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Government · head to head

ShotSpotter vs Silent Eight

ShotSpotter logo

ShotSpotter

Government

Gunshot Detection Technology

From
$5000/month
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite
Silent Eight logo

Silent Eight

Cybersecurity

AI adjudication of sanctions screening and AML alerts

From
On request
Free plan
No
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: ShotSpotter shotSpotter now trades as SoundThinking and shotspotter.com redirects to soundthinking.com; Silent Eight automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.
  • They diverge on capability: ShotSpotter covers Gunshot Detection, Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which ShotSpotter and Silent Eight actually diverge.

Attributes where ShotSpotter and Silent Eight differ
AttributeShotSpotterSilent Eight
Starting price$5000/monthOn request
Pricing modelsubscriptionquote
PlatformsWeb, Ios, AndroidWeb, Linux
CategoryGovernmentCybersecurity
Founded1996Unknown

Identical on both: free tier (No), 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 ShotSpotter

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

Only in Silent Eight

  • Alert adjudication
  • Narrative generation
  • Name screening automation
  • Quality assurance
  • Shadow mode
  • Model transparency reporting

What people use each for

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

ShotSpotter

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

Silent Eight

  • A bank whose level one screening team spends most of its time closing obvious false name matchesnot ShotSpotter
  • A payments institution with alert volumes growing faster than it can recruit and train analystsnot ShotSpotter
  • A compliance function asked by a regulator to demonstrate consistency of alert decisions across offshore teamsnot ShotSpotter
  • An institution that has just tightened screening thresholds after an enforcement action and cannot staff the resulting alert increasenot ShotSpotter

Where each one falls short

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

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

Silent Eight

  • Automated disposition has to clear model risk governance and a regulator, and the shadow running period before auto-close is permitted can consume most of the first year of the contract.
  • It does not improve detection, so an institution with a poorly tuned monitoring system automates the handling of bad alerts rather than fixing why they exist.
  • Pricing is tied to alert volume, which means efficiency gains elsewhere that reduce alerts also reduce the vendor bill in a way sales teams structure minimums against.
  • The headcount saving is only realised if the institution actually reduces the analyst pool, and many banks redeploy rather than cut, leaving the business case unrealised on paper.
  • As a mid-sized private vendor serving tier one banks, concentration risk cuts both ways; the loss of one large client materially affects the company, and buyers should ask about financial stability during diligence.

Pricing, plan by plan

ShotSpotter

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

Silent Eight

On request
  • Iris$undefined/year
    • Priced by alert volume adjudicated
    • Deploys against existing screening and monitoring systems
    • Shadow mode evaluation period

Which should you pick?

Choose ShotSpotter if

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

Choose Silent Eight if

  • You need alert adjudication.
  • You work on Web, Linux.
  • You also want narrative generation.
Silent Eight review

Questions people ask

Is ShotSpotter or Silent Eight better?
Neither clearly leads. ShotSpotter starts at $5000/month and Silent Eight at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, ShotSpotter or Silent Eight?
ShotSpotter starts at $5000/month and Silent Eight at On request.
Does ShotSpotter or Silent Eight run on more platforms?
ShotSpotter runs on Web, Ios, Android. Silent Eight runs on Web, Linux.
What is ShotSpotter best used for?
ShotSpotter is most often used for gunshot detection and location alerting for police departments, directing patrol response to outdoor firearm discharges, building incident data for law enforcement analysis. Of those, gunshot detection and location alerting for police departments and directing patrol response to outdoor firearm discharges are not what Silent Eight is typically brought in for.
What can ShotSpotter do that Silent Eight cannot?
ShotSpotter covers Gunshot Detection, Location Triangulation, Real-time Alerts, Forensic Analysis. Silent Eight covers Alert adjudication, Narrative generation, Name screening automation, Quality assurance.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
Silent Eight: Does Silent Eight replace our screening system?

No. It consumes alerts from your existing screening and monitoring systems and decides them. The detection layer stays where it is.

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
Silent Eight: Will a regulator accept AI closing alerts?

It depends on your jurisdiction and your model governance evidence. Banks typically run extended shadow mode first and phase auto-closure by alert type.

ShotSpotter: Who is ShotSpotter for?

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

Source
Silent Eight: Where is the company based?

Singapore, with offices in New York, London and Warsaw.

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