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Cybersecurity · head to head

Ory Kratos vs Spot AI

Ory Kratos logo

Ory Kratos

Cybersecurity

Headless identity and user management API

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Spot AI logo

Spot AI

Cybersecurity

Cloud video intelligence that runs on your existing cameras through an on-site recorder

From
$99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Ory Kratos has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Ory Kratos headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page; Spot AI at roughly $99 per camera per month the all-in rate is high against a perpetual VMS licence: 200 cameras is around $240,000 a year, recurring, where an on-premise system would be largely a one-time cost.
  • They diverge on capability: Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Spot AI covers Camera agnostic.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Ory Kratos and Spot AI actually diverge.

Attributes where Ory Kratos and Spot AI differ
AttributeOry KratosSpot AI
Starting priceFree$99/month
Pricing modelOpen-source self-hosted, with a paid managed networkPer camera per month, all inclusive
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsLinux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hostedWeb, 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 Ory Kratos

  • Headless API
  • Self-service flows
  • Multi-factor authentication
  • Pluggable identity schemas

Only in Spot AI

  • Camera agnostic
  • Intelligent Video Recorder
  • AI video search
  • Operational analytics
  • Cloud management
  • Alerting and clip sharing
  • All-in per-camera pricing

What people use each for

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

Ory Kratos

  • Products needing complete control over the look and flow of authenticationnot Spot AI
  • Applications that must not hand user identity data to a third partynot Spot AI
  • Teams building identity as infrastructure across several servicesnot Spot AI

Spot AI

  • A manufacturer with hundreds of existing cameras that wants cloud search without replacing any of themnot Ory Kratos
  • A logistics operator investigating dock door delays and trailer dwell time from footagenot Ory Kratos
  • A retail chain reviewing incidents across dozens of stores without a VPN into each sitenot Ory Kratos
  • A safety team detecting forklift near-misses and missing personal protective equipment automaticallynot Ory Kratos

Where each one falls short

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

Ory Kratos

  • Headless means you build every screen, which is significant work compared with a hosted login page
  • More moving parts than a monolithic IAM: Kratos handles identity, and OAuth2 needs Ory Hydra alongside
  • Documentation assumes real familiarity with identity concepts and is not a gentle introduction
  • Self-hosting identity carries the security and availability burden that hosted providers absorb

Spot AI

  • At roughly $99 per camera per month the all-in rate is high against a perpetual VMS licence: 200 cameras is around $240,000 a year, recurring, where an on-premise system would be largely a one-time cost.
  • Reusing existing cameras saves capital but caps quality; AI analytics on a fifteen-year-old analogue camera produces correspondingly poor results and no software fixes the optics.
  • Per-camera monthly billing scales linearly with camera count, so adding coverage is always expensive and there is no volume point where marginal cameras become cheap.
  • The on-site IVR is a single point of failure per location, so an appliance fault takes that site's recording and cloud access with it until it is replaced.
  • It is a subscription with no perpetual option, so an organisation that stops paying loses the platform entirely and is left with cameras and no management system.

Pricing, plan by plan

Ory Kratos

Free
  • Self-hostedFree
    • Full identity server
    • All flows
    • Community support

Spot AI

$99/month
  • Spot AI$99/month
    • Reference rate of roughly $99 per camera per month
    • Includes the on-site IVR appliance, cloud software, AI and support
    • Monthly, annual and multi-year terms available

Which should you pick?

Choose Ory Kratos if

  • You need headless api.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted.
  • You also want self-service flows.
Ory Kratos review

Choose Spot AI if

  • You need camera agnostic.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want intelligent video recorder.
Spot AI review

Questions people ask

Is Ory Kratos or Spot AI better?
Neither clearly leads. Ory Kratos starts at Free and Spot AI at $99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Ory Kratos or Spot AI?
Ory Kratos has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Ory Kratos and $99/month for Spot AI.
Does Ory Kratos or Spot AI run on more platforms?
Ory Kratos runs on Linux, Docker, Kubernetes, Self-hosted. Spot AI runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use Ory Kratos for free?
Yes. Ory Kratos has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Spot AI starts at $99/month.
What is Ory Kratos best used for?
Ory Kratos is most often used for products needing complete control over the look and flow of authentication, applications that must not hand user identity data to a third party, teams building identity as infrastructure across several services. Of those, products needing complete control over the look and flow of authentication and applications that must not hand user identity data to a third party are not what Spot AI is typically brought in for.
What can Ory Kratos do that Spot AI cannot?
Ory Kratos covers Headless API, Self-service flows, Multi-factor authentication, Pluggable identity schemas. Spot AI covers Camera agnostic, Intelligent Video Recorder, AI video search, Operational analytics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Ory Kratos: Is Ory Kratos free?

Yes, open source and free to self-host. Ory Network is a paid managed service.

Spot AI: Do I have to buy new cameras?

No. That is the main point of the product: the IVR appliance connects to existing IP and analogue cameras.

Ory Kratos: What does headless mean here?

Kratos provides identity flows as APIs and no user interface. You build the login, registration and recovery screens yourself.

Spot AI: What does it cost?

The reference rate that recurs across pricing breakdowns and Spot AI materials is roughly $99 per camera per month, bundling the appliance, cloud software, AI and support.

Ory Kratos: Does Kratos do OAuth2?

No. Kratos handles user identity; OAuth2 and OpenID Connect provider functionality is Ory Hydra, a separate component.

Spot AI: Is there a perpetual licence option?

No. It is subscription only, and the platform stops working when the subscription does.

Spot AI: Will AI analytics work on my old analogue cameras?

They will run, but detection quality follows image quality. Old low resolution cameras produce poor analytics results.

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