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Cybersecurity · head to head

Rhombus Systems vs Yarn

Rhombus Systems logo

Rhombus Systems

Cybersecurity

Cloud-managed cameras, sensors and access control with a per-camera annual licence

From
$149/year
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Yarn logo

Yarn

Developer Tools

Fast, reliable, and secure dependency management

From
Free
Free plan
Yes
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Yarn has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Rhombus Systems the per-camera annual licence never ends and a camera without an active licence stops working, so the total cost over a ten-year hardware life is several times the hardware price.; Yarn yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rhombus Systems and Yarn actually diverge.

Attributes where Rhombus Systems and Yarn differ
AttributeRhombus SystemsYarn
Starting price$149/yearFree
Pricing modelPer camera per year licence plus hardwarefree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWeb, Linux, macOS, Windows
CategoryCybersecurityDeveloper Tools
FoundedUnknown2016

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 Rhombus Systems

  • On-camera storage
  • No NVR or server
  • AI search
  • Access control
  • Environmental sensors
  • Unlimited users
  • Ten year hardware warranty
  • Optional cloud archiving

Only in Yarn

Nothing recorded that Rhombus Systems does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Rhombus Systems

  • A school district running video across dozens of buildings with no local IT at each sitenot Yarn
  • A clinic group needing door access and cameras in one console under a single audit trailnot Yarn
  • A logistics operator that wants to search for a specific vehicle across sites without scrubbing footagenot Yarn
  • An office estate replacing ageing NVRs where nobody remains who knows how to maintain themnot Yarn

Yarn

  • Monorepo teams managing dependencies across 50+ interdependent packagesnot Rhombus Systems
  • Enterprise JavaScript projects ensuring reproducible builds across CI/CDnot Rhombus Systems
  • Open-source projects with plugin ecosystems coordinating versionsnot Rhombus Systems
  • Teams requiring consistent package installs regardless of network conditionsnot Rhombus Systems

Where each one falls short

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

Rhombus Systems

  • The per-camera annual licence never ends and a camera without an active licence stops working, so the total cost over a ten-year hardware life is several times the hardware price.
  • Cameras must be Rhombus, so there is no reuse of existing IP cameras and migrating away means replacing every device rather than changing software.
  • Cloud archiving is priced separately by retention and stream count, and long retention on multisensor cameras runs into five figures per camera, which can dwarf everything else in the quote.
  • On-camera storage is the default retention, so a camera physically stolen or destroyed takes its unarchived footage with it unless cloud archiving was paid for on that camera.
  • Analytics and integrations are good for mid-market needs but shallower than a dedicated enterprise VMS with a large third-party ecosystem, so specialist requirements like advanced LPR or forensic search hit limits.

Yarn

  • Yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support which can be a constraint for some projects
  • Smaller ecosystem and community compared to npm, though still substantial

Pricing, plan by plan

Rhombus Systems

$149/year
  • Professional$149/year
    • Per camera per year
    • Cloud console and management
    • On-camera storage retention
  • Enterprise$199/year
    • Per camera per year
    • Everything in Professional
    • Flexible cloud archiving options
  • Cloud archiving$undefined/year
    • Priced separately by retention period and stream count
    • Multisensor cameras cost several times a single sensor camera
    • Long retention on multisensor models can reach five figures per camera

Yarn

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Yarn review.

Which should you pick?

Choose Rhombus Systems if

  • You need on-camera storage.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want no nvr or server.
Rhombus Systems review

Choose Yarn if

  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Yarn review

Questions people ask

Is Rhombus Systems or Yarn better?
Neither clearly leads. Rhombus Systems starts at $149/year and Yarn at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rhombus Systems or Yarn?
Yarn has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $149/year for Rhombus Systems and Free for Yarn.
Does Rhombus Systems or Yarn run on more platforms?
Rhombus Systems runs on Web, iOS, Android. Yarn runs on Web, Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use Yarn for free?
Yes. Yarn has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Rhombus Systems starts at $149/year.
What is Rhombus Systems best used for?
Rhombus Systems is most often used for a school district running video across dozens of buildings with no local it at each site, a clinic group needing door access and cameras in one console under a single audit trail, a logistics operator that wants to search for a specific vehicle across sites without scrubbing footage, an office estate replacing ageing nvrs where nobody remains who knows how to maintain them. Of those, a school district running video across dozens of buildings with no local it at each site and a clinic group needing door access and cameras in one console under a single audit trail are not what Yarn is typically brought in for.
What can Rhombus Systems do that Yarn cannot?
Rhombus Systems covers On-camera storage, No NVR or server, AI search, Access control.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rhombus Systems: Do I need an NVR or a server?

No. Cameras record on board and connect directly to the cloud console, which is the main operational reason organisations pick it.

Yarn: What is Yarn's main advantage over npm?

Yarn downloads packages in parallel, significantly reducing installation time. It uses a yarn.lock file for deterministic installs, ensuring identical package versions across machines and preventing version conflicts common with npm.

Source
Rhombus Systems: What does the licence cost?

Roughly $149 per camera per year for Professional and about $199 for Enterprise, typically sold in one, three, five or ten year terms.

Yarn: Can I use Yarn in offline environments?

Yes, Yarn supports secure offline environments. The yarn.lock file enables reproducible installs without requiring new downloads.

Source
Rhombus Systems: Is cloud storage included?

No. On-camera storage is the default. Cloud archiving is a separate charge priced by retention duration and number of streams.

Rhombus Systems: Can I use my existing cameras?

No. The platform works only with Rhombus hardware, which is the trade-off for the zero-server architecture.

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