2GIG vs Qolsys:
Which Alarm Panel Is Better?

2GIG vs Qolsys in One Table

Each maker sells more than one panel, so we compared the two flagships most people mean when they ask this question: the 2GIG EDGE and the Qolsys IQ Panel 5. Where the older IQ Panel 4, still listed by Johnson Controls, or 2GIG's lower-priced GC Touch differs in a way that matters, the cell says so. Every entry comes from the maker's own product page or data sheet; anything the maker did not publish is marked "not stated." There are no prices in this table, because neither maker publishes one and the installed cost depends on the building, the sensors and the labour, which we cover in our own section below.

Two rows matter more than the rest. The sensor row decides what you will buy for the next decade, because once a panel is in, every new door contact, motion detector and smoke sensor has to speak its language. And the Alarm.com row explains why the phone experience feels so similar on both: the app you use day to day is Alarm.com's, not 2GIG's or Johnson Controls', so the choice between the panels is mostly about what happens on the wall and in the walls, not on your phone. The camera, screen and disarming rows are where the two panels feel different to live with, and the warranty row is the one place where 2GIG publishes a clearer promise than Johnson Controls does today.

Who Makes Them in 2026, and Why Qolsys Is Now Called IQ

Part of the confusion around this comparison is the names. 2GIG is a brand of Nice North America; the copyright line on 2gig.com reads "Nice North America LLC," and the site's news section includes a press release in which Nice North America and Alarm.com launched a "2GIG New Home Program Powered by Alarm.com." Older forum threads and installation guides call the same company Nortek or Nortek Control, which is why you will still see those names on older 2GIG paperwork. The current 2GIG panel line on 2gig.com is the EDGE, the GC Touch, the EDGE Remote Keypad, the older GC2e, and two keypads, the TS2 and the PAD1. If you have a GC2 or GC3 on your wall, it is an earlier generation of the same family.

Qolsys was the company behind the IQ Panel, and it is now part of Johnson Controls, the same group that owns DSC and Visonic. When we typed qolsys.com on November 14, 2026, it took us straight to iqsecurityproducts.com, a Johnson Controls site with an "IQ" logo, and the panels are now listed simply as IQ Panel 5, IQ5 Hub, IQ5 NS, IQ Panel 4, IQ4 Hub, IQ4 NS, IQ Pro and IQ Hub. The company's Instagram link on that site still points to a "qolsys" account, and installers, dealers and homeowners still say "Qolsys" out of habit. On this page we use both names, because that is how people search; when you see "Qolsys IQ Panel 5" and "IQ Panel 5" in a quote, they are the same panel.

Two things follow from this for a buyer. First, both brands are backed by large, long-established security groups, so neither is a small start-up that might vanish and leave your panel without updates. Second, both makers sell almost entirely through dealers. 2gig.com's "Where to Buy" button leads to a page for finding security dealers and installers, and the IQ site points visitors to "Find a dealer" and invites companies to become IQ dealers. In practice, the company that installs your panel, and the Alarm.com account it sets up, will shape your experience at least as much as the brand on the front.

Which panels this page compares

The flagship of each line is the fair comparison: 2GIG's EDGE against the IQ Panel 5. The IQ Panel 4 is still listed by Johnson Controls and is still on thousands of walls, so we note it wherever it differs, and many of the comparison articles that rank for this search were written about the IQ Panel 4 before the Panel 5 arrived. On the 2GIG side, the GC Touch is the newer, lower-priced touchscreen, built, as 2GIG puts it, on the legacy of the GC2e, and 2GIG says it won two 2025 awards, one from Commercial Integrator and CE Pro, the other from Builder Innovator. We note the GC Touch where it changes the answer. The IQ5 Hub (a cheaper Panel 5 without the camera) and the IQ5 NS (no screen at all, for a hidden install with keypads) also exist, and Johnson Controls' own chart shows them sharing the Panel 5's radios and Alarm.com integration.

Wireless Range in New York Buildings: Brick, Plaster and Floors

Both makers publish big range numbers. 2GIG says its E+ door and window sensor reaches "up to 1.2 miles with 900MHz spectrum," and adds in small print that range "can vary depending on building materials." Johnson Controls lists its PowerG+ door and window sensor, the PGPx945E, at up to 2,500 feet, and says PowerG range is measured "in miles, not feet." Figures like these describe ideal conditions, and 2GIG's own footnote admits that building materials change them. Nobody in New York lives in ideal conditions.

What actually limits wireless sensors in this city is the building. A rowhouse party wall of solid brick, a prewar apartment with plaster on metal lath, a basement under a concrete slab, a steel-framed storefront, or a mechanical room full of ductwork will all swallow far more signal than any spec sheet allows for. Distance matters less than what is between the sensor and the panel. In practice, the long-range radios on both brands are not about reaching a mile; they are about having enough headroom that a sensor in the cellar of a three-story brownstone still reports reliably to a panel by the parlor-floor door after the batteries have aged.

How we handle range on both brands

• Put the panel where the signals meet, not just where the door is. On a tall house we sometimes set the main panel mid-building and put a remote keypad by the entrance. 2GIG offers the EDGE Remote Keypad, a second seven-inch screen with its own camera; Johnson Controls offers the IQ Remote-PG and IQ Keypad PG.
• Read the signal, do not guess it. 2GIG's EDGE 1.3 update shows sensor signal strength on the panel, which 2GIG says helps dealers troubleshoot without extra visits. PowerG devices also report back to the panel. We record the reading for every sensor on the day we finish.
• Add a repeater where the building fights back. Both families include repeaters, such as 2GIG's 345S wireless repeater and the PowerG+ PGPx920. One well-placed repeater beats a dozen sensors that report most of the time.
• Use wire where wire already is. Where a wired alarm left cable in the walls, a takeover module can bring those zones onto either panel, which we cover further down.

On range alone, a building that would struggle with one brand's long-range sensors will usually struggle with the other's too. Where we see a real difference is with the older, standard 345 MHz sensors, which have far less headroom than either E+ or PowerG. If a 2GIG system is going into a large or awkward building, we would budget for E+ sensors on the EDGE rather than standard 345 MHz devices; if a Qolsys system is going in, PowerG+ is the default and needs no special choice.

Disarming: Face Recognition, Bluetooth and Codes

The moment you walk in carrying groceries is where these two panels differ most visibly. The 2GIG EDGE has a camera on the front that can recognise the faces of people enrolled on the panel and disarm the system for them. 2GIG calls this an "industry-first face recognition disarm," and stresses that the analysis happens on the panel itself rather than in the cloud, "so private data stays private." The EDGE also offers Bluetooth disarming, so the panel can disarm when an enrolled phone comes within range, and the usual keypad codes, which 2GIG lists as six-digit.

The IQ Panel 5 takes a different approach. It offers Bluetooth touchless disarming over Bluetooth 5.0 LE, and its 13-megapixel PortraitView camera takes disarm photos, so you can see who came in. Johnson Controls does not list face recognition among the Panel 5's features. The IQ Panel 4 also offers Bluetooth disarming and disarm photos with its 8-megapixel camera. Both IQ panels allow up to 242 user codes, which matters for a business with many staff or a building with many tenants; the EDGE allows 100 users and the GC Touch 64.

Which one is safer?

Convenience features should never be the only way into a monitored system. On both brands we set them up as an extra, with the code always available, and we explain to the household what the entry delay is and how to cancel a false alarm. Face recognition is convenient for a family with one entrance and good lighting at the door; it is less useful at a side door in a dim vestibule, or for a household where a lot of different people come and go. Bluetooth disarming depends on everyone's phone settings and battery. A disarm photo, which both IQ panels take, is a quieter feature, but many owners end up valuing it most: it answers the question of who came in at 2 a.m. without anyone needing to be recognised. If hands-free disarming is what you want, the EDGE has the feature the IQ panels lack. If you want a record of every disarm, both offer camera photos, and the IQ Panel 5's camera is the higher-resolution one on paper.

Z-Wave and Smart-Home Control

Both panels double as a smart-home hub through Z-Wave, the wireless standard used by many door locks, light switches, plug modules, thermostats and garage door controllers. This is where the newer hardware shows. The IQ Panel 5 has an 800-series Z-Wave module with Z-Wave Long Range and supports up to 167 Z-Wave devices, according to its spec sheet. The 2GIG EDGE has Z-Wave Plus V2 on the 700 series, with S2 security, and lets you create scenes and schedules. The GC Touch, though it is the cheaper 2GIG panel, has the newer 800-series Z-Wave. The IQ Panel 4 has the 700 series.

For most homes the difference between 700 and 800 series is invisible: both control a front-door lock, a few lights and a thermostat well. It starts to matter on bigger properties, which Z-Wave Long Range is designed for, and on systems with a lot of devices. Johnson Controls also offers PowerG automation devices, such as smart sockets, on the same encrypted radio as the alarm sensors, which gives an installer another way to control a device where Z-Wave struggles.

Voice assistants and automations

The EDGE and the GC Touch data sheets list Google Assistant, Amazon Echo and Siri Shortcuts for voice control. Most of the day-to-day automation on both brands, such as "lock the door and turn off the lights when the alarm is armed away," is set up in Alarm.com, which runs the app on both. 2GIG's EDGE 1.3 update added Z-Wave backup and restore through Alarm.com, which 2GIG says saves installers time when a panel is serviced or replaced; in plain terms, the list of your Z-Wave devices can be put back without pairing every lock and switch again. We have not found a matching statement on Johnson Controls' pages, so we leave that comparison open.

A warning we give every owner: a smart lock on the alarm is a convenience, not a substitute for a door sensor. If the lock is opened by force, the door contact and the motion detector are what raise the alarm. We wire or pair the lock to the panel so you can see its status, but we never remove a door sensor because there is a smart lock on the door.

Alarm.com: The Service Behind Both Panels

If there is one thing that makes 2GIG and Qolsys more alike than different, it is Alarm.com. Both panels are built to work with it. The EDGE is sold in versions that 2GIG labels "Verizon Alarm.com Panel" and "AT&T Alarm.com Panel," its product page says "Alarm.com compatible," and the GC Touch data sheet says it is "optimized for Alarm.com Scenes." Johnson Controls' chart lists "Full Alarm.com Integration" on the IQ Panel 5, IQ5 Hub and IQ5 NS, and its IQ Pro commercial panel "integrates seamlessly with Alarm.com."

For you, that means the phone app, the notifications, the camera clips, the automation rules and the remote arming and disarming will look much the same whichever panel is on the wall. The differences you will notice in the app come mostly from the sensors and devices each panel supports, not from the app itself. It also means the Alarm.com account matters as much as the panel. When comparing quotes for either brand, ask each company who sets up the Alarm.com account, which app features its plan includes, such as video recording or automations, and what happens to the account if you later change monitoring companies.

Monitoring is a separate choice

Neither 2GIG nor Johnson Controls monitors your alarm. The panel sends its signals to a central station chosen by whoever sells you monitoring, and that station calls you and dispatches police or fire. That is why the monitoring company and its terms matter more than the panel when something actually happens. Our own monitoring runs through a UL-listed central station, and we cover the price in our own section below. If you are being offered either panel with a long monitoring contract, read the contract before you compare the panels.

Taking Over an Old Wired Alarm: Brownstones, Walk-Ups and Stores

A large share of the alarm work in New York is not a brand-new system in an empty house. It is a brownstone with a Honeywell or DSC keypad from the 1990s, contacts wired into every parlor-floor window and a motion detector in the cellar; a walk-up with an old panel in the basement that no longer reports to anyone; or a store with wired door contacts and a rolling-gate switch that the last owner stopped paying to monitor. The cable in those walls is often the most valuable part of the system, because pulling new cable through plaster and brick is slow, messy work. Both 2GIG and Johnson Controls make it possible to keep that wiring and put a modern touchscreen panel on top.

The 2GIG way: a takeover module

2GIG's 345S Wireless Hardwire Takeover Module (2GIG-TAKE100-345) sits beside the old wiring and, in 2GIG's words, "converts 8 zones per module (additional modules may be added)." It can be powered by the existing alarm panel and use that panel's backup battery, supports up to 500 mA for wired motion and glass-break detectors, and supports encryption through an on-board switch. 2GIG's product description adds two limits worth knowing before anyone promises you a takeover: the module "cannot be used to monitor Carbon Monoxide (CO) or Fire detection zones" and is "intended for indoor use only." The EDGE itself also has two wired zones and a wired bell output on the panel.

The Qolsys / IQ way: IQ Hardwire PG or IQ Pro

Johnson Controls offers the IQ Hardwire PG, which it describes as a wired-to-wireless upgrade and expansion module that can "add eight hardwired zones to IQ Pro and IQ Panels" over encrypted PowerG. It supports normally open, normally closed, single and double end-of-line wiring, has a supervised 12-volt, 700 mA siren output, and, unlike the 2GIG module, "supports CO and four-wire smoke detectors." For bigger jobs, the IQ Pro is a commercial hybrid panel with eight hardwired zones on board, addressable two-wire loops, up to 16 hardwired keypads, and room for 128 zones, available in a metal or plastic cabinet. The IQ5 family chart also lists "Hardwired Support" across the Panel 5, Hub and NS through IQ hardware on PowerG.

How we choose for an old wired system

If the old wired loops include smoke or carbon monoxide detectors that the owner wants to keep, the IQ route has the edge on paper, because 2GIG's takeover module excludes those zones and the IQ Hardwire PG lists them. For a store or office with many wired zones, keypads at several doors or a need for many user codes, the IQ Pro is the natural fit. For a house or brownstone with burglary-only wired loops and a set of 345 MHz wireless sensors added over the years, a 2GIG EDGE with one or two takeover modules can reuse almost everything. On any takeover, we first test every wired zone for faults, check the old panel's power supply and battery, and confirm what the old devices actually are. A takeover is only as good as the oldest sensor in it, and some old smoke detectors and contacts are due for replacement whatever panel goes on the wall.

Our alarm installation in NYC page notes that if an existing panel still works, we can often take over monitoring by reprogramming it rather than replacing it at all. That is the cheapest path, and on some systems it is the right one; a new 2GIG or Qolsys touchscreen makes sense when the owner wants the app, cameras, smart-home control and a cellular path that the old panel cannot give.

Warranty, Updates and Who Fixes It Later

This is the one area where 2GIG publishes a clearer promise. The 2GIG EDGE data sheet and the GC Touch data sheet both state "Warranty: Limited 3 years," and 2gig.com links to Nice North America's warranty and returns page from its footer. On the Johnson Controls side, the current IQ Panel 5 and IQ Panel 4 product pages and the IQ Panel 5 specification sheet we read did not state a warranty term. The most recent Qolsys warranty document we could find, dated April 24, 2017 and still hosted on a Qolsys dealer site, warranted panels and sensors for "one year from date of purchase or two years from the product's manufacturing date code, whichever occurs earlier." Johnson Controls' IQ Pro reference manual, for its commercial panel, gives twelve months from the date of purchase. Because the 2017 document predates the IQ Panel 5, we treat the current IQ panel warranty as not confirmed, and we would ask the dealer to put it in writing.

A maker's warranty is about defects in the product; who pays for the visit to diagnose a fault and swap a part is a separate question. That makes the installer's own terms important for either brand. Ours are set out in our service agreement, and we install and service both brands.

Software updates

Both panels update their firmware. The EDGE and GC Touch data sheets list over-the-air and USB updates, and 2GIG's EDGE 1.3 release added E+ sensor support, sensor signal-strength readings, normally-open programming for select sensors, and Z-Wave backup and restore through Alarm.com. The IQ Panel 5 runs Android 14 on a Qualcomm DragonWing processor with 32 GB of storage, which Johnson Controls presents as a platform for "new AI features and smart device integrations"; the IQ Panel 4 runs Android 9. We do not treat promised future features as a reason to buy either panel. What we look at is whether a panel is still listed and supported today, and on November 14, 2026, both the EDGE and the IQ Panel 5, as well as the GC Touch and the IQ Panel 4, were all listed on their makers' sites.

Already Have a 2GIG or Qolsys Panel? Keep, Upgrade or Replace

Many people searching this comparison already own one of these panels, often a 2GIG GC2 or GC3 or a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 4, and want to know whether to stay, upgrade or switch. Here is what we tell them.

If you have an older 2GIG panel

Your sensors are almost certainly 345 MHz. 2GIG's EDGE and GC Touch both read 345 MHz 2GIG sensors, and the EDGE data sheet says it reads older 2GIG and Honeywell sensors too, so upgrading the panel can keep most of the sensors on the walls. That is usually the cheapest path to a new touchscreen, current cellular and newer Z-Wave. Switching to an IQ Panel 5 is possible with a 345 MHz legacy card, but you would be paying for PowerG+ and using it only for new devices. We recommend switching brands mainly if you plan to replace most sensors anyway, or if your building needs the long-range two-way sensors that standard 345 MHz devices cannot match.

If you have a Qolsys IQ Panel 2 or IQ Panel 4

If your panel already uses PowerG sensors, staying in the IQ family keeps them; the IQ Panel 5 has PowerG+ built in. If your IQ panel runs on a legacy frequency card, the Panel 5's add-on cards can keep those sensors too, according to Johnson Controls. An IQ Panel 4 in good working order is still a capable panel, and still listed by Johnson Controls; there is no urgency to replace it simply because a newer one exists. The reasons to move to a Panel 5 are the newer Z-Wave 800 radio, Bluetooth 5.0, dual-band Wi-Fi, a 13-megapixel camera and Android 14.

If your panel is locked or tied to another company

Panels installed by large national companies are sometimes locked to that company's programming or account. Before we promise to take over any panel, 2GIG or Qolsys, we confirm whether we can get into its installer programming and whether its Alarm.com account can be moved. If not, a new panel that reuses the sensors is often still possible, but we tell you that before you cancel your old service, not after.

We Install Both: Here's What We'd Put on Your Property

We install and service both 2GIG and Qolsys panels, along with Honeywell, DSC, Napco, Bosch and DMP, so we do not need to steer you toward one. On a typical new house or brownstone install we would put in an IQ Panel 5 with PowerG+ sensors. On a takeover of a system with good 345 MHz sensors, or for a household that wants face-recognition disarm, we would put in a 2GIG EDGE. For a simple apartment on a tight budget, a GC Touch. For a store with several wired zones and staff codes, an IQ Pro or a hybrid system. The final choice comes after we have seen the building.

These are our own installed prices for New York City, taken from our alarm installation in NYC page. They are starting points for real installs, cover equipment and labour for the scope described, and are not comparable line by line with a panel's spec sheet or any retail listing, which is why they sit here on their own. Exact prices follow a look at the property.

• Basic residential, from $600: alarm panel installation, 4 to 6 door and window sensors, one motion sensor, a keypad, a cellular communicator, central station monitoring setup, app configuration, and full testing and training. A basic wireless system like this typically runs $600 to $1,200 all-in.
• Complete home protection, from $2,500: as listed on our NYC page, a premium Honeywell or DSC panel, 10 to 15 door and window sensors, 3 to 4 motion sensors, two glass-break detectors, smoke and carbon monoxide detection, indoor and outdoor sirens, app control and 24/7 central station monitoring, ready for cameras. If you want the same scope on a 2GIG or Qolsys panel, your written quote will show the price for that panel.
• Commercial or business, from $1,500: a commercial-grade panel, 8 to 12 door and window sensors, motion and glass-break detectors, keypads at the entries, access control and camera integration, and central station monitoring with police dispatch.
• Hardwired systems with full coverage: $2,000 to $6,000, depending on the number of sensors, the panel and whether cameras are integrated. A typical three-story brownstone runs $2,500 to $5,000 installed, and a hybrid brownstone system with hardwired perimeter and wireless interior sensors is budgeted at $2,500 to $6,000.
• Panel replacement on an existing system: $800 to $1,500 for a modern Honeywell or DSC panel, cellular communicator, new keypad and reprogramming, as our NYC page lists it. A 2GIG or Qolsys touchscreen in place of the old panel is quoted in writing after we see what is there.
• Multi-unit buildings: a basic per-unit setup with door sensors, a motion detector and monitoring runs $400 to $800 per unit installed.
• Adding cameras to an alarm: $1,000 to $2,500 for cameras, as our NYC page lists for camera and alarm integration.
• Our monitoring: $30 a month keypad-only or $45 a month with the phone app, with no long-term contract.

NYC sales tax (8.875%) applies. Jobs under $500 are paid in full up front, and larger jobs take a 50% deposit, as set out in our service agreement. To rough out a system before calling, try our alarm cost calculator.

Why there are no panel prices on this page

Neither 2GIG nor Johnson Controls publishes a price for its panels, and dealer prices move with promotions and stock. More to the point, the panel is a minority of what an installed alarm costs. The sensors, the labour to place and test them, cable runs in old buildings, and the monitoring over the years you stay are what set the total. The honest comparison is the installed cost of a system that covers your building, on each panel, and that is what our written quote shows.

Have a Panel Already? Start Here

The fastest way to get a useful answer from us is three photos: the front of the keypad or touchscreen, the label on the back or inside the panel door if you can see it safely, and any sticker with an alarm company's name or a model number on it. Add a rough count of the doors, windows and rooms you want covered, and anything unusual, such as a roof hatch, a basement entrance, a rolling gate or a detached garage. Send them by text or WhatsApp and we will tell you whether you are looking at a reprogram, an upgrade within the same brand, a takeover onto a new 2GIG or Qolsys panel, or a new system. If you are also choosing cameras, start with our security camera brands comparison.

Request a Free Quote

Tell us the address or nearest cross streets, the kind of building, what alarm you have now (if any), which doors and windows matter most, and whether you lean toward 2GIG or Qolsys or have no preference. An installer will phone you back with a recommendation and an installed price for your building. Or call us directly at (800) 486-0943.

Full terms — including 50% deposit, one-year parts-only warranty on Abstract Enterprises Security Systems-supplied products, and the late-fee schedule — are set out in the service agreement.

2GIG vs Qolsys FAQ