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Government · head to head

Axon Records vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

Axon Records logo

Axon Records

Government

Digital Evidence and Records Management

From
$1500/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station logo

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

Cybersecurity

Camera-vendor video management software with a free 32-channel tier for VIVOTEK devices

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Axon Records pricing is not published and is arranged per agency; VIVOTEK VAST Security Station vAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with technical support and software files withdrawn, yet distributors still list VAST 2 licences, so a buyer can be quoted unsupported software without realising it.
  • They diverge on capability: Axon Records covers Records Management, VIVOTEK VAST Security Station covers VSS Lite free tier.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Axon Records and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station actually diverge.

Attributes where Axon Records and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station differ
AttributeAxon RecordsVIVOTEK VAST Security Station
Starting price$1500/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionOne-time purchase per camera channel
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1993Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Axon Records

  • Records Management
  • Digital Evidence
  • Body Camera Integration
  • Automated Redaction
  • Case Management
  • Evidence.com
  • CAD Systems
  • Court Systems

Only in VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • VSS Lite free tier
  • Per-channel licensing
  • Third-party camera support
  • Failover and TV matrix
  • Vision object analytics
  • Embedded NVR licensing
  • NDAA and TAA compliance

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Axon Records

  • Police records management and incident reportingnot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • AI-assisted report drafting from body camera footagenot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • Linking evidence to case recordsnot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • Working alongside an existing CAD systemnot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • A school or small public building with fewer than 32 VIVOTEK cameras that needs a VMS at no licence costnot Axon Records
  • A United States public sector site that must meet NDAA and TAA procurement restrictionsnot Axon Records
  • An existing VAST 2 site that needs to migrate before the software falls further out of maintenancenot Axon Records
  • A mid-sized site standardising on VIVOTEK hardware with a handful of third-party cameras to absorbnot Axon Records

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Axon Records

  • Pricing is not published and is arranged per agency
  • Most valuable alongside Axon Evidence, so it draws an agency further into one vendor's ecosystem
  • Sold only to law enforcement, so it is not a general records system

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • VAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with technical support and software files withdrawn, yet distributors still list VAST 2 licences, so a buyer can be quoted unsupported software without realising it.
  • The free Lite tier is hard capped at 32 cameras and VIVOTEK devices only, so a site that grows to 33 cameras or adds one third-party camera moves straight to paid Standard licensing.
  • VSS Professional includes no camera licences at all, so the edition that large deployments need starts from a higher effective price than the tier comparison suggests.
  • It is a camera manufacturer's VMS, so the third-party device list, analytics ecosystem and integration catalogue are all narrower than an independent platform like Milestone or Salient.
  • No pricing is published for Standard or Professional channels; everything runs through distribution, which makes budgeting a phased expansion difficult without repeated quotes.

Pricing, plan by plan

Axon Records

$1500/month
  • Records & Evidence$1500/month
    • RMS
    • Evidence.com
    • Workflows

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

On request
  • VSS LiteFree
    • Free of charge
    • Up to 32 VIVOTEK cameras per server
    • No third-party camera support
  • VSS Standard$undefined/one-time
    • Up to 256 cameras per server
    • Eight camera licences included for VIVOTEK or third-party devices
    • Additional channel licences purchased individually
  • VSS Professional$undefined/one-time
    • Large scale deployments with failover and TV matrix
    • No camera licences included at all
    • Every channel purchased or upgraded from Standard

Which should you pick?

Choose Axon Records if

  • You need records management.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want digital evidence.
Axon Records review

Choose VIVOTEK VAST Security Station if

  • You need vss lite free tier.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-channel licensing.
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station review

Questions people ask

Is Axon Records or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station better?
Neither clearly leads. Axon Records starts at $1500/month and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Axon Records or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station?
Axon Records starts at $1500/month and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station at On request.
Does Axon Records or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station run on more platforms?
Axon Records runs on Web, Ios, Android. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Axon Records best used for?
Axon Records is most often used for police records management and incident reporting, ai-assisted report drafting from body camera footage, linking evidence to case records, working alongside an existing cad system. Of those, police records management and incident reporting and ai-assisted report drafting from body camera footage are not what VIVOTEK VAST Security Station is typically brought in for.
What can Axon Records do that VIVOTEK VAST Security Station cannot?
Axon Records covers Records Management, Digital Evidence, Body Camera Integration, Automated Redaction. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station covers VSS Lite free tier, Per-channel licensing, Third-party camera support, Failover and TV matrix.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Axon Records: What is the cost of Axon Records?

Axon Records pricing is not published on the vendor website. Interested agencies must contact Axon directly to discuss pricing programs and plans tailored to their specific operational needs.

Source
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Should I still buy VAST 2?

No. VAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with support and software files withdrawn. VSS is the current product, and any VAST 2 licence still on a distributor price list should be questioned.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Is VSS Lite really free?

Yes, for up to 32 VIVOTEK cameras per server. It does not support third-party cameras and cannot exceed 32 channels.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: How many licences come with Standard?

Eight camera licences, usable for VIVOTEK or third-party devices. Professional includes none.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Is VIVOTEK NDAA compliant?

VIVOTEK publishes an NDAA and TAA compliant product list, which is why it appears in United States public sector specifications where Section 889 excludes several other manufacturers.

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