Arlo Home Security System 2024: Tested & Reviewed

How much does Arlo cost?

Arlo offers two security alarm system bundles. We found that the company often discounts them by up to 50% and provides a free 30-day trial of an Arlo Secure Plan.

Doorbells, cameras and other accessories are sold separately, though you can “build your own bundle” and get up to 25% off the entire order. The prices below are list prices.

Arlo devices

There are quite a few versions of Arlo cameras and doorbells, with a wide range in price, and it was somewhat difficult to identify differences and choose between them. We opted to sort by bestselling items on the website; these are Arlo’s most popular picks.

We found that Arlo often discounts individual items up to 30% and provides a free 30-day trial of an Arlo Secure Plan. The prices below are list prices.

How does Arlo work?

Setup pros

We found Arlo’s setup to be mostly straightforward. Some of the app features were clunky, but all the sensors were functional once installed, and there were several helpful customization options. Here are a few features we liked:

• Comprehensive layout. See all the sensors in one view once they’re set up as app widgets.

• Shareable. Easily add another user to the system to monitor devices on their own account.

• Speedy. Receive sensor alerts as app notifications almost immediately, noticeably faster than those we received with our previous alarm system, Nest Secure (now discontinued).

• Programmable. Automate the system to turn it on and off at set times, such as at bedtime and in the morning, or at home and away (the system automatically detects when you and your device leave your property and arms the system in response).

• Simple setup. Install the sensors without drilling or tools — they come with adhesive to stick on a wall or door and connect wirelessly to the hub.

Setup cons

Arlo's setup wasn’t as seamless as SimpliSafe, which had a very user-friendly setup process. With Arlo, we had some issues scanning the hub’s QR code, aligning the sensor magnets and adding the sensors to the app. These are a few of the frustrations we had:

• Sensor stress. We had to set up the sensors again to add them as widgets in the app. Depending on how many sensors you have, this can be frustrating.

• Expandability controls. If you purchase an extra hub to extend the range of your sensors, it can’t communicate with your original hub. The systems would have to be run separately.

• Paid plans required for full functionality. Most advanced features, such as cloud storage, person detection and emergency response, and even some built-in sensor capabilities, such as smoke and CO alarm listening, require a paid monthly subscription. This isn’t unique to Arlo — competitor Ring’s features work similarly — but it’s something to keep in mind if price is a main concern.

Monitoring

With Arlo, you’ll have four monitoring options, with prices ranging from free to $24.99 a month. You can get basic alerts without any paid plan, but there are a few features available at each level that may make the added cost worth it. Here are our favorite features, by plan:

Secure, starting $7.99 per month

• 30 days of cloud video storage (higher-priced plans don’t increase in storage amount).

• AI detection, which can differentiate between people, pets and vehicles.

Secure Plus, $17.99 per month

• 24/7 emergency response, which lets you contact fire, medical or police from the Arlo app (you can add important details about your home and family in advance, such as if there are pets, children or a hard-to-access entrance).

Safe & Secure Pro, $24.99 per month

• 24/7 professional monitoring, which can dispatch emergency services to your phone if an alarm is triggered. Arlo’s monitoring agents will verify the event with images and video before sending emergency services. You can enroll in either of the other plans if you just have the cameras, but you’ll need an alarm system to use professional monitoring.

• Cellular and battery backup. This requires buying a cellular and battery backup device, though, which costs $79.99.

• Smoke and CO alarm listening, which can alert you when a sensor hears the alarm go off. All Arlo sensors have this capability, but you’ll need this plan to use it.

Alternatives to Arlo

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