Abode vs. Cove Home Security

Overall, we think Abode is a more versatile and customizable system than Cove. Abode can both protect your home and make it work better—but only if you want to pair it with smart home devices. Otherwise, we recommend Cove security.

Abode and Cove security are roughly on par as far as pricing goes. Abode’s equipment tends to be more expensive than Cove’s, but you could save money if you buy at the right time. Both brands routinely run sales that let you knock save some money anyway.

For monitoring, Abode offers a no-cost option that lets you monitor your system yourself using your phone. If you want professional monitoring from Abode, it will cost you $23 per month.

Even Abode’s Pro plan with 24/7 professional monitoring is still cheaper than most security systems. And for your money, it will give you more functionality for $23 per month than Cove’s top monitoring plan would give you for $28 per month.

With Abode’s Pro monitoring plan, you not only get professional monitoring, but you also get person detection, cellular backup (in case your power goes out), geofencing, smart home support, and security camera support, all of which make your system easier to customize to fit your needs.

If you opt for Abode’s cheaper Standard plan, you get all of the same smart home functionality (home automation, geofencing, person detection, etc.), but without the professional monitoring.

View Abode Plans | Read the Abode Home Security Review

Cove security doesn’t have an option for self-monitoring at all. Both of its monitoring plans come with 24/7 professional monitoring, which is great. But you have to subscribe to Cove’s higher-priced Plus plan to even get access to Cove’s mobile app.

Without the Plus plan, you can’t use Cove’s mobile app to arm and disarm your security system. That means you can only control your Cove system from the touchscreen control panel or a key fob. That’s really inconvenient if you realize too late that you forgot to arm your system when you left the house a couple hours ago.

Even if you do opt in to the Plus plan, you still don’t get the same level of smart home support and control that you’d get with a cheaper plan from Abode.

On the plus side, Cove’s professional-monitoring service has some additional features that could give you added peace of mind.

Cove professional monitoring features: 

• LiveAssist, where a Cove monitoring rep can talk to you through your control panel.
• InstaText, where Cove’s monitoring center texts you for verification of an alarm.
• RapidSOS, where Cove can send all your important information directly to 911 operators in case of an emergency. (Think name, address, and relevant medical info.)

Read the Cove Home Security Review

Abode and Cove offer a lot of the same security sensors, but their systems work a bit differently. Abode uses a main hub that hooks up to your internet router to control all your sensors, whereas Cove houses all of its controls inside a touchscreen control panel.

Most Abode users control their systems through the Abode app or a keyfob, although Abode does offer a separate keypad if you want one. Most Cove users use the control panel or a key fob to control their security systems. Not all Cove users even have access to the mobile app. (You need to subscribe to the Plus monitoring plan to get it.)

Cove’s sensors are quite a bit cheaper than Abode’s, although Abode does have more options available. For example, instead of just one door/window sensor, Abode offers four different styles.

Abode also offers a few things Cove doesn’t, and vice versa. Abode has a smoke alarm listener, whereas Cove has a combo smoke alarm and carbon monoxide detector. Abode offers a smart plug and a multi-sensor (that can detect motion, light, temperature, and humidity), whereas Cove doesn’t offer any unique smart devices.

Neither Cove nor Abode has our favorite security cameras. They both have kinda meh models that get the job done, but there are definitely better outdoor and indoor cameras out there.

Abode has two cameras, the Wireless Video Doorbell and the Abode Cam 2. The Abode Cam 2 is pretty affordable, currently priced at $60. We like that it works both indoors and outdoors and even has home security features like person detection and color night vision.

The doorbell camera is $100, which is a bit more than the Abode Cam 2, but you can use it without an Abode system, and the camera doesn't require a subscription to a monitoring plan.

If a video doorbell is a must-have, Cove recently released its Eufy Doorbell Camera, or you can check out smart doorbell cameras like the Nest Hello or the Arlo Video Doorbell.

Cove offers one doorbell camera and has dedicated indoor and outdoor cameras.

You’ll pay the same price for Cove’s Eufy Outdoor Camera as you would for Abode’s budget-friendly Abode Cam 2. But Cove’s Outdoor Camera is also bigger than the Abode Cam 2, and it’s wire-free, whereas the Abode Cam needs a power cord.

We also like that Cove’s cameras have both cloud storage and local storage. With either camera, you can use a microSD card to capture footage. (Both of Abode’s cameras can only use cloud storage.)

This one’s not even a contest: Abode wins for best smart home products, hands down. It works with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit, and about a dozen other smart home brands. Meanwhile, Cove integrates with Alexa and Google, but only kind of.

Cove smart home integrations: 

• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant

Abode smart home integrations:

• Apple HomeKit
• Google Home
• Amazon Alexa
• Philips Hue
• Ecobee
• Leviton
• LIFX
• Schlage
• Yale
• Kwikset
• First Alert
• Bose
• Sonos
• Aeotec
• Danalock
• IFTTT
• Zigbee
• Z-Wave

With your Abode system, you can set up endless routines, customizations, and alerts. You don't have as many options with Cove. Even though Cove works with Alexa and Google, you still can’t do that much with it. You can use your Amazon Echo to arm your Cove system or ask about its status, but that’s it. End of list.

Abode's customer service isn't bad, but Cove definitely seems to have happier customers. Cove gets a higher score than Abode on Trustpilot.^1,2 Both Cove and Abode offer multi-channel customer support by phone, email, and social media. Both companies also have live chat options on their websites, which is our favorite way to talk to customer service reps.

Still, we give Cove the win on this one for its higher Trustpilot score, and because its customer service reps are available 24/7 via phone. Abode has limited customer service hours—you have to reach them between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Pacific Time.

If you'd rather try to solve an issue on your own, you can find both Cove support and Abode support resources online as well.

• Cove customer service number: 855-268-3669
• Abode customer service number: 650-443-7834

We think Abode is best for most people because it makes it so easy to connect your smart home stuff and protect your home at the same time. But if you don’t care about smart home stuff, but you want a security system with robust emergency response features, then Cove is a great choice too.

• Prices and monitoring plans: Abode. Abode lets you self-monitor your system for free and gives you more smart features for less money. Even Abode’s professional monitoring plan costs less than Cove’s top option—and it’s more versatile.
• Security equipment: Abode. Abode’s equipment is more expensive than Cove’s, but it also has more of it. You have more sensor options to choose from, and it has some smart devices you won’t get from Cove.
• Cameras: Cove. Neither Abode nor Cove has great camera options. Both have indoor and outdoor cameras, but only Cove has a true doorbell camera.
• Smart home integrations: Abode. Abode integrates with a bunch of different smart home brands and devices, and its smart speaker capabilities are significantly more robust than Cove’s. Cove only works with Alexa and Google, and even then, you can’t do much with them.
• Customer service: Cove. Cove has 24/7 phone support, whereas Abode has limited customer service hours.

Read the Abode Home Security Review | Read the Cove Home Security Review

At Reviews.org, we evaluate home security systems based on five categories:

• Price
• Equipment
• Home automation
• Cameras
• Customer service

We’ve been writing about both Abode and Cove home security systems for years. For this review, we compared research, talked to representatives from each home security company, and spent hours combing through features, prices, and integration details for each system.

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