One of the first decisions you’ll make when choosing a medical alert system is whether you need an at-home system, a mobile on-the-go system, or both. The wrong choice can mean paying for coverage you don’t need – or worse, not having coverage when and where you need it most.

This guide breaks down the three types of systems – landline home, cellular home, and mobile GPS – and helps you decide which one fits your lifestyle, budget, and safety needs.

The Three Types of Medical Alert Systems

All medical alert systems fall into one of three categories based on how they connect to the monitoring center:

Type	Connection	Coverage Area	Monthly Cost Range
Landline At-Home	Phone jack (POTS line)	Your home + yard (~600–1,300 ft radius)	$24.95–$27.95
Cellular At-Home	Built-in cellular (AT&T or Verizon)	Your home + yard (~600–1,300 ft radius)	$24.95–$34.95
Mobile GPS	Cellular + GPS satellite	Anywhere with cell signal – nationwide	$29.95–$49.95

Landline At-Home Systems

How They Work

A base station plugs into your home phone jack (the traditional copper landline, also called POTS). When you press the help button on your pendant or wristband, the base station calls the monitoring center through your phone line. The operator answers through the base station’s built-in speakerphone and asks if you need help. If you don’t respond or confirm an emergency, they dispatch EMS to your address on file.

The Pros

• Lowest monthly cost: $24.95–$27.95/month, typically the cheapest option available.
• No cellular dead zones: As long as your landline works, the system works. No worrying about signal strength.
• Excellent voice quality: Copper landlines deliver clearer two-way audio than cellular connections, which matters when you’re on the floor and can’t speak loudly.
• Power-outage resilience: Copper landlines carry their own power. The system still works during a blackout (though you’ll need battery backup for the base station).

The Cons

• Requires active landline: You must maintain a traditional copper phone line. If you’ve switched to VoIP (Comcast, Spectrum, Ooma, Vonage), this won’t work – some landline systems are incompatible with digital phone service.
• Home-only coverage: The pendant only communicates with the base station. Walk to the mailbox 200 feet away? You’re out of range. Go to the grocery store? No coverage at all.
• Dying infrastructure: Copper landlines are being phased out in many areas. AT&T and Verizon are actively retiring copper networks in favor of fiber and wireless.
• Vulnerable to line cuts: A burglar cutting your phone line also disables the system – though this is extremely rare and most systems have a cut-line detection feature that triggers an alert.

Who Should Choose a Landline System

Seniors who: still have and plan to keep a traditional landline, rarely leave home, live in an area with poor or no cellular coverage, want the lowest possible monthly cost, and are comfortable with a simple, proven technology.

Best Landline Systems

• Bay Alarm Medical In-Home Landline: $24.95/month – the lowest price among major brands. Includes free spouse coverage.
• LifeStation In-Home Landline: $35.95/month – TMA Five Diamond certified monitoring with a 1,300-foot range.
• Medical Guardian Classic: $27.95/month – includes a 1,300-foot range pendant and 32-hour battery backup.

Cellular At-Home Systems

How They Work

Similar to a landline system, but the base station has a built-in cellular radio (on AT&T or Verizon’s network) instead of plugging into a phone jack. When you press help, the base station calls the monitoring center over the cellular network. No landline needed – just a power outlet. These are the most popular in-home systems today because they eliminate the phone line requirement.

The Pros

• No landline required: Works for the 60%+ of households that have cut the cord and rely on cell phones only.
• Lower cost than mobile GPS: $24.95–$34.95/month – cheaper than mobile systems, though slightly more than landline versions.
• Backup cellular: During a power outage, the base station’s battery keeps the system running, and it uses the same cellular network your phone does.
• Can’t be disabled by cutting a line: No physical phone line means one fewer vulnerability.

The Cons

• Requires cellular coverage at home: If your home is in a cellular dead zone, the system won’t work. Test coverage before ordering.
• Still home-only: Same range limitation as landline systems – the pendant only works within range of the base station.
• Network-dependent: If the carrier (AT&T or Verizon) has an outage in your area, the system goes down. This is rare but has happened.
• Slightly higher monthly cost: You’re paying for the cellular connection built into the unit, typically $5–$10/month more than landline versions.

Who Should Choose a Cellular At-Home System

Seniors who: have good cellular coverage at home, don’t have or don’t want a landline, spend most of their time at home, want a simple system that doesn’t require a phone line, and need coverage in the yard for gardening or taking out the trash.

Best Cellular At-Home Systems

• LifeStation In-Home Cellular: $30.95/month – same TMA Five Diamond monitoring, 1,300-foot range, cellular connection.
• Medical Guardian Home 2.0: $34.95/month – cellular with 1,400-foot range, the longest in the industry.
• MobileHelp Classic: $24.95/month – most affordable cellular option with AT&T network.

Mobile GPS (On-the-Go) Systems

How They Work

A compact mobile device – typically a small pendant, a belt-clip unit, or a smartwatch – contains both a cellular radio and a GPS receiver. When you press help, the device calls the monitoring center over the cellular network and simultaneously transmits your GPS coordinates. The operator can see your exact location on a map and dispatch help to wherever you are – not just to your home address. Some mobile devices also include fall detection, two-way voice, and step counting.

The Pros

• Nationwide coverage: Works anywhere in the United States with cellular signal – at the grocery store, in the park, on a road trip, at a friend’s house.
• GPS location tracking: If you can’t speak or don’t know where you are, the operator still knows your exact coordinates and can send help.
• Caregiver location visibility: Through the companion app, caregivers can see your real-time location – critical for dementia wandering prevention.
• No base station needed: The device is self-contained. You don’t need anything plugged in at home (though most have a charging cradle).
• Active lifestyle compatible: Wear it hiking, golfing, gardening, traveling – if there’s cell signal, you’re protected.

The Cons

• Highest monthly cost: $27.95–$49.95/month – you’re paying for both cellular service and GPS tracking.
• Requires charging: Unlike a 5-year pendant battery on a home system, mobile devices need charging every 1–5 days depending on the model.
• Must remember to carry it: The device only works if you’re wearing it or carrying it. A base station is always there – a mobile pendant left on the nightstand covers nothing.
• Dependent on cellular and GPS signal: In a parking garage, deep interior room, or remote rural area, both cellular and GPS can fail simultaneously.
• Smaller speaker/microphone: Two-way voice on a compact pendant isn’t as clear as a base station speakerphone – especially outdoors with wind noise.

Who Should Choose a Mobile GPS System

Seniors who: leave home regularly, drive, live an active lifestyle (walking, shopping, socializing), travel, have dementia or wandering risk, live alone and want coverage everywhere, or don’t want a bulky base station in the house. If you leave home more than twice a week, a mobile system is the safer choice.

Best Mobile GPS Systems

• LifeStation Mobile LTE: $35.95/month – waterproof pendant with GPS, two-way voice, optional fall detection, TMA Five Diamond monitoring.
• Medical Guardian MGMove: $39.95/month – smartwatch format with GPS, step counting, medication reminders, and text-to-speech messages.
• Bay Alarm Medical On-the-Go: $27.95/month – most affordable GPS system, includes free spouse coverage.
• Lifeline GoSafe 2: $44.95/month – AutoAlert fall detection with six locating technologies, the most advanced mobile system available.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Feature	Landline Home	Cellular Home	Mobile GPS
Coverage	Home + yard (600–1,300 ft)	Home + yard (600–1,400 ft)	Nationwide (any cell signal)
Monthly Cost	$24.95–$27.95	$24.95–$39.95	$27.95–$49.95
Requires Landline	Yes	No	No
Requires Charging	No (base station plugged in)	No (base station plugged in)	Yes (every 1–5 days)
GPS Location	No (uses address on file)	No (uses address on file)	Yes (real-time coordinates)
Works in Power Outage	Yes (with battery backup)	Yes (with battery backup)	Yes (built-in battery)
Fall Detection Available	Yes (add-on pendant)	Yes (add-on pendant)	Yes (built-in on most models)
Two-Way Voice	Excellent (base station speaker)	Excellent (base station speaker)	Good (device speaker, smaller)
Spouse Coverage	Free with some brands	Free with some brands	Separate device typically needed
Best For	Homebodies with landlines	Homebodies without landlines	Active seniors, wander risk

Who Needs What: The Decision Guide

Choose a Landline At-Home System If:

• You still have a working copper landline and plan to keep it
• You leave home less than twice a week
• You want the lowest possible monthly cost
• Your home has poor or no cellular coverage
• You’re comfortable with simple, proven technology
• You want the clearest two-way voice quality

Choose a Cellular At-Home System If:

• You don’t have a landline (or plan to cancel it soon)
• You have reliable cellular coverage at home
• You spend 80%+ of your time at home but want yard coverage
• You want a “set it and forget it” system that just works
• You want to save $5–$15/month vs. a mobile system

Choose a Mobile GPS System If:

• You leave home regularly (2+ times per week)
• You drive, walk, shop, golf, garden, travel, or socialize outside the house
• You have dementia or Alzheimer’s with wandering risk (GPS tracking is essential)
• You want a single device that works everywhere, not a home-only system
• You don’t want a visible base station in your home
• You’re still active and independent and want coverage that keeps up with you

Choose Both (Hybrid Bundle) If:

• You want the reliability of a home base station + the freedom of mobile coverage
• You have a spouse – one can use the home system while the other uses the mobile
• You worry about forgetting to charge the mobile device daily
• You want the best audio quality at home (base station) but still need outside coverage
• You can afford the combined cost ($40–$60/month for both)

Hybrid Bundles: Best of Both Worlds

Several brands offer hybrid bundles that combine an at-home base station with a mobile GPS device at a discounted combined rate. These are ideal for seniors who want coverage everywhere without compromise:

• MobileHelp Duo: $41.95/month for both the at-home cellular base station AND the MobileHelp Solo mobile GPS device. The most affordable hybrid bundle on the market. Use the base station at home, take the Solo with you when you leave. Both covered under one monthly fee.
• Medical Guardian Active 4.0 + Home 2.0 Bundle: Medical Guardian offers a discounted rate when you add a mobile device to your home system. Contact for pricing – it varies by plan. The Home 2.0 provides 1,400-foot range at home; the Active 4.0 covers you everywhere else.
• Bay Alarm Medical Bundle: Bay Alarm offers an in-home + On-the-Go bundle at approximately $39.95/month. Includes free spouse coverage on the in-home system, making it excellent value for couples where one person stays home and the other is active.

Cost Comparison Across System Types

Brand	Landline Home	Cellular Home	Mobile GPS	Hybrid Bundle
LifeStation	$35.95/mo	$30.95/mo	$35.95/mo	Contact for pricing
Medical Guardian	$27.95/mo	$34.95/mo	$39.95/mo	Contact for pricing
Bay Alarm Medical	$24.95/mo	$24.95/mo	$29.95/mo	~$39.95/mo
MobileHelp	$24.95/mo	$24.95/mo	$37.95/mo	$41.95/mo (Duo)
Lifeline	$29.95/mo	N/A	$44.95/mo	Contact for pricing
Aloe Care Health	N/A	$39.99/mo	$39.99/mo	Contact for pricing
Lively	N/A	N/A	$24.99/mo	N/A

Prices as of mid-2025. All prices are monthly with annual payment; monthly payment plans typically add $2–$5/month. Equipment fees may apply separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have both a home system and a mobile system?

Yes. Several brands offer hybrid bundles (see above) that combine both at a discount. Alternatively, you can purchase them separately, though this will cost more than a bundle. Many families start with a home system and add a mobile system later if the senior’s activity level increases. Both systems can be active on the same account simultaneously without conflict.

What’s the typical range of an at-home pendant?

Most standard home systems provide 600–800 feet of range from the base station. LifeStation and Medical Guardian offer extended-range pendants that reach 1,300–1,400 feet – enough for most suburban yards and even a neighbor’s house next door. Range is reduced by thick walls (brick, concrete, stone), metal appliances, and elevation changes. Always test the pendant at the edges of your property during setup.

Do I need WiFi for any of these systems?

No. Landline systems use phone lines. Cellular and mobile systems use cellular networks (AT&T or Verizon). None of the major medical alert systems require WiFi to function. Some systems use WiFi for optional features like activity monitoring or app connectivity (Aloe Care Health uses WiFi for the caregiver dashboard), but the emergency call function works independently of WiFi.

What happens to my mobile system if I travel to a different state?

It works. Mobile GPS systems provide nationwide coverage across the United States. When you press help in Arizona, the monitoring center sees your GPS coordinates in Arizona and dispatches local EMS – they don’t try to send an ambulance from your home state. Some systems work in parts of Canada and Mexico, but coverage is not guaranteed internationally. Always confirm with the brand before international travel.

How do I know if my home has good enough cellular coverage for a cellular or mobile system?

Check the carrier coverage map on the brand’s website. Most cellular at-home systems use AT&T; most mobile GPS systems also use AT&T. Visit AT&T’s coverage map online, enter your address, and look for at least 2 bars of 4G LTE coverage indoors. If you have an AT&T phone, test call quality in every room of your house. If calls are clear, the system will work. If coverage is marginal, choose a landline system instead or consider a signal booster.

Can I switch from a landline system to a cellular system later?

Yes. All major brands allow you to upgrade or switch system types. You’ll typically receive the new equipment by mail, set it up, and return the old equipment using a prepaid shipping label. There may be a new equipment fee, though some brands waive this for existing customers. The monitoring plan simply switches to the new system type – you don’t lose your account history or contact information.

Does fall detection work differently on mobile vs. home systems?

The fall detection technology (accelerometers and gyroscopes) is the same in both system types. The difference is what happens after a fall is detected. With a home system, the base station speakerphone is used for two-way communication – the operator’s voice is typically clearer and louder. With a mobile system, the operator comes through the pendant’s speaker, which can be harder to hear if you’ve fallen outdoors or in a noisy environment. Both systems will dispatch help if you don’t respond after the fall is detected. Some mobile systems (like the Lifeline GoSafe 2) include automatic fall detection that’s been independently tested and validated, while home systems typically offer it as an optional add-on pendant.