3 Affordable Alternatives to Life Alert (2025), Tested by Caregivers
The peace of mind you get from a medical alert system shouldn’t cost an arm and a leg! Although one of the most recognizable brands, Life Alert’s exorbitant costs, restrictive three-year contracts, and surprisingly slow response times make it one of the least favorable options on the market today.
After 5,000 hours of dedicated research and hands-on testing with 50 different devices, our healthcare professionals have chosen three of the best alternatives to Life Alert — all of which deliver better performance at half the cost.
Bay Alarm Medical, Medical Guardian, and ADT offer advanced features like automatic fall detection, speedy response times, and the freedom of month-to-month service. Best of all, they come without the hefty financial commitment that can make Life Alert a less appealing choice for seniors who value their independence and safety.
FYI: Pay attention to pricing! Medicare doesn’t cover medical alert devices, so you’ll likely be paying out of pocket.1
Why You Should Avoid Life Alert
High costs: Most medical alert systems cost about $30 to $40 per month, with affordable medical alert systems available for as low as $25 per month. Life Alert costs a minimum of $49.95 per month plus a hefty activation fee.
Lengthy contracts: While most medical alert systems allow you to cancel your service at any time, Life Alert locks you into a three-year contract, practically unheard of in this industry. The only ways to get out of your contract are through death or transition to a 24/7 care facility.
Long response times: As if the obscene pricing weren’t enough, Life Alert systems also made us wait upward of two minutes before our emergency calls were answered. Read our full Life Alert review to watch our test calls.
No automatic fall detection: Life Alert is one of the few companies that do not offer a medical alert with fall detection. If your loved one falls and cannot push the help button, they’ll have no way of contacting help with a Life Alert system.
Video Explanation
In this one-minute short, our Managing Editor, Ryan Molloy, explains why Life Alert is not worth the money.
FYI: Some medical alert systems come with no monthly fee. To learn more, read my rundown of the best no-fee medical alert systems.
Why Trust TheSeniorList?
At TheSeniorList, our team of caregivers, experts, and healthcare professionals conducted over 5,000 hours of in-depth research and testing in order to recommend the most reliable brands and devices. In this process, our team:
- Tested 50 medical alert devices from 15 different brands.
- Surveyed 1,250 seniors and caregivers in our medical alert system usage survey.
- Consulted with nurses, EMTs, and caregivers who are experts at caring for older adults.
- Published dozens of videos that demonstrate our medical alert system testing.
- Evaluated verified customer reviews of medical alert companies from the Better Business Bureau.
Our 3 Favorite Alternatives to Life Alert
- Bay Alarm Medical : Best Systems Overall
- Medical Guardian : Fastest Response Times
- ADT : Durable Equipment
Alternatives to Life Alert Compared*
| Life Alert** | Bay Alarm Medical | Medical Guardian | ADT Health | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-home system | $49.95 per month | $27.95 per month | $27.95 per month | $31.99 per month |
| Mobile system | $69.95 per month* | $34.95 per month | $39.95 per month | $41.99 per month |
| Activation | $96-$198 | $0-$245 | $149.95-$199.95 | $99 |
| Contract | 3-year contract required | Not required | Not required; discounts offered for annual payments | Not required; discounts offered for annual payments |
| Fall detection | Not available | $10 per month | $10 per month | $11 per month |
* As of October 2025
**Life Alert does not currently offer its mobile system as a standalone purchase, so this price reflects the cost of the combined in-home and mobile system.
3 Affordable Alternatives to Life Alert
1. Bay Alarm Medical - Best Systems Overall
855-675-0754
What We Like Most:
- 30-day risk-free trial
- Optional fall detection
- Location tracking on mobile units
- Systems starting at $19.95 per month
Overview
Bay Alarm Medical is one of the more affordable medical alert providers on the market. With their in-home systems starting as low as $27.95 per month, you could add on fall detection and still save significantly when compared to a Life Alert system.
Bay Alarm Medical alert systems include:
- SOS Home (traditional in-home system): $27.95/month*
- SOS All-In-One 2 (medical alert with GPS): $34.95/month*
- SOS Micro (mobile medical alert bracelet): $34.95/month*
- SOS Smartwatch (medical alert smartwatch): $39.95/month*
*Price as of October 2025
Bay Alarm won’t charge you for monitoring a second button, making it a great option for those who live with spouses or roommates.
Compared to Life Alert, Bay Alarm Medical does not require long-term contracts and offers a 15-day money-back guarantee. If you wish to cancel your service at any time, you may do so by returning your equipment, though you’ll have to pay the cost of shipping.
To learn more about this company, read my Bay Alarm Medical review.
>> Compare: Bay Alarm Medical vs. Life Alert
Pros
- Systems from $24.95 per month
- Accurate fall detection
- Free app for caregivers
- No activation fees on in-home systems
- 30-day trial periods
Cons
- Slower response times than Medical Guardian
- $99 equipment charges on mobile systems
2. Medical Guardian - Fastest Response Times
877-947-4512
What We Like Most:
- No long-term contracts
- Quick response times
- Fall detection available
- 24/7 U.S. based monitoring
Overview
What makes Medical Guardian one of the best medical alert systems is the variety of its equipment. With two in-home systems and three mobile systems, it is an ideal option for anyone looking to stay safe in or outside their home.
- MGHome Cellular (in-home): starting at $34.95/month*
- MGHome Landline (in-home): starting at $27.95/month*
- MGMini (on-the-go): starting at $39.95/month*
- MGMini Lite (on-the-go): starting at $42.95/month*
- MGMove (on-the-go): starting at $38.95/month*
*Price as of October 2025
What’s more, its customer support and U.S.-based monitoring centers provide a stellar customer experience.
Medical Guardian costs nearly half of Life Alert’s most basic system. Additionally, Medical Guardian does not require long-term contracts, meaning that you may cancel your service and return your equipment with little hassle and no extra costs.
To learn more about Medical Guardian, read my full Medical Guardian review, including my hands-on experience with the MGMini Lite, a portable medical alert system.
>> Compare: Medical Guardian vs. Life Alert
Pros
- All-in-one mobile system
- Landline and cellular options
- Smartwatch option
- Accurate location tracking
- Fall detection available on most systems
- No long-term contracts
- Free month of service on annual subscriptions
- Up to seven-day mobile battery life
Cons
- Occasional false alarms with fall detection
- Limited activity monitoring
3. ADT - Durable Equipment
855-571-0361
What We Like Most:
- Waterproof help buttons
- Optional fall detection
- Quick response times
- Straightforward pricing
Overview
While ADT is widely known for its range of home security systems for seniors, ADT offers a trio of reliable and durable medical alert systems, including three products:
- Medical Alert Basic System (for in-home use, landline required): $31.99/month*
- Medical Alert Plus System (cellular in-home use): $39.99/month*
- On-the-Go Medical Alert System: $41.99/month*
*Price as of October 2025
Only the latter two can be paired with fall detection, so I’d recommend either of those, especially if you don’t have a landline, like half of U.S. adults ages 50 and older.2
Not only do ADT’s medical alert systems cost far less than Life Alert’s, but none of these systems require a long-term contract, and they include free battery replacements.
To learn more about my experience with these systems, check out my ADT Health medical alert review.
Pros
- Waterproof help buttons
- No long-term contracts
- Automatic fall detection
- Personalized response plans
- Quick response times
- Landline options available
Cons
- Relatively small in-home range
- No smart features
- No caregiver tracking
Video Rundown
In this video, our Managing Editor, Ryan Molloy, walks through our favorite affordable alternatives to Life Alert.
Bottom Line
At TheSeniorList, our team has tested over 50 medical alert devices for 15 companies. Through all of these tests, we have yet to find a company that either costs as much or takes as long to respond as Life Alert. Because of this, we think almost any brand is a better option, at least until Life Alert changes its approach to pricing.
>> Keep Comparing: Life Alert vs. Medical Alert
How We Test Medical Alert Systems
When choosing the best alternatives to Life Alert, we evaluated every medical alert system on the following criteria:
- Costs: Since Life Alert costs at least $50 per month, we looked for systems that cost far less.
- Contracts: Life Alert locks users into three-year service agreements, so we only included companies that allow monthly subscriptions.
- Response times: In our test calls, Life Alert agents took an average of 120 seconds to answer, so we looked for systems with response times of 20 seconds or less.
- Extra features: Life Alert lacks features like fall detection and caregiver apps, so we included systems that offered these options.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Is there a service that’s better than Life Alert?
Bay Alarm Medical, Medical Guardian, and ADT are some of the best alternatives to Life Alert, and none of them require long-term contracts.
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Is any service better than Life Alert?
Bay Alarm Medical is a better medical alert provider than Life Alert, as they offer fall detection and don’t require a long-term contract.
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Are medical alert systems covered by Medicare?
Medicare will not cover the cost of a medical alert system, as they are not considered durable medical equipment. Luckily, many medical alert systems cost less than $30 per month.
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Can you get Life Alert for free?
While you likely can’t get Life Alert for free, local Area Agencies on Aging have been known to cover the cost of other medical alert systems. Reach out to your local branch to learn more.
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What is the best personal alarm for older adults?
While Bay Alarm Medical offers one of the best personal alarms for aging adults, Medical Guardian and ADT are both solid choices. It all depends on the user’s preferences.
