Below is a quick comparison of IP Camera, DVR, NVR and CCTV devices. They serve different purposes, but CameraFTP clearly offers more features and options.
CameraFTP Service Only |
CameraFTP Cloud CCTV NVR |
IP Cameras | DVRs / NVRs | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Main Features | Cloud Recording and Surveillance service that supports almost all IP cameras. Features include: Live View, Playback, cloud Storage, Share and Publish. Also supports webcams and smart devices. | Pre-configured hardware, software and cloud service bundle, includes all CameraFTP features, plus cloud-enabled CCTV / NVR features with a dedicated wireless router and/or Windows tablet. | Live view (and optionally playback with local recording, if the camera supports local storage) | Multi-camera surveillance system + local recording, live view and playback |
Hardware Price | No hardware included (Supports any FTP IP cameras) |
$79 - $349 | $29 - $399 for one camera, plus additional memory card cost |
$199 - $499 for a 2 to 4-camera system, plus additional hard drive cost |
Hardware cost (3 cameras) for monitoring Front Door, Backyard and Living Room | N/A | Free with 2-yr contract | $87 - $900, plus the cost of 3 additional memory cards | $199 - $499, plus additional hard drive cost |
Support Wi-Fi | Device dependent | Yes | Device dependent | Device dependent |
Support Night-vision | Device dependent | Yes | Device dependent | Device dependent |
Use Webcam as IP camera | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Use iPhone, Android, WP or iPad as IP Camera | Yes | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Use iPhone / Android as viewer | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Using Windows Phone as viewer | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Support out-door IP cameras | Yes | Special order only | Device-dependent | Device-dependent |
Audio Recording | Device-dependent | Special order only | Device-dependent | Device-dependent |
Device Setup Time | Usually 3-15 minutes per camera | Pre-configured Just connect, power up and log on. |
Can take some time | Usually requires cabling as most DVRs don't support Wi-Fi. |
Include Dedicated Wi-Fi Router | No | Yes | No | No |
Include a Tablet / Display | No | Yes(for some bundles) | No | No |
Upload Bandwidth | Usually <= 100Kbps/Camera | Usually <= 100Kbps/Camera | Requires up to 512kbps/Camera | Does not support cloud / networking; or requires up to 512kbps/Camera |
Can upload to the Cloud | Yes | Yes | Device-dependent | Device-dependent |
Below is a quick comparison of some Security and Surveillance Services. You can see CameraFTP has many advantages, such as: more features, more flexible and lower cost. Also, CameraFTP does not directly compete with some security services (such as ADT) as their main service is not cloud surveillance and storage service.
CameraFTP | ADT | Other Cloud Surveillance Services | |
---|---|---|---|
Main Services | Cloud recording and surveillance service, incl. live view, playback, cloud recording, sharing and publishing cameras | Security, monitoring and alarm service | Cloud recording and surveillance service |
Service Price | As low as $1.50/camera/month | $99 Installation, Starts from $36.99/month | Mostly $9/camera/month |
Retention Days | 7 days to 1 year | N/A (No IP camera is offered in the standard service) | Mostly 7 days or 30 days |
Contract | No contract | 3-year contract | Varies |
Easy Installation | Varies | ||
Support Continuous Real-time Cloud Recording | N/A | Mostly No | |
Remote Real-time Monitoring | N/A | Difficult, usually requires paid DDNS service and router configuration. | |
Play Back Recorded Data remotely | N/A | Mostly No | |
Support All FTP IP Cameras | N/A | Usually No | |
Support Webcam | N/A | Mostly No | |
Using iPhone/iPad as IP Camera | N/A | Mostly No | |
Using Android as IP Camera | N/A | Mostly No | |
Using Windows Phone as IP Camera | N/A | ||
Windows Webcam Security Camera | N/A | ||
Browser-based viewer | N/A | Mostly Yes | |
iOS / Android Viewer App | N/A | Mostly Yes | |
Windows Phone Viewer App | N/A | ||
Share / Publish Camera | N/A | ||
No storage restriction | N/A | ||
Recorded data cannot be tempered | N/A | Mostly No |
Nest Cam is a very impressive IP camera. Its sleek design and high-quality video make it very appealing at the first glance; but for most users, CameraFTP has a much better solution: