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Cybersecurity · head to head

Sardine vs ShotSpotter

Sardine logo

Sardine

Cybersecurity

Device intelligence and behaviour biometrics for fraud and compliance

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
ShotSpotter logo

ShotSpotter

Government

Gunshot Detection Technology

From
$5000/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Sardine signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.; ShotSpotter shotSpotter now trades as SoundThinking and shotspotter.com redirects to soundthinking.com
  • They diverge on capability: Sardine covers Device intelligence, ShotSpotter covers Gunshot Detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Sardine and ShotSpotter actually diverge.

Attributes where Sardine and ShotSpotter differ
AttributeSardineShotSpotter
Starting priceOn request$5000/month
Pricing modelquotesubscription
CategoryCybersecurityGovernment
FoundedUnknown1996

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 Sardine

  • Device intelligence
  • Behaviour biometrics
  • Scam detection
  • Onboarding risk scoring
  • AML transaction monitoring
  • Dispute and chargeback handling
  • Rules editor

Only in ShotSpotter

  • Gunshot Detection
  • Location Triangulation
  • Real-time Alerts
  • Forensic Analysis
  • Historical Data
  • CAD Systems
  • 911 Centers
  • Camera Systems

What people use each for

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

Sardine

  • A neobank losing money to authorised push payment scams where the customer genuinely approved the transfernot ShotSpotter
  • A crypto exchange trying to detect accounts being operated by remote access rather than by their ownernot ShotSpotter
  • A fintech seeing synthetic identity signups that pass document verification but share device characteristicsnot ShotSpotter
  • A lender wanting first party fraud signals at application time that a credit bureau file does not containnot ShotSpotter

ShotSpotter

  • Gunshot detection and location alerting for police departmentsnot Sardine
  • Directing patrol response to outdoor firearm dischargesnot Sardine
  • Building incident data for law enforcement analysisnot Sardine

Where each one falls short

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

Sardine

  • Signal quality depends on the SDK being embedded in your own web and mobile clients, so fraud improvements become dependent on your app release cycle and any coverage gap is a blind spot.
  • Behavioural and device telemetry collection needs a documented lawful basis under GDPR, and EU privacy reviews frequently delay rollouts that were scoped as engineering work.
  • Pricing is per session or per active user, so a consumer product with many low value sessions pays in proportion to traffic rather than to fraud exposure.
  • As a younger private company it lacks the enforcement-tested audit history that a bank examiner expects, which makes it a harder sell inside a regulated bank than inside a fintech.
  • It is strongest on session-time signals and weaker as a system of record for long horizon AML typologies, so larger institutions end up running it alongside a traditional monitoring platform rather than instead of one.

ShotSpotter

  • ShotSpotter now trades as SoundThinking and shotspotter.com redirects to soundthinking.com
  • No pricing is published; the site routes to contact and demo requests with no published rate, minimum or cost driver
  • The service depends on an acoustic sensor array installed across a defined coverage area rather than being software alone

Pricing, plan by plan

Sardine

On request
  • Sardine$undefined/year
    • Priced per user session or per monthly active user
    • Annual contract with volume commitment
    • SDK for web, iOS and Android

ShotSpotter

$5000/month
  • Detection Service$5000/month
    • Gunshot Detection
    • Real-time Alerts
    • Forensic Reports

Which should you pick?

Choose Sardine if

  • You need device intelligence.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want behaviour biometrics.
Sardine review

Choose ShotSpotter if

  • You need gunshot detection.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android.
  • You also want location triangulation.
ShotSpotter review

Questions people ask

Is Sardine or ShotSpotter better?
Neither clearly leads. Sardine starts at On request and ShotSpotter at $5000/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Sardine or ShotSpotter?
Sardine starts at On request and ShotSpotter at $5000/month.
Does Sardine or ShotSpotter run on more platforms?
Sardine runs on Web, iOS, Android. ShotSpotter runs on Web, Ios, Android.
What is Sardine best used for?
Sardine is most often used for a neobank losing money to authorised push payment scams where the customer genuinely approved the transfer, a crypto exchange trying to detect accounts being operated by remote access rather than by their owner, a fintech seeing synthetic identity signups that pass document verification but share device characteristics, a lender wanting first party fraud signals at application time that a credit bureau file does not contain. Of those, a neobank losing money to authorised push payment scams where the customer genuinely approved the transfer and a crypto exchange trying to detect accounts being operated by remote access rather than by their owner are not what ShotSpotter is typically brought in for.
What can Sardine do that ShotSpotter cannot?
Sardine covers Device intelligence, Behaviour biometrics, Scam detection, Onboarding risk scoring. ShotSpotter covers Gunshot Detection, Location Triangulation, Real-time Alerts, Forensic Analysis.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Sardine: Does Sardine do document verification?

It focuses on device, behavioural and transaction signals, and integrates identity verification providers rather than being one. Treat it as complementary to a KYC vendor.

ShotSpotter: Does SoundThinking publish ShotSpotter pricing?

No. SoundThinking does not disclose ShotSpotter pricing on their website. Interested municipalities and organizations must request a consultation, contact the sales team, or book a demo.

Source
Sardine: What does it need from us to work?

An SDK in your web and mobile applications plus transaction feeds. Without the client side collector you lose the signals that differentiate it.

ShotSpotter: How do I get a ShotSpotter quote?

SoundThinking directs prospects to book a demo, contact them directly, or request a consultation through their website. No self-serve pricing, calculator, or trial is available.

Source
Sardine: Is pricing published?

No. It is quoted, typically per session or per monthly active user with an annual volume commitment.

ShotSpotter: Who is ShotSpotter for?

ShotSpotter is a gunshot detection system designed for law enforcement and municipalities to improve public safety response.

Source
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