Guide
Cameras you own vs cameras you rent
The cheap camera kit is not cheap. Here is how the subscription brands and an owned UniFi system compare over five years for a six camera shop, and when each is the right call.
How subscription cameras work
Several popular business camera brands sell the camera at a low price and then charge a monthly or annual fee per camera for cloud storage, remote viewing, or both. Stop paying and the features stop. The footage, the alerts, and sometimes the remote view go away. Over the life of the system the subscription is usually the largest cost, and it never ends.
How an owned system works
With UniFi, the recorder sits in your building, the footage is saved there, and the app shows live view and playback from anywhere. There is no manufacturer subscription. You buy the equipment once, the way you buy a printer. If you want someone to keep it updated, keep footage saved, and pull clips on request, that is a service fee to a person, and you can stop it with 30 days notice without losing the cameras.
Side by side, six camera shop
| Cost line | Subscription brand (typical) | Owned UniFi (Vektrion package) |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware and install | Varies by brand, often lower up front | From $4,500 installed, all in |
| Manufacturer fee | Per camera, monthly or annual, for the life of the system | None |
| Optional care by a person | Varies by company | $20 per camera a month, $60 minimum per site, stop with 30 days notice |
| Who owns the footage | The vendor's cloud, while you pay | You, on a recorder in your building |
| If you stop paying | Features shut off | Cameras keep recording |
Subscription prices vary by brand and change often, so check the current per-camera fee on the brand's own site and multiply by cameras and months. Our package prices are published on the pricing page.
When a subscription brand makes sense
- You need the cameras for a few months, like a temporary site.
- You have no internet in the building and want cellular cameras.
- You want zero equipment on site and are fine paying forever.
When an owned system makes sense
- You plan to be in the building more than a year.
- You want the footage to be yours and to stay in your building.
- You want cameras, door access, and Wi-Fi on one system with one app.
- You are tired of a fee that goes up every renewal.
What is in our package
4 cameras from $3,200 installed, 6 from $4,500, each additional camera $450. Standard hardware, install labor, and our design and setup are in the price, and hardware is itemized at our cost on the quote. All camera and door wiring is performed under a Georgia low-voltage license. Details on the cameras page.
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