitoring plan.
You can build your own Frontpoint system or choose one of three preconfigured packages. The Safehouse package is the least expensive of the bunch and goes for $253.44. It contains a hub and keypad, two door/window sensors, one motion sensor, a video doorbell, a yard sign, and various door and window stickers. The Bunker goes for $380.35 and comes with a hub and keypad, three door/window sensors, one motion sensor, a video doorbell, an indoor camera, a smoke and heat sensor, and the signs and stickers. Frontpoint’s most expensive package, the $478.73 Fortress, comes with the hub and keypad, six door/window sensors, two motion sensors, a video doorbell, an indoor camera, a smoke and heat sensor, and the yard sign and stickers.
Frontpoint’s individual components are competitively priced. For example, door and window sensors go for $19.79 each and the glass break sensor is $44.99. Additional motion sensors will set you back $38.99 each, and the smoke and heat sensors are also $38.99. For comparison, SimpliSafe charges $34.99 for its glass break sensor and $29.99 for its motion sensor, but the Wyze Home Monitoring system offers the most affordable prices around: door/window sensors go for $19.99 for a three-pack, motion sensors are $7.99 each, and additional keypads go for $24.98 apiece.
Sensors and Cameras
The earlier version of the Frontpoint system used a touch-screen panel as its main hub, but this version uses a sleek desktop hub and keypad combination, although you can purchase a touch-screen panel for $88.99. The glossy white hub has a curved top and measures 2.2 by 6.0 by 6.0 inches (HWD). It has an LED indicator on the top that is green when the system is disarmed, red when it is in Arm Away mode, yellow when it is in Arm Stay mode, and blue when there is an issue. The back panel holds a LAN port for wired connectivity, a power port, and a reset button, and there’s a speaker on the base for voice prompts that tell you the status of the system.
Inside are cellular, Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, and RF radios, a very loud siren, and a 24-hour backup battery. In addition to home security components, the hub can control numerous home automation devices, including locks, thermostats, lights, and garage door controllers.
The keypad is also glossy white and slightly curved. It measures 5.4 by 3.6 by 1.2 inches and has a 15-button keypad with 0-9 numbers, * and # panic buttons, and Disarm, Stay, and Away arming buttons. It is powered by two AA batteries and has a trouble LED that glows blue when there is a system issue, and a low-battery LED that glows yellow when the batteries need to be replaced.
All of the sensors in the Safehouse package come pre-paired to the hub and use double-sided tape for easy installation. The door/window sensors are relatively thin (1.8 by 0.7 by 0.3 inches) and are powered by a CR1632 battery rated to last up to six years. The motion sensor is 4.5 by 2.5 by 2.0 inches and runs on a single CR123A battery. It has a range of 40 feet with a 90-degree field of view. The glass-break sensor measures 3.1 by 4.2 by 1.2 inches, runs on two CR123A batteries, and can detect the sound of broken glass up to 20 feet away. The smoke and heat sensor is round and measures 4.7 by 1.8 inches. It’s powered by two CR123A batteries.
Frontpoint offers two indoor cameras (standard and premium), an outdoor camera, and a video doorbell camera. The indoor camera is wireless and has a 1080p resolution, a 110-degree field of view, two-way audio, and motion detection. The Premium indoor camera has a 1080p resolution and a 180-degree field of view and functions as a Bluetooth speaker. The outdoor camera is an IP65 weather-resistant camera that captures video at 1080p and has a 117-degree field of view and 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.
The doorbell is actually a slim SkyBell model that measures 4.8 by 1.4 by 1.1 inches (HWD). It has a 720p resolution and a 180-degree field of view and contains 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi radios, a speaker and microphone for two-way audio, and a motion sensor.
Web and Mobile Apps
The Frontpoint mobile app (for Android and iOS) and web portal are powered by Alarm.com. They both let you arm and disarm the system, view camera and doorbell video (live and recorded), run scenes, enable notifications, and configure alarm set reminders. The mobile app opens to a home screen that displays the name of your home and a selection of scenes that will put the system into an armed or disarmed state with the touch of a button. You can also run scenes using Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands, but it lacks support for IFTTT applets.
The home screen also has tabs for all installed cameras and doorbells. Simply tap the camera tab to view a live stream with buttons to initiate full-screen viewing and two-way audio. At the very bottom of the home screen is a weather widget.
You can add users and manage notifications in the mobile app, but the web portal offers additional settings that let you schedule when you’ll receive notifications for specific sensors, create automations that will have certain events trigger recordings, and view a history of all activities.
Installing and Using the Frontpoint Security System
Installing the Frontpoint Safehouse system was easy in testing, but plan on spending between one to two hours from start to finish. I received an email from Frontpoint with a Get Started button that initiated the process. I entered my phone number and followed the on-screen instructions to unpack the hub and place it in a central point in my home.
Next, I unpacked the keypad and placed it in a location where I could get to it easily when entering and exiting my home. I confirmed my address and contact numbers, then entered a password for the web portal, at which point the hub glowed green and displayed a green key icon. I hit Next and the hub was connected within a few seconds. I entered a new Master Code (used to arm and disarm the system) and was given the option to add user codes now or later. Next, I configured the hub to use my home Wi-Fi as a backup to cellular, and after a few more seconds it was connected.
It was then time to install the sensors, so I followed the instructions to unpack the door/window sensors. Since they’re already paired at the factory, all I had to do was name each one, test them, and install them using the included double-sided tape. Installing the motion sensor was just as easy. Once I completed the sensor installation, the system was activated.
To install the video doorbell, I shut down the breaker that supplies power to my doorbell wiring, removed my old doorbell, and wired up the SkyBell doorbell. Once power was restored, I opened the app, tapped Doorbell Camera in the menu, and tapped Add Doorbell Camera. I confirmed that the doorbell button was flashing green and red, gave the doorbell a name, and connected to it using my phone’s Wi-Fi settings. I returned to the app, selected my home Wi-Fi SSID, entered my password, and after a 45-second wait, the doorbell was connected and the installation was complete.
The Frontpoint system performed well in testing. All of the sensors responded instantly when triggered, and push and email notifications were received immediately. The internal siren is very loud and reacted instantly when a sensor was triggered while in Away mode. Live and recorded video from the doorbell was crisp, and the doorbell’s motion sensor worked perfectly. Visitor notifications arrived quickly when the doorbell was pressed and when the camera detected motion.
The system always followed my automations to have a camera record whenever a sensor was triggered or when there was an alarm event, and the motion sensor never failed to respond to movement. I appreciate the Arming Reminder feature, which always sent a push notification when the system was unarmed at a specific time of day. Alexa voice commands also worked as advertised. I had no trouble arming and disarming the system or running scenes using my voice.
Good But Pricey
With the Frontpoint security system, you get everything you need to protect your home from intrusions and smoke and fire events, and you get a doorbell camera that lets you see who is at your doorstep without having to open the door. It’s completely customizable and expandable, and like any good DIY system, it’s easy to install, responsive, and can be monitored remotely using your phone and a mobile app or from a desktop PC using the web portal.
Frontpoint no longer requires a long-term monitoring contract, but if you want to take full advantage of the mobile app, mobile alerts, video storage, and home automation capabilities, you’ll have to subscribe to a monthly plan, and they don’t come cheap. If Frontpoint’s monthly costs are prohibitive, a DIY system from Wyze or SimpliSafe (both Editors’ Choice winners) would be a better choice. They each offer full-time and no-contract month-to-month monitoring options, and their components and monitoring plans are reasonably priced.
