UniFi skips the license; Verkada's license replaces the infrastructure. The ten-year math decides it.
| Verkada | Ubiquiti | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Published hardware pricing | Yes, list prices per model: indoor dome from $799 (CD22) to $2,099 (CD63). | Yes, store prices per model: G5 Turret Ultra $129, G6 Bullet $199, AI Pro $499. | Even: both publish; per-camera prices differ by class |
| Software / license cost | Per-device Command license required, MSRPs published by term (CD22: $249/1-yr to $2,199/10-yr); sold through partners. | License-free: recording and AI analytics run without subscriptions on your own UniFi console. | Ubiquiti |
| What you must run yourself | Nothing: cameras store footage onboard and Command runs in the cloud. | A UniFi OS console: UNVR $299, drives not included, rated for up to 30 days of storage across 18 4K cameras. | Verkada for zero-infrastructure |
| Cloud recording | Hybrid cloud standard: onboard storage plus 30-day cloud backup, extendable per camera. | No official cloud video hosting for Protect; free Site Manager remote viewing, plus clip archiving to Google Drive / OneDrive / Dropbox / NAS. | Verkada |
| AI & analytics | AI search of people and vehicles, PPE and forklift-safety alerts, heatmaps, LPR, and Helix ERP/MES pairing, included on analytics-capable models. | Local person/vehicle detections in Protect; no cloud AI search or safety analytics. | Verkada |
| Retention | Guaranteed per model: up to 365 days onboard. | Drive-dependent: sized by the disks you buy for the console. | Verkada for guarantees, Ubiquiti for cheap expansion |
| Warranty | Up to 10 years, model-dependent. | 1 year standard; UI Care extends to 5 years as a paid per-device add-on (e.g. $39 on a G6 Bullet). | Verkada |
| Support | 24/7 in-house support included in every license. | 24/7 chat-first support; phone support is a paid Professional Site Support add-on. | Verkada |
| Trying before you buy | 30-day trial, full platform, free two-way shipping. | No trial program; 14-day opened returns with a possible 15% restocking fee. | Verkada |
| Third-party ONVIF cameras | Command Connector ingests ONVIF/RTSP fleets, positioned for larger deployments. | Supported since Protect 5.0.3. Video streams only: no audio, motion/AI events, or PTZ control. | Even (both partial) |
| Beyond cameras | Access control, monitored alarms with published per-site pricing, environmental sensors, intercom, and visitor management on one platform. | UniFi Access (also license-free), intercoms, and Alarm Manager, an automation engine, not a professionally monitored alarm service. | Verkada for monitored security |
Azentri is an authorized Verkada partner. Prices shown as of July 2026. Ubiquiti positions UniFi Protect as "fully local, license-free" on ui.com/physical-security. Verkada's alarm monitoring tiers ($600 to $12,000 per site per year) are published at verkada.com/updates/new-alarm-license-tiers. As of July 2026 Ubiquiti does not advertise a professionally monitored alarm or guard-response service.
A G6 Bullet lists at $199 with no recurring software fee; Verkada's entry dome is $799 plus a license. What the sticker price leaves out is everything you take ownership of in exchange: the NVR and its drives, firmware updates, a 1-year warranty unless you buy UI Care per device, chat-first support unless you pay for phone, no monitored alarm service, and no vendor on the hook for retention if a console dies or fills up.
That trade fits a single site with an IT-savvy owner and a UniFi network already on the wall. It inverts as sites multiply and accountability hardens: when insurance or compliance dictates retention, when nobody on staff wants to own an NVR, or when a break-in at 2 a.m. needs an agent response rather than a push notification. Verkada's license is the price of making all of that someone else's job, with a warranty and support contract that run as long as the cameras do.
Total cost of ownership over ten years decides it, once your team's time, the add-ons (UI Care, phone support, drives), and the absence of monitored alarms are priced in. That math flips at different points for different businesses. Our free cloud vs NVR TCO calculator lets you run the ten-year version yourself (set VMS and maintenance to zero for Protect), and our Verkada pricing guide explains how the Verkada side is structured.
Yes. Recording and AI analytics run on your own UniFi OS console (like the $299 UNVR, drives sold separately) with no subscription. What isn't included: cloud video hosting (there is none for Protect), warranty beyond 1 year (UI Care is a paid per-device add-on), phone support (paid Professional Site Support), or any professionally monitored alarm service.
On line items, yes: a $199 G6 Bullet with no license vs a $799 entry dome plus a per-camera license. The comparison changes once you price what Verkada bundles: up to a 10-year warranty vs 1 year, 24/7 included support, guaranteed onboard retention, cloud backup, and monitored alarm options. For lean single-site deployments UniFi usually stays cheaper; for multi-site or compliance-bound businesses the math can invert.
Not as an official hosted service. Protect records locally to your console's drives; Ubiquiti's free Site Manager gives remote viewing, and clips can be archived to Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, or a NAS. Verkada is the reverse: hybrid cloud is standard, with onboard storage plus a 30-day cloud backup included and per-camera extensions available.
Since Protect 5.0.3, yes, with limits: third-party ONVIF cameras stream video only, with no audio, no motion or AI events, and no PTZ control. Verkada's answer is the Command Connector appliance, which ingests ONVIF/RTSP fleets and is positioned for larger deployments.
UniFi can manage many sites through Site Manager, but each site carries its own console, drives, and firmware to own. Verkada's model (no on-site servers, one cloud dashboard, per-device licenses with support and warranty attached) is built for exactly this case, which is why multi-site is usually where the no-subscription math stops favoring UniFi.
Comparing other platforms? Verkada vs Rhombus (the closest cloud-native rival), Verkada vs Avigilon (Alta, Unity, and the Motorola ecosystem), Verkada vs Cisco Meraki (cameras inside the network dashboard), Verkada vs Axis (open architecture vs integrated cloud), Verkada vs Ring (the consumer vs commercial boundary), Verkada vs Flock Safety (vehicle intelligence vs building security). Or start from how Verkada pricing works.
We'll design the system, quote the Verkada side, and set up a 30-day trial.