Which Home Security Systems Rank Better Than Ring?

With crime continuing to make headlines today, security is top of mind for many homeowners. But money expert Clark Howard wants you to know that you don't have to spend an arm and a leg to add a security system to your home. In fact, you can probably do it yourself and do it affordably. That's what Clark did.

"I'm not very capable around the house," Clark admits. "Even I was able to install a very thorough home security system."

Clark installed a Ring system in his home a few years ago. He chose Ring because of its low monthly monitoring cost and (of course) because of a great deal he found at Costco. While the Ring systems can have attractive price tags, are they actually effective?

What Are the Top-Ranked DIY Home Security Systems?

"So the question is, how good are these home security systems?" Clark asks. To get the answer to that question, we turned to Consumer Reports' Best Home Security Systems for 2022. (Note: You need a membership to access most of the information on Consumer Reports.)

Consumer Reports tested the systems based on a number of features that it deemed to be “security essentials” for the bare minimum in home security:

Self-monitoring via mobile phone app
Keypads and key fobs
E911 (the ability to contact emergency services regardless of your location)

The publication also judged additional security features concerning personal safety, smart home capabilities, motion detection and more.

Let's look at the best DIY home security systems, according to Consumer Reports. We've listed the basic features of each device. Consumer Reports says each of these systems also has data security: "data privacy, data security, replay disarm resistance, and jamming resistance." The scores are based on a 100-point scale.