Amcrest
HQ Country
USA (mfg. China)
Origin / OEM
Dahua OEM (US-marketed)
AI / Analytics
Smart/AI motion — person, vehicle; cloud AI in paid plans
Night Vision
IR + full-colour on select models; True WDR; large sensor
Ecosystem / NVR
Own NVR/DVR; ONVIF; Amcrest Smart Home cloud
Subscription
Optional — basic free; AI features need subscription
ONVIF
Profile S/T on PoE; smart detections inherit Dahua proprietary extensions
FTP Backup
Yes — native FTP client (Storage > Destination > FTP); older models save .DAV, newer .MP4; NAS backup also possible via SMB/NFS
App Downloads
1M+ / 200K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Annke
In Market Since
2014 Acquired by InfoTech 2022
Origin / OEM
Hikvision OEM (US/EU-marketed)
AI / Analytics
Human & vehicle detection; colour night vision alerts
Night Vision
IR + colour Night Chroma on select models; active deterrence
Ecosystem / NVR
Own NVR (Hikvision-based); Annke Vision app; ONVIF
ONVIF
Deviates - Inherits Hikvision implementation. Profile S for basic streaming; AI/smart events use Hikvision proprietary protocol
FTP Backup
Yes on standalone IP/PoE cameras (Configuration > Network > Advanced > FTP); some DVR models do not support uploading recordings to FTP
App Downloads
500K+ / 100K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Anpviz
Origin / OEM
China (Hikvision-compatible chipsets)
AI / Analytics
Basic motion; some human detection
Night Vision
IR night vision; colour on select models
Ecosystem / NVR
ONVIF-compatible; works with Hikvision/Dahua NVRs
ONVIF
Profile S supported; advanced features rely on Hikvision-style proprietary CGI
FTP Backup
Yes — motion-triggered snapshot/video upload to FTP; Hikvision-style firmware on most models
App Downloads
100K+ / 50K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Axis
In Market Since
1984 Acquired by Canon 2015
Op. Temp.
-40°C to 55°C (varies by model)
Origin / OEM
Lund, Sweden (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K–32MP; thermal & multi-sensor
AI / Analytics
ARTPEC chip — ACAP open analytics; license-plate, crowd, heatmap
Night Vision
Lightfinder & Forensic WDR; best-in-class low-lux colour; IR
Ecosystem / NVR
AXIS Camera Station + broad VMS ecosystem; open API
Subscription
No — on-device (AXIS Camera Station licences needed)
ONVIF
Full - Founding ONVIF member; Profile S, T, G, M, C, A conformant. Gold standard for interoperability
FTP Backup
Yes — full built-in FTP client/server (event-rule based); supports both active and passive FTP; enterprise-grade reliability
App Downloads
1M+ / 200K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Amazon.com FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Amazon.ca FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Dahua
Market Tier
Pro / Enterprise
Origin / OEM
Zhejiang, China (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K-12MP; thermal available
AI / Analytics
WizSense (person/vehicle) & WizMind (face, crowd, deep AI)
Night Vision
Full-colour (F0.001 lux); IR + active deterrence
Ecosystem / NVR
Very broad — own NVR/DVR, DMSS app, VMS Pro
Subscription
No — on-device AI standard
ONVIF
Deviates - Reinstated Sept 2022. Profile S/T available; WizSense/WizMind events use proprietary extensions only
FTP Backup
Yes — native FTP for images & video on cameras and NVR/DVR; Storage > Destination > FTP-Save
App Downloads
10M+ / 1M+ (Android / iOS est.)
Amazon.com FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Amazon.ca FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Dekco
Origin / OEM
China (budget/entry-level)
AI / Analytics
Basic motion; person detection on newer models
Night Vision
IR night vision; colour on some models
Ecosystem / NVR
ONVIF support; basic app; limited NVR ecosystem
ONVIF
Claims Profile S; real-world interoperability inconsistent across models
FTP Backup
Not supported / undocumented — app-only (CloudEdge/SafeArk cloud); no official ONVIF, RTSP, or FTP option found
App Downloads
500K+ / 100K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Hikvision
Market Tier
Pro / Enterprise
Origin / OEM
Hangzhou, China (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K-12MP; panoramic & thermal
AI / Analytics
AcuSense (person/vehicle) + ColorVu; deep-learning analytics
Night Vision
ColorVu full-colour at near-0 lux; IR up to 328 ft
Ecosystem / NVR
Very broad — own NVR/DVR, iVMS-4200, Hik-Connect
Subscription
No — full features on-device
ONVIF
Deviates - Reinstated Sept 2022. Profile S/T basic; AcuSense / ColorVu events proprietary only
FTP Backup
Yes for image snapshots (native, Configuration > Event > FTP); direct video-clip FTP upload is not supported — requires 3rd-party VSS software
App Downloads
50M+ / 5M+ (Android / iOS est.)
Amazon.com FBA
No (not authorized seller)
Amazon.ca FBA
No (not authorized seller)
Lorex
In Market Since
1993Dahua 2018; Skytech 2022
HQ Country
Canada / Taiwan
Origin / OEM
Dahua OEM (Canada-marketed)
AI / Analytics
Person & vehicle detection; colour night alerts
Night Vision
IR + colour LEDs; active deterrence on select models
Ecosystem / NVR
Own DVR/NVR kits; Fusion hybrid (analog + IP)
Subscription
No — local standard; cloud optional
ONVIF
Profile S basic only; AI events require proprietary SDK; recent models dropping ONVIF entirely
FTP Backup
Yes on Dahua-based NVR/camera lines (System > Storage > FTP); newer cloud-first Lorex Connect models are increasingly dropping FTP/ONVIF support
App Downloads
1M+ / 100K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Reolink
Origin / OEM
Shenzhen, China (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K / 8MP, some 12MP
AI / Analytics
Person, vehicle, pet detection; smart alerts
Night Vision
IR + colour spotlight; up to 100 ft
Ecosystem / NVR
Own NVR (PoE & Wi-Fi); battery & solar line
Subscription
No — free local; optional cloud
ONVIF
Profile S/T on most wired PoE (post-2021); battery/Wi-Fi often excluded
FTP Backup
Yes — supported on most PoE models, but depends on exact model & hardware version; no SFTP support
App Downloads
10M+ / 500K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Synology
Market Tier
Prosumer / SMB
In Market Since
2000 Surveillance Station launched 2008
Op. Temp.
0°C to 40°C (NAS/NVR) Own cameras: -30°C to 60°C
Origin / OEM
Taiwan (NVR software + own cameras)
Max Resolution
Up to 4K via third-party cameras
AI / Analytics
DVA NVR — face, people counting, intrusion; 3rd-party AI support
Night Vision
Depends on connected cameras
Ecosystem / NVR
Surveillance Station VMS; 17,000+ compatible cameras; NAS storage backbone
Subscription
Per-camera licence (2 free); no monthly cloud fee
NDAA
Depends on cameras chosen
ONVIF
Full - ONVIF-first design; Profile S/T standard. Broadest 3rd-party support
FTP Backup
Indirect only — the NAS itself can run its own FTP server package, but Surveillance Station has no native "upload to FTP" action rule (only email/webhook alerts)
App Downloads
5M+ / 1M+ (DS cam app — Android / iOS est.)
TP-Link VIGI
Market Tier
Prosumer / SMB
In Market Since
TP-Link 1996 VIGI brand launched ~2021
Origin / OEM
Shenzhen, China (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K / 8MP; 180° panoramic models
AI / Analytics
Person & vehicle AI; smart alerts
Night Vision
Full-colour + IR; active deterrence (red/blue strobe) on select models
Ecosystem / NVR
VIGI app + free Cloud VMS; integrates with TP-Link networking; solar option
Subscription
No — free cloud VMS; local NVR option
ONVIF
Full - Profile S/G/T across wired range. Documented 3rd-party NVR/NAS integration
FTP Backup
Yes for images on wired PoE cameras/NVRs (Settings > Network > FTP); video-clip FTP upload still in development; not available on wireless/4G models
App Downloads
1M+ / 200K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Uniview
Market Tier
Prosumer / SMB
Origin / OEM
Hangzhou, China (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K-8MP; Ultra series
AI / Analytics
Smart analytics — person, vehicle; Tri-Guard active deterrence
Night Vision
LightHunter & ColorHunter full-colour; StarLight IR
Ecosystem / NVR
Own NVR/VMS; EZView mobile app; ONVIF
ONVIF
Full - Active member in good standing; Profile S/T conformant. Uninterrupted ONVIF membership
FTP Backup
Yes — General & Smart FTP for snapshot upload (scheduled, motion, or AI-triggered); supported on most cameras and select NVR models
App Downloads
1M+ / 200K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Amazon.com FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Amazon.ca FBA
Yes (via resellers)
Vikylin
Origin / OEM
China (budget brand)
AI / Analytics
Human & vehicle AI detection; active deterrence siren + strobe
Night Vision
Full-colour (F1.0 aperture) + IR; up to 98 ft colour
Ecosystem / NVR
ONVIF; compatible with Hikvision/Dahua/Uniview NVRs
ONVIF
Profile S claimed; streams to major NVRs; deterrence features proprietary
FTP Backup
Yes — FTP snapshot upload via Storage > FTP-Save; Hikvision/Dahua-style OEM firmware
App Downloads
100K+ / 50K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Vivotek
Market Tier
Pro / Enterprise
Origin / OEM
Taiwan (own brand)
Max Resolution
4K–8MP; fisheye & panoramic
AI / Analytics
Deep Search AI — person, vehicle, face; edge analytics
Night Vision
Supreme Night Visibility (SNV); colour at low lux; IR
Ecosystem / NVR
VAST 2 VMS; strong ONVIF; integrates with major VMSes
Subscription
No — on-device analytics standard
ONVIF
Full - Active member; Profile S, T, G conformant; strong 3rd-party VMS interoperability
FTP Backup
Yes — full FTP client for events and local SD-card retrieval; NVR line supports passive-mode FTP only
App Downloads
500K+ / 100K+ (Android / iOS est.)
Amazon.com FBA
Yes (via resellers)
