Alarm.com vs ZoneMinder

Struggling to choose between Alarm.com and ZoneMinder? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Alarm.com is a Home & Family solution with tags like security, home-automation, video-monitoring, smart-home.

It boasts features such as Remote security system control, Video monitoring, Smart home device integration, Mobile app, Web portal, Alert notifications and pros including Wide range of compatible devices, Flexible monitoring options, Easy to use interface, Remote arm/disarm, Customizable alerts, Video clip storage.

On the other hand, ZoneMinder is a Security & Privacy product tagged with video, surveillance, motion-detection, recording, notifications, open-source.

Its standout features include Live view and playback of IP cameras, Motion detection and event notifications, Continuous, scheduled, or motion-triggered recording, Remote access via web browser or mobile app, Support for a wide variety of IP cameras, Open source and self-hosted (no vendor lock-in), Event-driven automation via hooks into other applications, and it shines with pros like Free and open source, Self-hosted so you control your data, Works with many different camera models, Good community support, Highly customizable and integrates well with other tools.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Alarm.com

Alarm.com

Alarm.com is a leading platform for smart home and business security. It allows users to monitor and control security systems, video cameras, lighting, locks, thermostats, and more from a smartphone app or web browser.

Categories:
security home-automation video-monitoring smart-home

Alarm.com Features

  1. Remote security system control
  2. Video monitoring
  3. Smart home device integration
  4. Mobile app
  5. Web portal
  6. Alert notifications

Pricing

  • Subscription-Based

Pros

Wide range of compatible devices

Flexible monitoring options

Easy to use interface

Remote arm/disarm

Customizable alerts

Video clip storage

Cons

Requires professional installation

Monthly fees for monitoring

Video storage limits on lower tiers

No self-monitoring option


ZoneMinder

ZoneMinder

ZoneMinder is an open source video surveillance software that allows you to monitor multiple IP cameras from a central web interface. It supports motion detection, event notifications, and recording video footage when activity is detected.

Categories:
video surveillance motion-detection recording notifications open-source

ZoneMinder Features

  1. Live view and playback of IP cameras
  2. Motion detection and event notifications
  3. Continuous, scheduled, or motion-triggered recording
  4. Remote access via web browser or mobile app
  5. Support for a wide variety of IP cameras
  6. Open source and self-hosted (no vendor lock-in)
  7. Event-driven automation via hooks into other applications

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Self-hosted so you control your data

Works with many different camera models

Good community support

Highly customizable and integrates well with other tools

Cons

Can be complex to set up and manage

Lacks some features of commercial NVR software

Mobile app could be better

Requires technical expertise to run server and manage cameras