The choice between on-prem and cloud video surveillance. Both produce excellent footage. Their cost structures, integration models, and long-term TCO are completely different. Here's how to choose.
UniFi Protect is the standard we install on most projects. Storage lives on-prem (a UDM Pro or Network Video Recorder), there's no monthly per-camera fee, integration with UniFi Access is native, and the search/view experience is excellent.
Verkada is the cloud-managed enterprise alternative. Cameras include built-in storage (no NVR needed), management is fully cloud-based, and you pay a per-camera annual subscription. Excellent for multi-site enterprise where centralized cloud admin is the priority.
Most clients land on UniFi Protect because the TCO is dramatically lower over 5 years. Verkada wins when centralized multi-site cloud management, advanced AI analytics, or enterprise-grade SLAs are non-negotiable.
5-year TCO is often half of Verkada's for comparable scope. No per-camera annual fees changes the math entirely.
Access, cameras, network, Wi-Fi all on one dashboard. Single vendor, single login, integration is native not negotiated.
UniFi's strengths shine at single-site or 1–5 properties. Beyond that the multi-site model gets harder to manage.
Local-only, hybrid, or cloud-back-up — you choose. Verkada's cloud is the only option.
Verkada's multi-site dashboard is purpose-built for enterprise portfolios. UniFi can't match it at scale.
Facial recognition, behavioral analytics, gun detection, cross-camera license plate tracking — Verkada's analytics are best-in-class.
Verkada provides enterprise-grade SLAs and dedicated support. UniFi's community-supported model isn't a fit for some risk profiles.
No NVR, no storage server, no on-site appliance. Each camera includes its own. Simpler closets, simpler maintenance.
We deploy UniFi Protect on the majority of projects because the math usually works. We're not Verkada dealers, but we'll deploy it where it's the right answer for the property. The walk-through tells us which.
Schedule a free walk-throughTechnically yes, but we rarely recommend it. Two platforms means two licenses, two dashboards, two support paths. Pick one and standardize.
We don't install Hikvision or Dahua due to federal NDAA restrictions on government-adjacent properties and broader cybersecurity concerns. UniFi and Verkada are the two we recommend.
Yes — but it means replacing every camera (no Verkada/UniFi camera interop). It's a real project, not a swap. Worth thinking about up front.
UniFi Protect: no — recording continues on-prem. Verkada: each camera continues recording locally; cloud sync resumes when internet returns.
We install UniFi Protect more often because the TCO advantage is real. We're not dogmatic — Verkada wins when its strengths line up with the buyer's needs.
Free walk-through, honest recommendation, written estimate.