Security
Ajax vs Qolsys, PowerG and 2GIG: which professional alarm fits?
Four professional wireless alarm platforms, compared on the facts each manufacturer publishes. Written by an Ajax dealer in Kent, WA, with the places the other three are stronger stated plainly.
Ajax suits buyers who want four reporting paths, photo verification built into the motion detector and a free app with no required plan. Qolsys, DSC PowerG and 2GIG suit buyers who want the Alarm.com ecosystem, Z-Wave, broad UL listings and the largest installer base.
By Ivan Rivas, Owner and Sales Engineer · 2026-10-18 · Updated 2026-10-18
Which is the best professional wireless alarm system?
The best one is the platform that matches how you want to pay and what you already own. All four use encrypted, supervised radios and cellular reporting, and all four are a step above consumer kits. They split on three questions: do you want to pay a monthly plan for the app, do you need Z-Wave on the panel, and do you have sensors worth keeping. Qolsys and DSC are both Johnson Controls brands on PowerG; 2GIG belongs to Nice.
How do they compare side by side?
Each line comes from the manufacturer's own sheet.
| Ajax (Hub 2 Plus) | Qolsys IQ Panel 4 / 5 | DSC Neo + PowerG | 2GIG Edge | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Radio | Jeweller, two-way, encrypted | PowerG 915 MHz plus one legacy band | PowerG, 128-bit AES, frequency hopping | eSeries 345 MHz, encrypted |
| Stated range | Up to 2,000 m | PowerG, up to 2 km line of sight | Up to 2 km line of sight | Not published |
| Reporting paths | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, two SIMs | LTE and Wi-Fi | Internet and cellular communicator | LTE and Wi-Fi |
| Alarm photos | MotionCam, first photo in 9 s | PowerG PIR camera via Alarm.com | PowerG PIR camera, visual verification | Image sensor support |
| App | Ajax, free | Alarm.com, plan required | Alarm.com, plan required | Alarm.com, plan required |
| Z-Wave | No | Yes, 700 series (IQ4) | Check the model | Yes, 700 series |
| Where sold | Dealers, and kits online | Dealers and online resellers | Dealers and online resellers | Dealers and online resellers |
Sources: Ajax Hub 2 Plus1; IQ Panel 4 sheet2; IQ Panel 5 announcement3; DSC PowerG4; 2GIG Edge sheet5.
Jeweller vs PowerG vs eSeries: whose radio is stronger?
Jeweller and PowerG publish the same headline range, and 2GIG publishes none. Ajax rates Jeweller up to 2,000 m with encrypted two-way traffic and alerts for jamming1. DSC rates PowerG up to 2 km line of sight, with 128-bit AES and multichannel frequency hopping4. IQ Panel 5 carries PowerG+, the next version of the same radio3. 2GIG lists encrypted 345 MHz eSeries sensors but no radio range on the Edge sheet. Walls and steel shrink every open-air figure, so test at the real mounting point.
What happens when the internet goes down?
Ajax keeps more paths open at once. Hub 2 Plus can hold two internet providers over Ethernet and Wi-Fi with two cellular services ready as backup1. IQ Panel 4 and 2GIG Edge each pair LTE with Wi-Fi. A Neo panel reports through a dual-path internet and cellular communicator6. Any of the four keeps reporting through a cut cable; Ajax adds a second carrier.
Which one sends a photo of the alarm?
All four can, and Ajax builds it into the detector it sells most. MotionCam delivers its first photo within 9 seconds of an alarm7. On Qolsys, the DSC PG9934 and PG9944 PIR cameras upload alarm and Peek-in images to Alarm.com. That needs a PowerG card and the Images service on the plan8. On Neo, the same cameras feed visual verification. 2GIG Edge supports up to three image sensors and has its own panel camera, as does IQ Panel 5 with a 13 MP camera. A photo helps a central station judge an alarm. It never guarantees a police response; that decision belongs to the agency.
Do you have to pay for the app?
With Ajax, no; with the Alarm.com panels, effectively yes. Ajax states the system is free to operate when you self-monitor9. Alarm.com is delivered through a licensed service provider who activates and bills the account10. Online sellers price that plan openly. Surety ran $14 to $29 a month and Alarm Grid $10 to $45 a month, as of October 2026, depending on video and central station1112. With Ajax you pay monthly only if you add professional monitoring.
What about cameras and doorbells?
Alarm.com has the bigger camera catalog, and Ajax keeps video in its own app. Qolsys, DSC and 2GIG panels show Alarm.com cameras and doorbells, and 2GIG Edge also lists ONVIF camera support. Ajax makes its own DoorBell13 plus wired cameras and a recorder that sit in the same app as the alarm.
Where are Qolsys, PowerG and 2GIG stronger?
In ecosystem, listings and installed base. Alarm.com ties in locks, thermostats, garage doors and cameras from many brands, and a large network of Alarm.com dealers can service an account. IQ Panel 4 carries UL 985, UL 1023 and UL 2610, and Edge lists UL 985, UL 1023 and UL 2017. Ajax's UL coverage is narrower: its manual names Hub 2 Plus and Hub 2 (4G) as the UL/ULC-certified hubs14. Qolsys and DSC panels also enroll older sensors, and Ajax cannot. If an insurer or a commercial spec demands a UL certificate on every device, ask before you buy.
Can you set it up yourself?
Yes on all four. Online resellers sell Qolsys, DSC and 2GIG kits for DIY and activate Alarm.com for you. Ajax enrolls devices in its app by QR code, with no account to activate first.
How Rivas Technology Group would choose
Pick Ajax if you are starting fresh, want photos from the motion detectors and do not want a required plan. Pick Qolsys or 2GIG if you live in the Alarm.com app, want Z-Wave on the panel or already own PowerG or 345 MHz sensors. Pick DSC Neo for a keypad-based commercial job, and confirm the UL listing your insurer needs.
Want it installed? See home security, designed and installed across the South Sound, with professional monitoring available in Washington. Doing it yourself? Ajax kits ship nationwide from the shop.
