Video surveillance software & cameras, tested on a real bench
Surveilbench compares self-hosted VMS/NVR software and consumer camera ecosystems against criteria we publish and physical hardware we actually own — not marketing claims.
How the main VMS compare
Every product below is scored on the same criteria — the ones that decide how private and how independent your surveillance really is. A✓ means the feature is available out of the box, ✗means it is not, and — means we haven't verified it yet. Click a product for the detailed review and sources.
| Criterion | Noviscan | Frigate NVR | Blue Iris | ZoneMinder | Shinobi | Scrypted | Synology Surveillance Station | UniFi Protect | Milestone XProtect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted (runs on your hardware) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Works without a mandatory vendor account | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Works with any ONVIF/RTSP camera (no hardware lock-in) | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | yes |
| Built-in facial recognition | yes | yes | no | no | no | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Encrypts stored footage at rest | yes | no | no | no | no | not verified | yes | not verified | yes |
| Remote access without a vendor cloud | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes | no | yes |
| Web + desktop + mobile apps | yes | no | yes | no | no | yes | yes | yes | yes |
Manufacturer cloud ecosystems (Ezviz, Imou…)
These aren't self-hosted VMS — they're the camera maker's own app and cloud. They're the easiest option out of the box, but scored on the same criteria they show why "convenient" and "private & independent" pull in opposite directions.
| Criterion | EZVIZ (appli & cloud) | Imou (appli & cloud) |
|---|---|---|
| Self-hosted (runs on your hardware) | no | no |
| Works without a mandatory vendor account | no | no |
| Works with any ONVIF/RTSP camera (no hardware lock-in) | no | no |
| Built-in facial recognition | no | no |
| Encrypts stored footage at rest | yes | yes |
| Remote access without a vendor cloud | no | no |
| Web + desktop + mobile apps | yes | no |
Surveilbench is published by Secufor, the publisher of Noviscan — which is why Noviscan is included and why we're explicit about it. The criteria are public and the facts about every other product are sourced and dated; see ourmethodology. Only products we have actually run carry a "tested" verdict; the rest are documented from dated sources and marked "not yet benchmarked" until we test them.