Softwr

Cybersecurity · head to head

Eagle Eye Networks vs VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

Eagle Eye Networks logo

Eagle Eye Networks

Cybersecurity

Cloud video surveillance billed per camera per month, where retention length drives the bill more than anything else

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station logo

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

Cybersecurity

Camera-vendor video management software with a free 32-channel tier for VIVOTEK devices

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Eagle Eye Networks cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.; VIVOTEK VAST Security Station vAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with technical support and software files withdrawn, yet distributors still list VAST 2 licences, so a buyer can be quoted unsupported software without realising it.
  • They diverge on capability: Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, VIVOTEK VAST Security Station covers VSS Lite free tier.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Eagle Eye Networks and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station actually diverge.

Attributes where Eagle Eye Networks and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station differ
AttributeEagle Eye NetworksVIVOTEK VAST Security Station
Pricing modelPer camera per monthOne-time purchase per camera channel
PlatformsWeb, iOS, AndroidWindows, Web, iOS, Android

Identical on both: starting price (On request), free tier (No), 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 Eagle Eye Networks

  • Bridge and CMVR appliances
  • Per-camera cloud retention
  • Browser and mobile access
  • Cloud analytics
  • Licence plate recognition
  • Multi-site management
  • Video sharing and export
  • Open API

Only in VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • VSS Lite free tier
  • Per-channel licensing
  • Third-party camera support
  • Failover and TV matrix
  • Vision object analytics
  • Embedded NVR licensing
  • NDAA and TAA compliance

What people use each for

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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • A 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back officenot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • A school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrallynot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • A car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theftnot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station
  • A retailer replacing failing DVRs but keeping the ONVIF cameras already installednot VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • A school or small public building with fewer than 32 VIVOTEK cameras that needs a VMS at no licence costnot Eagle Eye Networks
  • A United States public sector site that must meet NDAA and TAA procurement restrictionsnot Eagle Eye Networks
  • An existing VAST 2 site that needs to migrate before the software falls further out of maintenancenot Eagle Eye Networks
  • A mid-sized site standardising on VIVOTEK hardware with a handful of third-party cameras to absorbnot Eagle Eye Networks

Where each one falls short

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

Eagle Eye Networks

  • Cost scales with retention as well as resolution, and long retention has been observed to increase the monthly figure by 200 to 400 percent over 7 day storage, so an insurer or regulator raising the retention requirement can multiply the bill without adding cameras.
  • Pricing is not published, so the widely cited 15 to 50 US dollars per camera per month range is a reseller-derived estimate rather than a rate you can hold Eagle Eye to.
  • Every camera needs upstream bandwidth for continuous upload, so sites on poor connections either degrade quality or lose the cloud advantage, and the bridge only buffers for a limited period during an outage.
  • Video lives in Eagle Eye’s data centres, which raises data residency questions for public bodies and for European buyers, and exit means downloading years of footage before a subscription ends.
  • It is a per-camera subscription with no perpetual option, so a large site that would have paid once for an on-premises VMS pays indefinitely, and the crossover point against a Genetec or Milestone deployment usually arrives within a few years.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

  • VAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with technical support and software files withdrawn, yet distributors still list VAST 2 licences, so a buyer can be quoted unsupported software without realising it.
  • The free Lite tier is hard capped at 32 cameras and VIVOTEK devices only, so a site that grows to 33 cameras or adds one third-party camera moves straight to paid Standard licensing.
  • VSS Professional includes no camera licences at all, so the edition that large deployments need starts from a higher effective price than the tier comparison suggests.
  • It is a camera manufacturer's VMS, so the third-party device list, analytics ecosystem and integration catalogue are all narrower than an independent platform like Milestone or Salient.
  • No pricing is published for Standard or Professional channels; everything runs through distribution, which makes budgeting a phased expansion difficult without repeated quotes.

Pricing, plan by plan

Eagle Eye Networks

On request
  • Cloud VMS subscription$undefined/month
    • Priced per camera per month by resolution and retention
    • Retention tiers of 7, 30, 90 and 180 days and 1, 2 and 3 years
    • Independently observed range of roughly 15 to 50 USD per camera per month

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

On request
  • VSS LiteFree
    • Free of charge
    • Up to 32 VIVOTEK cameras per server
    • No third-party camera support
  • VSS Standard$undefined/one-time
    • Up to 256 cameras per server
    • Eight camera licences included for VIVOTEK or third-party devices
    • Additional channel licences purchased individually
  • VSS Professional$undefined/one-time
    • Large scale deployments with failover and TV matrix
    • No camera licences included at all
    • Every channel purchased or upgraded from Standard

Which should you pick?

Choose Eagle Eye Networks if

  • You need bridge and cmvr appliances.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-camera cloud retention.
Eagle Eye Networks review

Choose VIVOTEK VAST Security Station if

  • You need vss lite free tier.
  • You work on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want per-channel licensing.
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station review

Questions people ask

Is Eagle Eye Networks or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station better?
Neither clearly leads. Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Eagle Eye Networks or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station?
Eagle Eye Networks starts at On request and VIVOTEK VAST Security Station at On request.
Does Eagle Eye Networks or VIVOTEK VAST Security Station run on more platforms?
Eagle Eye Networks runs on Web, iOS, Android. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station runs on Windows, Web, iOS, Android.
What is Eagle Eye Networks best used for?
Eagle Eye Networks is most often used for a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office, a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally, a car dealership needing footage shared with police within minutes of an overnight theft, a retailer replacing failing dvrs but keeping the onvif cameras already installed. Of those, a 40-site restaurant group that wants one login across every location without a recorder in each back office and a school district that must retain incident footage for a fixed statutory period and needs the retention set centrally are not what VIVOTEK VAST Security Station is typically brought in for.
What can Eagle Eye Networks do that VIVOTEK VAST Security Station cannot?
Eagle Eye Networks covers Bridge and CMVR appliances, Per-camera cloud retention, Browser and mobile access, Cloud analytics. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station covers VSS Lite free tier, Per-channel licensing, Third-party camera support, Failover and TV matrix.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Eagle Eye Networks: Do I need Eagle Eye cameras?

No. The bridge connects existing ONVIF cameras, which is the main reason organisations pick it over camera-maker cloud services.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Should I still buy VAST 2?

No. VAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with support and software files withdrawn. VSS is the current product, and any VAST 2 licence still on a distributor price list should be questioned.

Eagle Eye Networks: What does it cost per camera?

Not published. Independent observations put it between roughly 15 and 50 US dollars per camera per month depending on resolution and retention, with Canadian examples up to 79 for 90 day 4K.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Is VSS Lite really free?

Yes, for up to 32 VIVOTEK cameras per server. It does not support third-party cameras and cannot exceed 32 channels.

Eagle Eye Networks: What happens if my internet drops?

The on-site bridge buffers recording locally and uploads when the connection returns, but buffer capacity is finite and a long outage loses footage.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: How many licences come with Standard?

Eight camera licences, usable for VIVOTEK or third-party devices. Professional includes none.

Eagle Eye Networks: Where is my video stored?

In Eagle Eye’s data centres. Confirm the region before buying if you have data residency obligations.

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station: Is VIVOTEK NDAA compliant?

VIVOTEK publishes an NDAA and TAA compliant product list, which is why it appears in United States public sector specifications where Section 889 excludes several other manufacturers.

Share

Related pages

More on Eagle Eye Networks

More on VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

Keep looking

Other head to heads