Ring Alarm Home Security

Overview

Ring has a complete security system to offer people who want to go beyond the doorbell. The Ring Alarm Security system contains everything you need to protect your home.

Ring Alarm security is a DIY installation system that brings preset equipment packages for you to choose, or the flexibility to custom build your security system from the ground up. Ring’s 5-piece Alarm Security Kit comes with essential security items, suitable for small apartments and condos. It is the core base for all Ring’s preset equipment packs.

These bundles offer a few item variations from the starter kit, like more contact sensors, environmental sensors, and a doorbell camera. The equipment accommodates larger homes with multiple entry points. You can add more devices for a better customization experience at an extra cost.

The Ring Alarm is controlled primarily through its mobile app; all equipment packages include a keypad for quick access to your system. One unique feature that Ring offers is the Neighbors app function, which serves as a neighborhood watch for people with the Ring equipment in the same area. This Ring app feature helps to keep the entire neighborhood safe by sharing Ring videos, a quality we haven’t seen on any other security company.

You can pay for your equipment upfront, but if you prefer, financing plans are available. Ring Alarm is wireless equipment with a simple DIY installation; there is no professional installation service required.

Ring products work without a monthly subscription, meaning you can self-monitor your security system for free. The company provides a low-cost plan for additional features with DIY monitoring.

You can also sign up for a full professional monitoring service (recommended) that offers an extended warranty on components and coverage on all Ring devices. Ring Alarm uses Wi-Fi coverage, offering a free cellular backup with its professional monitoring plan for a more secure connection.

Ring Home Security has no contracts; it is available as an option but not required to operate the security system. You can subscribe to a monthly fee or pay an annual fee that comes with a considerable discount. The monitoring service can be canceled at any time, with no penalties.

Ring products come with a one-year warranty. You can extend it as long as you are subscribed to the professional monitoring plan. The system has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Key features

Cost and contract information

Ring Alarm Home security is a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) installation system that offers an Alarm security starter kit. It is the base for the rest of the equipment kits that you can choose; you also have the option to custom-build your system.

You have to buy the equipment upfront, and can be customized according to your needs. You can add as many devices as you need to fit your security needs, which will increase the cost of the system.

With Ring, you have to buy the equipment beforehand, turning the initial payment a little pricey. If you don’t want to spend too much money on the upfront cost, you can choose to purchase in easy, fixed payments using Affirm financing.

If you buy your Ring Alarm with Affirm, you can choose to pay over 3, 6, or 12 months with 0% APR (based on credit approval). However, a down payment is mandatory to obtain the 0% annual percentage rate. The estimated payment amount does not include taxes and shipping fees. If your purchase is under $100, limited payment options are available.

Ring Alarm Home Security System brings three monitoring options called Ring Protect Plans. The first one is free DIY monitoring. The second is the Protect Basic Plan, a DIY monitoring service with additional features (cloud access to recorded videos for up to 60 days that can be shared and saved). The last one is the professional monitoring plan called Protect Plus Plan.

You can subscribe to monthly fees or pay for the entire year to get a decent discount for professional monitoring. There is no contract required with any of the monitoring plans. This means that you can cancel at any time, something very unusual in the home security industry.

Ring offers a one-year warranty that you can extend as long as you are an active Protect Plus plan customer. The devices come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Coverage and policies

Ring Alarm Home Security is a DIY wireless system that establishes a connection using Wi-Fi; no landline is required. The system includes free cellular backup with its professional monitoring plan for a more secure connection. Ring Alarm and services are available in the United States and Canada.

Ring home security has no contract requirement. You can subscribe to monthly or annual monitoring fees that you can cancel at any moment. If you cancel your yearly fee, you will be refunded a prorated amount based on how much time you have left in your Ring Protect Plan.

You can always choose to self-monitor for free. You can manage all the devices but will have no access to Ring’s extra features (cloud storage for videos, amongst others). The equipment has a one-year warranty that extends for as long as you are a Protect Plus active customer. Ring Alarm has a 30-day money-back guarantee.

One cool feature the monitoring plans offer is a 30-day trial subscription that begins when you activate your new Ring products. You can test the monitoring plan that best suits you without having to sign from the start.

Equipment

Ring Alarm Home Security starts all its equipment packages with a basic 5-piece core set: a base station, a keypad, a contact sensor, a motion sensor, and a range extender. From there, the kits come in different shapes and sizes, designed to protect small one-bedroom apartments to larger homes with multiple access points.

You can buy as many additional devices as you want or choose to customize your system from the beginning, picking products á-la-carte. It offers a wide range of products, like the indoor/outdoor camera, environmental sensors, and the popular video doorbell cameras.

In 2021, The company announced the Ring Always Home Cam launch, a revolutionary way to monitor your property. It is an indoor security drone that integrates perfectly with Ring alarm security systems. Ring Alarm is compatible with Z-Wave devices, so you can buy third-party components like smart locks to add to your security system.

Ring Alarm Security equipment uses Wi-Fi coverage. If an intruder cuts down your home phone lines, it will still communicate using your internet service. But if your internet goes down, you will lose all connection to your system. Ring does include cellular backup with its professional monitoring service, so your system will be active regarding power outages.

Ring Alarm comes with a modern, discreet design that is aesthetically pleasing. The devices blend easily with your home décor without being an eye-sore nuisance. Ring Alarm equipment comes with some exciting features, like:

Home automation

Ring includes communication protocols to connect smart home products with its “Works with Ring” Program. You can pair Z-Wave products through the Ring app using the base station as a bridge. Through its Z-Wave connectivity, you can add compatible devices like smart locks to work with your Ring Alarm system. However, one of the Ring Alarm’s weaknesses is that it’s not compatible with major smart home platforms and products.

While the base station contains ZigBee and Z-Wave radios, any third-party device not certified by Ring won’t trigger the alarm. This means that when a device that is not part of the “Works with Ring” program triggers, it won’t sound the alarm or alert the monitoring center of its activation. Still, you will receive a notification on your app.

The system works with Amazon Alexa, but it does not communicate with the Ring cameras yet. You will use Alexa to arm and disarm your system but won’t connect Alexa’s voice commands to the Ring cameras. There is no Google Assistant integration either.

Ring Alarm comes with other features, such as:

Customer experience

Ring's Home Security System comes with two monitoring options: self-monitoring and professional monitoring. If you choose to DIY-monitor, you have the opportunity for a completely free plan. You can also subscribe to a monthly/yearly service that has some added features. With the DIY subscription, you will have access to videos of every Ring, Motion, and Live View events for up to 60 days.

The free plan comes with only live feeds and custom motion detection (you won’t be able to see recordings with the self-monitoring plan). And remember, if you go the DIY-monitor path, you will be responsible for supervising your home security.

The main advantage of DIY systems is that you save money and have fast access to your security system. However, the main disadvantage of self-monitoring is that your system is app-dependent. Even though the system comes with a keypad for quick access, the Ring Alarm works primarily using the mobile phone app.

You will need to have your mobile phone charged and with you at all times to have an interrupted communication with your system. Suppose an alarm is triggered and the system fails to communicate with your mobile phone. In that case, no one will contact you to report the incident or call the authorities on your behalf.

As an alternative, Ring Alarm offers an incredibly affordable 24/7 professional monitoring service, one of the most inexpensive we’ve seen in the market. With professional monitoring service, trained experts will watch over your system 24/7, ready to react if your alarm is activated, contacting the police or fire department if needed.

Professional-monitored homes are better protected, so you can have peace of mind knowing your home is well guarded. Ring uses Wi-Fi coverage, allowing your system to have fast communication with the monitoring center.

The cellular backup is an extra layer of communication and security that comes only with the Protect Plus plan. Even if your internet goes down or there is a power outage, your system will continue to operate as expected.

Ring has a good reputation when it comes to customer support. If you need help, there are extensive resources on its website: a large FAQ section, setup guides, and a blog with interesting articles. But if you prefer, you can also call the customer support line, available 24/7, something uncommon in the industry (usually has limited availability schedules).

Ring Alarm’s website is extremely user-friendly. The equipment kits are easy to find, showing all the components for the packages. The prices for all the devices are in plain sight, making it an accessible website.

When you choose to custom-build your system, Ring starts with a couple of questions regarding your home’s layout and security needs. You get a recommended equipment kit made up of a 5, 10, or 14-piece set. Additional devices are suggested based on your answers; no overly aggressive tactics for upselling products you might not need. Overall, shopping with Ring is a very positive experience.

Installation

Ring Alarm Home Security is an easy Do-It-Yourself system. In a DIY installation, you are in charge of selecting and placing all the devices around your home. You will save money on costly professional installation fees you can use to put towards your equipment’s upfront cost.

Ring Alarm Security kit is wireless, with peel-and-stick adhesives. You won’t have any annoying cables dangling from your walls. Keep in mind that Ring’s equipment has dual power options (wireless and hardwired) for many components, like some video doorbell cameras. If you purchase hardwired equipment, we recommend you hire a professional technician to do all its installation.

If you don’t have the time to take on a DIY task or don’t have too much technical experience, you should ask a friend to help out with the installation process. Unfortunately, Ring Alarm does not offer a professional installation service.

Ring Alarm has many equipment kits for you to choose from. The core base of all the packages is a 5-piece set with the essential components to start building your security system. From there on, the equipment packages vary in equipment type and amount. Your decision should depend mainly on your security needs and the layout of your home.

You can choose to build your system from scratch, picking devices á-la-carte, for an ultimate customization experience. If you are a first-time buyer, choosing among so many kits and add-on devices could be a little overwhelming.

We recommend you go with the Ring Alarm 5-piece Security kit and then decide which add-ons will complete your security wish list. Another way to go is to pick to custom-build your system. This way, you will get Ring’s recommendations as a general guide, based on the answers you provide about your home’s layout and security needs.

After you purchase your Ring Alarm security system, you will receive your equipment at home, starting the installation process. You will have to download the Ring app first; it will guide you through all the installation process.

Start by plugging in the Hub and pairing it up with your mobile phone. Follow the in-app instructions for pairing each device, one at a time. The step by step process is pretty simple.

Ring Alarm Home Security system offers three monitoring options. Two of them are self-monitoring, and the third one for professional monitoring, something pretty rare in the security industry. The Free plan comes with every Ring product, being a complete DIY-monitoring option.

The Protect Basic Plan is also self-monitoring but comes with added features, such as video recording and more. It is an affordable option, as it comes with a $3 a month /$30 a year fee. We recommend that you subscribe to this plan to get those extra features to help with your home security needs if you go the DIY path.

The third option is the Protect Plus plan, a 24/7 professional monitoring service, with a monthly cost of $10 or $100 a year. For its low cost, we highly recommend that you opt for the more secure professional monitoring service.

All monitoring plans have Wi-Fi coverage. However, the Protect Plus plan includes free Cellular backup for an extra layer of security, so you are always connected to your system. And since Ring Alarm has a no-contract policy, you can cancel at any time.

Bottom line

Ring is a well-known company, famous for its smart doorbell video cameras, and now is evolving its products and services into the DIY home security industry with the Ring Alarm system.

The Ring Alarm Home Security System presents affordable and accessible DIY equipment, with the flexibility to add on devices as you see fit. The system is controlled mostly by the Ring app, which can be annoying for those who don’t like to be app-dependent. It does include a keypad for easy access.

Ring stands out by allowing monitoring options for the user: two self-monitored and one professionally monitored, all of them being incredibly economical. The DIY-installation is as straightforward as it comes with easy in-app instructions. There is no professional installation service available.

The one area where Ring is a little behind (compared to other security systems) is in third-party integrations, which the company says it in the works. The Ring Alarm system is perfect for renters, frequent movers, and customers who don’t like long contract commitments. You can cancel the subscriptions at any time.

With its multiple kits and flexibility to add on, Ring Alarm is perfect for small one-bedroom apartments or larger homes with various rooms and entry points. If you want an inexpensive DIY system with free self-monitoring and professional monitoring at a decent cost, then Ring Alarm is the one for you.