Competitor Comparison
CoreWyre vs ADT & Vivint
Stop renting your security. Own it outright, keep your footage local, and never sign a monitoring contract again.
Quick Verdict
ADT and Vivint lock you into multi-year monitoring contracts, charge $45–$60+ per month, and retain custody of your footage in their cloud. When you cancel, you often own nothing. CoreWyre installs enterprise-grade UniFi hardware that you own from day one—footage stays on your local NVR, and there are zero recurring fees for monitoring contracts you never asked for.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | CoreWyre | ADT / Vivint |
|---|---|---|
| Equipment ownership | ✓ You own it outright | ✗ Leased or financed |
| Monthly monitoring contract | ✓ None required | ✗ $45–$60+/mo, 2–5 yr terms |
| Footage storage location | ✓ Local NVR on your property | ✗ Vendor cloud servers |
| Cancellation penalty | ✓ None — it's your gear | ✗ Early termination fees |
| Insider access risk | ✓ No remote tech access to cameras | ✗ See DOJ insider incident below |
| Hidden fees | ✓ Transparent one-time pricing | ✗ Installation, activation, service fees |
| Camera resolution | ✓ Up to 4K (8MP) | ✗ Typically 1080p |
| PoE wired reliability | ✓ Hardwired PoE standard | ✗ Often Wi-Fi dependent |
| System expandability | ✓ Add cameras anytime, no approval | ✗ Requires tech visit, may increase contract |
| Third-party data sharing | ✓ Zero — your data stays yours | ✗ Per privacy policies, data may be shared |
| Long-term cost of ownership | ✓ One-time investment | ✗ $2,700–$3,600+ over 5 years in fees alone |
The Monitoring Contract Trap
According to published reports, ADT's standard monitoring plans range from $45 to $60+ per month with contract terms of 24 to 60 months. Vivint follows a similar model. Over a five-year period, monitoring fees alone can exceed $3,600—and that's before equipment rental, installation surcharges, and activation fees.
With CoreWyre, you make a one-time investment in professional-grade UniFi hardware. There is no monitoring contract, no monthly bill, and no early termination penalty. Your system works whether or not you pay anyone a recurring fee.
Insider Access: The Risk You Don't Think About
In a case documented by the U.S. Department of Justice, a former ADT technician pleaded guilty to repeatedly accessing the cameras and video feeds of approximately 200 customers over a four-and-a-half year period, according to published reports. The technician received a 52-month federal prison sentence.
This was possible because the traditional alarm model gives technicians remote access to customer systems for “support” purposes. With CoreWyre, your UniFi system runs locally. No technician—including us—has standing remote access to your cameras unless you explicitly grant it.
CoreWyre Principle
If we can't see your cameras, nobody who shouldn't can either.
Cancel and Own Nothing
Based on publicly available information, many ADT and Vivint customers discover that the equipment installed in their homes is leased, not owned. When you cancel service, the company may reclaim the hardware or simply disable it remotely. Years of monthly payments and you walk away with holes in your walls.
Every piece of CoreWyre-installed hardware belongs to you. Cancel our maintenance plan, move to a new city, hire a different integrator—your cameras, NVR, switches, and access points keep working exactly as they did before.
5-Year Total Cost of Ownership
CoreWyre
One-time investment
Hardware you own + professional installation. No recurring monitoring fees. Optional maintenance available.
ADT / Vivint
$2,700–$3,600+
In monitoring fees alone over 5 years ($45–$60/mo), plus equipment rental, installation, and activation fees.
Your Data. Your Property. Your Decision.
When your security footage lives in the cloud, it isn't yours anymore. It belongs to whichever corporation stores it — and anyone they choose to share it with.
Ring & Law Enforcement
Amazon's Ring has disclosed footage to law enforcement at least 11 times without a warrant or user consent, using “emergency disclosure” provisions. Ring's partnerships with over 2,000 police departments have created what civil liberties organizations have described as a privately-operated surveillance network. When Ring aired its Super Bowl commercial, viewers saw a polished safety story — not the reality of where their footage actually goes.
The Guthrie Case
In February 2026, the FBI recovered Google Nest footage that the homeowner believed had been deleted. Cloud providers retain data on backend systems even after users press “delete.” Your “deleted” footage may persist indefinitely on servers you don't control, subject to government requests you'll never know about.
Geofence Warrants
Law enforcement issued over 11,500 geofence warrants in 2020 alone — a 1,500% increase since 2017, according to published reports. These warrants compel cloud providers to turn over data from every device in a geographic area. If your cameras upload to the cloud, your footage can be swept up in a dragnet that has nothing to do with you.
The CoreWyre Alternative: Local-First Infrastructure
Every frame is recorded to a UniFi NVR that you own, inside your building, on your network. No cloud subscriptions. No vendor backdoors. No “emergency disclosure” provisions. If law enforcement wants your footage, they come to you — with a warrant — not to a corporation in another state.
Take Back Control of Your DataFrequently Asked Questions
Can I use CoreWyre without a monitoring contract?
Yes. CoreWyre systems are fully functional without any monitoring service. You receive alerts directly on your phone through the UniFi Protect app. If you want professional monitoring, that is your choice—not a requirement.
What happens to my ADT/Vivint equipment if I switch to CoreWyre?
If you own your existing equipment, some sensors may be reusable. In most cases, we recommend a clean UniFi installation for maximum reliability. We will assess your current setup during a free site survey.
Is local storage as reliable as cloud storage?
UniFi NVRs use enterprise-grade drives with RAID options for redundancy. Your footage is available instantly without buffering or internet dependency. Cloud storage adds latency, subscription costs, and third-party access risk.
Does CoreWyre offer professional monitoring?
We focus on self-monitored systems that put you in control. If professional monitoring is important to you, UniFi systems can integrate with third-party monitoring services—on your terms, without a long-term contract.
Ready to Own Your Security Infrastructure?
Book a free, no-obligation Infrastructure Integrity Audit. We'll assess your current system and show you what's possible.