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Video Surveillance & VMS Comparison

Rhombus vs. Verkada

At a glance

At a glance

Rhombus

Best for

Best for organizations that want cloud-managed cameras with published list prices, and need to keep some existing cameras running alongside them.

Verkada

Best for

Best for organizations that want to replace recorders and servers with cameras managed from one cloud platform across many sites.

Cataleo does not name a winner. Both statements come from the vendors themselves.

Full Comparison

Criterion Rhombus Verkada
Starting price From $149 per camera licence, plus camera hardware Camera hardware is a one-time fee from $399 (R120 Mini Dome); the pricing page offers licence terms of 1, 3, 5 or 10 years Not stated
Free trial Free trial offered on the pricing page 30-day trial with one device and full access to the Command platform
API Yes, a public API with an API reference Yes, REST APIs for the Command platform and Verkada devices, plus out-of-the-box integrations
Hosting Cloud-managed console, with video stored on the cameras or on a Relay device and optional cloud archiving Hybrid: video is stored on the camera and in Verkada's cloud, managed in the Command platform
Camera compatibility (ONVIF, RTSP, vendor SDKs) Rhombus dome, fisheye, bullet and multisensor cameras; third-party cameras are added through the N100 Relay, which uses ONVIF where supported and ingests RTSP streams, or through Relay Lite, which lets a Rhombus camera bridge one third-party camera Verkada's own cameras (dome, mini, bullet, fisheye, multisensor, PTZ, remote, thermal); non-Verkada cameras on the compatibility list can be bridged in through Command Connector, with limited support for some features
Recording and storage Video stored on the camera, with 20 to 180 days listed by model at default settings; the N100 Relay holds 2 TB or 4 TB, up to 40 days per camera; cloud archiving is available for longer retention Every Verkada camera includes guaranteed onboard storage of 30 to 365 days; Command Connector appliances store up to 8, 16 or 32 TB
AI video analytics AI video search, face recognition, license plate recognition and audio analytics; standard analytics come with the Professional licence and advanced analytics with the Enterprise licence AI-powered search including face search and reverse image search, AI-powered alerts such as line crossing and camera tampering, and operational analytics such as movement patterns and wait times
Deployment (on-premise, cloud, hybrid) Cloud-edge: cameras process and store video on the device and are managed from the cloud console, with no NVR needed for Rhombus cameras Hybrid cloud: processing and storage on the camera and in the cloud, with no NVRs or servers; Command Connector bridges existing cameras on site
Multi-site management All locations managed from one cloud console; the vendor cites a customer running 13,000 devices across 11,000 locations The vendor states the hybrid cloud design supports thousands of sites, managed remotely in Command
Camera health monitoring and alerts The vendor states continuous system health monitoring with an alert when a camera stops functioning; firmware for Rhombus cameras is updated over the air automatically, while third-party camera firmware stays with the customer Proactive notifications about system and device health; over-the-air software and firmware updates for Verkada cameras
Integrations and API Public API with an API reference at developer.rhombus.com, and more than 50 listed integrations REST APIs for the Command platform and Verkada devices, and an integration partner directory
AI features Yes Yes
Deployment Cloud (SaaS) Cloud (SaaS)

Compare more tools

Row where the values differ The small markers point at the lower number, the longer list or the stated feature. They describe the data, they are not a verdict.

The short version

Key Differences

  • Free trial Rhombus Free trial offered on the pricing page Verkada 30-day trial with one device and full access to the Command platform
  • Hosting Rhombus Cloud-managed console, with video stored on the cameras or on a Relay device and optional cloud archiving Verkada Hybrid: video is stored on the camera and in Verkada's cloud, managed in the Command platform
  • API Rhombus Yes, a public API with an API reference Verkada Yes, REST APIs for the Command platform and Verkada devices, plus out-of-the-box integrations
  • Camera compatibility (ONVIF, RTSP, vendor SDKs) Rhombus Rhombus dome, fisheye, bullet and multisensor cameras; third-party cameras are added through the N100 Relay, which uses ONVIF where supported and ingests RTSP streams, or through Relay Lite, which lets a Rhombus camera bridge one third-party camera Verkada Verkada's own cameras (dome, mini, bullet, fisheye, multisensor, PTZ, remote, thermal); non-Verkada cameras on the compatibility list can be bridged in through Command Connector, with limited support for some features
  • Recording and storage Rhombus Video stored on the camera, with 20 to 180 days listed by model at default settings; the N100 Relay holds 2 TB or 4 TB, up to 40 days per camera; cloud archiving is available for longer retention Verkada Every Verkada camera includes guaranteed onboard storage of 30 to 365 days; Command Connector appliances store up to 8, 16 or 32 TB

Every line is one datapoint from the table above, picked automatically. Nothing here is written text.

The trade-offs

Strengths and Limitations

Rhombus

Strengths

  • Hardware and licence list prices are published per camera
  • Video is stored on the camera, with no NVR for Rhombus cameras
  • Third-party ONVIF and RTSP cameras can be added through a Relay
  • Access control, intercoms and sensors in the same console
  • All cameras include a 10-year warranty

Limitations

  • Every camera needs an ongoing licence on top of the hardware
  • AI features and cloud archiving are not included in the Professional licence
  • Firmware of third-party cameras on a Relay is managed by the customer
  • Sold through authorized resellers rather than directly

Verkada

Strengths

  • No NVRs or servers needed for Verkada cameras
  • Onboard storage of 30 to 365 days on every Verkada camera
  • Hardware prices for cameras and appliances are published as MSRP
  • Existing cameras can be bridged in through Command Connector

Limitations

  • Camera licence prices are not published; every camera needs one on top of the hardware
  • Non-Verkada cameras get limited support for firmware updates, tamper detection and some analytics
  • Full feature set depends on buying Verkada's own cameras

Plans

Pricing

Rhombus

  • Professional licence $149 per camera Per camera, on top of the hardware; AI features and cloud archiving are not included in the Professional licence
  • Camera hardware From $399 per camera One-time fee, R120 Mini Dome 2MP; other models up to $3,299 (R600 Multisensor, which requires the Enterprise licence at $649)
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What users say

Review Scores · opens after launch

Rhombus

Ease of use
Not rated yet
User interface
Not rated yet
Onboarding
Not rated yet
Support and service
Not rated yet
Value for money
Not rated yet
Features
Not rated yet

No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.

Verkada

Ease of use
Not rated yet
User interface
Not rated yet
Onboarding
Not rated yet
Support and service
Not rated yet
Value for money
Not rated yet
Features
Not rated yet

No reviews yet. Nothing has been published here yet, and no score is shown. How a review is checked before it appears is described below.

How we check reviews

Before sending, the author has to confirm three things: that they have used the product themselves, that they work neither for the vendor nor for a competitor, and that nobody is paying them for the review. We also ask whether the vendor invited them to write it. That answer is required, either answer is accepted, and it stays with the review.

Every review is read by a person before it appears. An email address is required and is confirmed: we send a link to it, and a review does not reach us until the author opens that link, so a review has a sender who was reachable at least once rather than being anonymous. Where what somebody writes needs backing, we ask them for evidence that they used the product, and a review that does not get it is not published. We publish positive and negative reviews alike, we pay nothing and offer nothing for a review, and we accept none that was bought or incentivised.

What we cannot do is verify a purchase. There is no shop here and no account, so whether the author really used the tool rests on their own declaration, on whatever we ask them for, and on the plausibility of what they write. We say so rather than implying a check that does not exist.

A vendor cannot buy a review, and cannot have one removed or changed because they dislike it. We remove or edit a review only if it breaks our rules or the law, for example a false statement of fact. Paid placement has no effect on which reviews appear or on any score.

Read the full version on our methodology page

Where this comes from

Where this comes from

Rhombus https://www.rhombus.com/ · no check date recorded yet

Verkada https://www.verkada.com/security-cameras/ · no check date recorded yet

This table lists factual criteria taken from information the vendors publish themselves. For how we put it together, see the methodology.