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Cybersecurity · head to head

Hanwha Vision vs Helm

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
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
H

Helm

Developer Tools

The package manager for Kubernetes

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Helm has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: 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.; Helm licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

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

Attributes where Hanwha Vision and Helm differ
AttributeHanwha VisionHelm
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchaseopen-source
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Linux, Web, iOS, AndroidWeb
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools

Identical on both: 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 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

Only in Helm

Nothing recorded that Hanwha Vision does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Hanwha Vision

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

Helm

  • Kubernetes package manager and deployment toolnot Hanwha Vision

Where each one falls short

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

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.

Helm

  • Licensed under Apache License 2.0 per the project's GitHub repository (helm/helm LICENSE); as open source software it has no paid tier or vendor price to compare
  • Contributors must sign commits under the Developer Certificate of Origin to have them accepted, per helm.sh, a process requirement not all Kubernetes tools impose

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Helm

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Helm review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Hanwha Vision if

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

Choose Helm if

  • You want to start without paying.
Helm review

Questions people ask

Is Hanwha Vision or Helm better?
Neither clearly leads. Hanwha Vision starts at On request and Helm at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Hanwha Vision or Helm?
Helm has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Hanwha Vision and Free for Helm.
Does Hanwha Vision or Helm run on more platforms?
Hanwha Vision runs on Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android. Helm runs on Web.
Can I use Helm for free?
Yes. Helm has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Hanwha Vision starts at On request.
What is Hanwha Vision best used for?
Hanwha Vision is most often used for a federal agency or federal contractor whose procurement rules exclude section 889 covered manufacturers, a school district that wants a fixed one-time software cost rather than a per-camera monthly subscription, a site running 200 cameras for a decade where a cloud subscription would cost several times a perpetual licence, an integrator standardising on one manufacturer for cameras, recorders and vms to simplify support. Of those, a federal agency or federal contractor whose procurement rules exclude section 889 covered manufacturers and a school district that wants a fixed one-time software cost rather than a per-camera monthly subscription are not what Helm is typically brought in for.
What can Hanwha Vision do that Helm cannot?
Hanwha Vision covers Wisenet WAVE VMS, On-camera AI, NDAA and TAA positioning, Multi-site management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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.

Helm: How much does Helm cost?

Helm is free and open-source. It is a graduated project in the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) with no commercial pricing model.

Source
Hanwha Vision: Are Wisenet WAVE licences subscriptions?

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

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.

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