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Cybersecurity · head to head

Dahua Technology vs Ory

Dahua Technology logo

Dahua Technology

Cybersecurity

Large Chinese video platform that US federal buyers and federal contractors cannot lawfully use

From
On request
Rated
-
Ory logo

Ory

Cybersecurity

Open-source identity, authentication, and permissions infrastructure

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Ory has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dahua Technology dahua is named under NDAA Section 889 and listed on the FCC Covered List, so the US federal government cannot procure its video surveillance equipment and cannot contract with entities that use it, which disqualifies most organisations with any federal contracting ambition regardless of how good the software is.; Ory production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • They diverge on capability: Dahua Technology covers DSS Pro V8, Ory covers Authentication APIs.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dahua Technology and Ory actually diverge.

Attributes where Dahua Technology and Ory differ
AttributeDahua TechnologyOry
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteusage-based
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Web, iOS, Androidweb, api

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 Dahua Technology

  • DSS Pro V8
  • Distributed architecture
  • DeepXplore
  • Access management
  • Parking Lot application
  • Intelligent Analysis
  • Maintenance Center
  • DMSS mobile app

Only in Ory

  • Authentication APIs
  • Permissions engine
  • Machine-to-machine tokens
  • B2B organizations
  • SAML SSO
  • Multi-region deployments

What people use each for

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

Dahua Technology

  • A private industrial site outside the United States with no federal or defence supply chain exposurenot Ory
  • A large-channel-count deployment in a market where Section 889 and the FCC Covered List do not applynot Ory
  • An existing Dahua estate authorised before February 2023 being maintained rather than expandednot Ory
  • A buyer who has taken written legal advice confirming no federal contracting exposure now or in futurenot Ory

Ory

  • Adding self-hosted or cloud identity to a new productnot Dahua Technology
  • Implementing fine-grained permission checksnot Dahua Technology
  • Supporting B2B organizations and multi-tenancynot Dahua Technology
  • Building machine-to-machine authentication for microservicesnot Dahua Technology

Where each one falls short

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

Dahua Technology

  • Dahua is named under NDAA Section 889 and listed on the FCC Covered List, so the US federal government cannot procure its video surveillance equipment and cannot contract with entities that use it, which disqualifies most organisations with any federal contracting ambition regardless of how good the software is.
  • Rules adopted by the FCC in late 2025 gave the Commission authority to revoke equipment authorisations already granted, so equipment that is legal to sell today may not be tomorrow and a multi-year rollout carries regulatory risk the vendor cannot indemnify.
  • Sourcing has degraded sharply: new equipment, replacement parts and system expansions are increasingly difficult to obtain through compliant US distribution and major retailers have removed listings, so an installed estate faces a spares problem long before end of life.
  • Any organisation that later wins or bids for federal work, or supplies a federal contractor, must audit and replace Dahua equipment across all its facilities under Section 889(a)(1)(B), turning a cheap installation into an expensive forced rip-out.
  • Beyond procurement law, insurers, auditors and enterprise customers increasingly treat Chinese-manufactured surveillance as a supply chain finding in its own right, so the reputational cost lands even where the legal prohibition does not.

Ory

  • Production and Growth plans are billed annually ($770/year and $9,350/year), which is a larger upfront commitment than monthly-only competitors.
  • SAML SSO and multi-region deployments are reserved for the custom-priced Enterprise tier.
  • Usage-based pricing across aDAU, M2M tokens, and permission checks makes cost estimation more complex than flat per-MAU billing.

Pricing, plan by plan

Dahua Technology

On request
  • DSS Pro V8$undefined/year
    • Base video licence covering 16 channels, required before adding more
    • Additional video channel licences purchased per channel
    • Access control, video intercom and parking licensed separately

Ory

Free
  • DeveloperFree
    • Community support
    • No production environments
  • Production$64/month
    • $21 monthly credit included
    • 1 production environment
    • 3 staging environments
  • Growth$779/month
    • $255 monthly credit included
    • 2 production environments
    • B2B organizations (max 3)

Which should you pick?

Choose Dahua Technology if

  • You need dss pro v8.
  • You work on Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want distributed architecture.

Choose Ory if

  • You need authentication apis.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on web, api.
  • You also want permissions engine.

Questions people ask

Is Dahua Technology or Ory better?
Neither clearly leads. Dahua Technology starts at On request and Ory at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dahua Technology or Ory?
Ory has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Dahua Technology and Free for Ory.
Does Dahua Technology or Ory run on more platforms?
Dahua Technology runs on Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android. Ory runs on web, api.
Can I use Ory for free?
Yes. Ory has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Dahua Technology starts at On request.
What is Dahua Technology best used for?
Dahua Technology is most often used for a private industrial site outside the united states with no federal or defence supply chain exposure, a large-channel-count deployment in a market where section 889 and the fcc covered list do not apply, an existing dahua estate authorised before february 2023 being maintained rather than expanded, a buyer who has taken written legal advice confirming no federal contracting exposure now or in future. Of those, a private industrial site outside the united states with no federal or defence supply chain exposure and a large-channel-count deployment in a market where section 889 and the fcc covered list do not apply are not what Ory is typically brought in for.
What can Dahua Technology do that Ory cannot?
Dahua Technology covers DSS Pro V8, Distributed architecture, DeepXplore, Access management. Ory covers Authentication APIs, Permissions engine, Machine-to-machine tokens, B2B organizations.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dahua Technology: Can a US federal agency buy Dahua?

No. Dahua is explicitly named under NDAA Section 889, so federal agencies cannot procure or obtain its video surveillance equipment, including OEM-rebadged versions.

Ory: What does Ory cost?

Ory has a free Developer tier, a Production plan at $770/year including a $21 monthly credit, a Growth plan at $9,350/year including a $255 monthly credit, and custom Enterprise pricing.

Source
Dahua Technology: Can a private US company use Dahua cameras?

Section 889 does not directly regulate private companies without federal contracts, and existing installations are not required to be removed. But the moment the company bids for federal work or supplies a federal contractor, Section 889(a)(1)(B) makes the installed equipment a problem.

Ory: How is usage metered?

Beyond the included credit, Ory charges per average daily active user (aDAU), per machine-to-machine token, and per permission check, with lower per-unit rates on the Growth plan.

Source
Dahua Technology: Is existing Dahua equipment banned?

No. The prohibition on new authorisations does not apply retroactively to equipment authorised before February 2023, and legacy systems may remain in use. New purchases and expansions are the restricted part.

Ory: What payment methods are supported?

Ory accepts credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Amex) and bank transfer, processed via Stripe.

Source
Dahua Technology: Is Dahua available outside the United States?

Yes, and it remains one of the two largest manufacturers globally, though a number of other countries have introduced their own restrictions on government use.

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