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Cybersecurity · head to head

Eagle Eye Networks vs Polco

Eagle Eye Networks logo

Eagle Eye Networks

Cybersecurity

Cloud video surveillance billed per camera per month, where retention length drives the bill more than anything else

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Polco logo

Polco

Government

Civic Engagement and Polling Platform

From
$300/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Eagle Eye Networks cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.; Polco interface has a formal, academic tone compared to modern civic engagement platforms
  • They diverge on capability: Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Polco covers Scientific Surveys.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eagle Eye Networks and Polco actually diverge.

Attributes where Eagle Eye Networks and Polco differ
AttributeEagle Eye NetworksPolco
Starting priceOn request$300/month
Pricing modelPer camera per monthsubscription
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown2015

Identical on both: free tier (No), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), 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 Eagle Eye Networks

  • Bridge and CMVR appliances
  • Per-camera cloud retention
  • Browser and mobile access
  • Cloud analytics
  • Licence plate recognition
  • Multi-site management
  • Video sharing and export
  • Open API

Only in Polco

  • Scientific Surveys
  • Live Polling
  • Community Benchmarking
  • Priority-Based Budgeting
  • Demographic Analysis
  • NRC Surveys
  • ArcGIS
  • Social Media

What people use each for

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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • A 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back officenot Polco
  • A school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrallynot Polco
  • A car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theftnot Polco
  • A retailer replacing failing DVRs but keeping the ONVIF cameras already installednot Polco

Polco

  • Citizen Servicesnot Eagle Eye Networks
  • Records Managementnot Eagle Eye Networks
  • Public Safetynot Eagle Eye Networks
  • Civic Engagementnot Eagle Eye Networks

Where each one falls short

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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • Cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.
  • Pricing is not published, so the widely cited 15 to 50 US dollars per camera per month range is a reseller-derived estimate rather than a rate you can hold Eagle Eye to.
  • Every camera needs upstream bandwidth for continuous upload, so sites on poor connections either degrade quality or lose the cloud advantage, and the bridge only buffers for a limited period during an outage.
  • Video lives in Eagle Eye’s data centres, which raises data residency questions for public bodies and for European buyers, and exit means downloading years of footage before a subscription ends.
  • It is a per-camera subscription with no perpetual option, so a large site that would have paid once for an on-premises VMS pays indefinitely, and the crossover point against a Genetec or Milestone deployment usually arrives within a few years.

Polco

  • Interface has a formal, academic tone compared to modern civic engagement platforms
  • Emphasizes surveys and benchmarking over open discussion forums and idea boards
  • Pricing is custom quote-based without transparent pricing on the website

Pricing, plan by plan

Eagle Eye Networks

On request
  • Cloud VMS subscription$undefined/month
    • Priced per camera per month by resolution and retention
    • Retention tiers of 7, 30, 90 and 180 days and 1, 2 and 3 years
    • Independently observed range of roughly 15 to 50 USD per camera per month

Polco

$300/month
  • Community Engagement$300/month
    • Community Surveys
    • Live Polling
    • Benchmarking

Which should you pick?

Choose Eagle Eye Networks if

  • You need bridge and cmvr appliances.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-camera cloud retention.
Eagle Eye Networks review

Choose Polco if

  • You need scientific surveys.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want live polling.
Polco review

Questions people ask

Is Eagle Eye Networks or Polco better?
Neither clearly leads. Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request and Polco at $300/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Eagle Eye Networks or Polco?
Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request and Polco at $300/month.
Does Eagle Eye Networks or Polco run on more platforms?
Eagle Eye Networks runs on Web, iOS, Android. Polco runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Eagle Eye Networks best used for?
Eagle Eye Networks is most often used for a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office, a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally, a car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theft, a retailer replacing failing dvrs but keeping the onvif cameras already installed. Of those, a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office and a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally are not what Polco is typically brought in for.
What can Eagle Eye Networks do that Polco cannot?
Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Per-camera cloud retention, Browser and mobile access, Cloud analytics. Polco covers Scientific Surveys, Live Polling, Community Benchmarking, Priority-Based Budgeting.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eagle Eye Networks: Do I need Eagle Eye cameras?

No. The bridge connects existing ONVIF cameras, which is the main reason organisations pick it over camera-maker cloud services.

Polco: How does Polco ensure survey data quality?

Polco uses scientific survey methodology through the National Research Center, with pre-tested survey questions and verification that participants live in the surveyed area to eliminate outside interference and bad-faith responses.

Source
Eagle Eye Networks: What does it cost per camera?

Not published. Independent observations put it between roughly 15 and 50 US dollars per camera per month depending on resolution and retention, with Canadian examples up to 79 for 90 day 4K.

Polco: What's the difference between Polco and open discussion platforms?

Polco emphasizes scientific surveys and benchmarking over open forums or suggestion boards, prioritizing rigorous data collection for policy decisions over broad community brainstorming.

Source
Eagle Eye Networks: What happens if my internet drops?

The on-site bridge buffers recording locally and uploads when the connection returns, but buffer capacity is finite and a long outage loses footage.

Eagle Eye Networks: Where is my video stored?

In Eagle Eye’s data centres. Confirm the region before buying if you have data residency obligations.

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