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Cybersecurity · head to head

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station vs Yarn

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
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cost: VIVOTEK VAST Security Station vAST 2 has entered end of maintenance with technical support and software files withdrawn, yet distributors still list VAST 2 licences, so a buyer can be quoted unsupported software without realising it.; Yarn yarn 2+ (Berry) has limited ESM support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 VIVOTEK VAST Security Station and Yarn actually diverge.

Attributes where VIVOTEK VAST Security Station and Yarn differ
AttributeVIVOTEK VAST Security StationYarn
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelOne-time purchase per camera channelfree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWindows, Web, 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 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

Only in Yarn

Nothing recorded that VIVOTEK VAST Security Station does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

VIVOTEK VAST Security Station

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

Yarn

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

Where each one falls short

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

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.

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

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

Yarn

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Yarn review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Yarn if

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

Questions people ask

Is VIVOTEK VAST Security Station or Yarn better?
Neither clearly leads. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station starts at On request and Yarn at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, VIVOTEK VAST Security Station or Yarn?
Yarn has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for VIVOTEK VAST Security Station and Free for Yarn.
Does VIVOTEK VAST Security Station or Yarn run on more platforms?
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station runs on Windows, 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. VIVOTEK VAST Security Station starts at On request.
What is VIVOTEK VAST Security Station best used for?
VIVOTEK VAST Security Station is most often used for a school or small public building with fewer than 32 vivotek cameras that needs a vms at no licence cost, a united states public sector site that must meet ndaa and taa procurement restrictions, an existing vast 2 site that needs to migrate before the software falls further out of maintenance, a mid-sized site standardising on vivotek hardware with a handful of third-party cameras to absorb. Of those, a school or small public building with fewer than 32 vivotek cameras that needs a vms at no licence cost and a united states public sector site that must meet ndaa and taa procurement restrictions are not what Yarn is typically brought in for.
What can VIVOTEK VAST Security Station do that Yarn cannot?
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

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.

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
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.

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

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

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.

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