Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Clerk vs Hanwha Vision

Clerk logo

Clerk

Cybersecurity

Drop-in user authentication and management for developers

From
Free
Rated
-
Hanwha Vision logo

Hanwha Vision

Cybersecurity

Korean camera maker whose Wisenet WAVE VMS licences are perpetual per channel with no annual renewal

From
On request
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Clerk has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Clerk pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.; Hanwha Vision nDAA compliance is confirmed per model and per bill of materials rather than across the brand, and TAA status depends on whether a specific unit was made in Korea or Vietnam, so a buyer with procurement obligations must get both stated on the quote rather than relying on a brand-level claim.
  • They diverge on capability: Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Hanwha Vision covers Wisenet WAVE VMS.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Clerk and Hanwha Vision actually diverge.

Attributes where Clerk and Hanwha Vision differ
AttributeClerkHanwha Vision
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelfreemiumOne-time purchase
Free tierYesNo
Platformsweb, ios, android, apiWindows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

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 Clerk

  • Prebuilt UI components
  • Organization management
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Social sign-on
  • Billing
  • Enterprise connections

Only in Hanwha Vision

  • Wisenet WAVE VMS
  • On-camera AI
  • NDAA and TAA positioning
  • Multi-site management
  • Open platform
  • Wisenet cameras and recorders
  • Cybersecurity hardening
  • Integration licences

What people use each for

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

Clerk

  • Adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quicklynot Hanwha Vision
  • B2B SaaS apps needing organizations and role-based accessnot Hanwha Vision
  • Startups wanting prebuilt UI instead of building auth in-housenot Hanwha Vision
  • Apps needing MFA and fraud detection out of the boxnot Hanwha Vision

Hanwha Vision

  • A federal agency or federal contractor whose procurement rules exclude Section 889 covered manufacturersnot Clerk
  • A school district that wants a fixed one-time software cost rather than a per-camera monthly subscriptionnot Clerk
  • A site running 200 cameras for a decade where a cloud subscription would cost several times a perpetual licencenot Clerk
  • An integrator standardising on one manufacturer for cameras, recorders and VMS to simplify supportnot Clerk

Where each one falls short

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

Clerk

  • Pricing scales with monthly retained users, which can grow expensive quickly for consumer apps with large user bases.
  • Enterprise SSO connections beyond the first are billed as add-ons, adding cost for larger organizations.
  • The Business tier's extra dashboard seats cost $20/month each, which adds up for larger teams.
  • Enterprise-tier features like the 99.99% uptime SLA require annual contracts rather than flexible monthly billing.

Hanwha Vision

  • NDAA compliance is confirmed per model and per bill of materials rather than across the brand, and TAA status depends on whether a specific unit was made in Korea or Vietnam, so a buyer with procurement obligations must get both stated on the quote rather than relying on a brand-level claim.
  • Perpetual licences mean you own the servers, storage and patching, so the cost avoided on subscription reappears as IT labour and a hardware refresh every five to seven years.
  • Hanwha publishes no list pricing and sells through distributors, so the perpetual-versus-subscription comparison it wins on paper still requires a distributor quote to verify.
  • Wisenet WAVE is a solid mid-market VMS but does not match Genetec or Milestone on enterprise features such as federation across independently owned systems, scripted operator procedures or deep access control unification.
  • Hanwha Vision is part of Hanwha Group, a large Korean conglomerate spanning defence, chemicals and finance, so the video business is one line among many and roadmap priority is set at a corporate level well above the security division.

Pricing, plan by plan

Clerk

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 50,000 MRU limit per app
    • Up to 3 dashboard seats
    • Unlimited applications
  • Pro$25/month
    • 50,000 MRUs included, $0.02/MRU overage
    • Up to 3 dashboard seats
    • 1 Enterprise Connection included
  • Business$300/month
    • 50,000 MRUs included with volume pricing
    • 10 dashboard seats included
    • SOC2 report and priority support
  • Enterprise$undefined/month
    • Custom pricing, annual billing
    • 99.99% uptime SLA
    • HIPAA available, dedicated Slack channel

Hanwha Vision

On request
  • Wisenet WAVE channel licence$undefined/year
    • Perpetual per-channel licence that does not expire once activated
    • No annual renewal fee to keep the system running
    • Sold singly and in 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 channel bundles

Which should you pick?

Choose Clerk if

  • You need prebuilt ui components.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, ios, android, api.
  • You also want organization management.

Choose Hanwha Vision if

  • You need wisenet wave vms.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want on-camera ai.

Questions people ask

Is Clerk or Hanwha Vision better?
Neither clearly leads. Clerk starts at Free and Hanwha Vision at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Clerk or Hanwha Vision?
Clerk has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Clerk and On request for Hanwha Vision.
Does Clerk or Hanwha Vision run on more platforms?
Clerk runs on web, ios, android, api. Hanwha Vision runs on Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Clerk for free?
Yes. Clerk has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hanwha Vision starts at On request.
What is Clerk best used for?
Clerk is most often used for adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quickly, b2b saas apps needing organizations and role-based access, startups wanting prebuilt ui instead of building auth in-house, apps needing mfa and fraud detection out of the box. Of those, adding sign-in and user profiles to a web or mobile app quickly and b2b saas apps needing organizations and role-based access are not what Hanwha Vision is typically brought in for.
What can Clerk do that Hanwha Vision cannot?
Clerk covers Prebuilt UI components, Organization management, Multi-factor authentication, Social sign-on. Hanwha Vision covers Wisenet WAVE VMS, On-camera AI, NDAA and TAA positioning, Multi-site management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Clerk: What does Clerk cost?

Clerk's Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 MRU limit; Pro is $25/month ($20/month billed annually), Business is $300/month ($250 annually), and Enterprise uses custom annual pricing.

Source
Hanwha Vision: Is Hanwha Vision NDAA compliant?

Hanwha is a South Korean manufacturer and is not among the Section 889 covered entities, which are Hikvision, Dahua, Huawei, ZTE and Hytera, and its cameras do not use banned Chinese system-on-chip processors. Confirm compliance per model on the quote.

Clerk: Is there a free plan and what are its limits?

Yes, the Hobby plan is free with a 50,000 monthly retained user (MRU) limit per app, up to 3 dashboard seats, and unlimited applications, with no credit card required.

Source
Hanwha Vision: Are Wisenet WAVE licences subscriptions?

No. Channel licences are perpetual and do not expire once activated, with no annual renewal fee.

Clerk: How is usage metered?

Clerk meters by monthly retained users (MRUs) — users who return to the app at least a day after signing up — with overage billed at $0.02 per MRU beyond the included 50,000 on paid plans.

Source
Hanwha Vision: Is Wisenet WAVE the same as Nx Witness?

It is built on the Network Optix platform, so the two share a common core, with Hanwha adding its own camera integration and support.

Hanwha Vision: Is Hanwha TAA compliant?

Many models are, manufactured in South Korea and Vietnam, but TAA is a per-unit question tied to manufacturing origin, so it must be verified model by model.

Share

Related pages

Other head to heads