Kotelab vs Rhombus is a choice between adopting a new platform and adding intelligence to the one you have. Rhombus sells its own licensed cameras, access control, sensors and US alarm monitoring, with Rhombus Relay as a bridge for some third-party cameras. Kotelab adds AI monitoring and natural-language search to the IP cameras and DVR/NVR streams you already own. Standardizing on new hardware? Rhombus fits. Keeping a large estate? Start with Kotelab.
Key takeaways
- Different starting points. Rhombus is a hardware-plus-cloud platform with a bridge for third-party cameras. Kotelab is an intelligence layer built to run on the cameras you keep.
- Rhombus Relay is real, with limits. Relay Core (N100) handles up to 10 third-party RTSP cameras per unit. Relay Lite needs no extra hardware but takes one third-party stream per Rhombus camera, keeps 24 hours of footage, and needs a Core for analytics.
- AI features sit in the Enterprise license. Rhombus documents AI Search, face recognition, LPR, PPE detection and line crossing as Enterprise features, and states that its cameras require an ongoing license to operate.
- Rhombus has genuine strengths. A broad product line, published US list prices, a 10-year camera warranty and a long list of US compliance claims.
- Geography matters. Rhombus states its alarm monitoring is available in all US states. Kotelab is built for multi-site estates globally, including across Africa.
- You can run both. Some teams keep an AI layer on existing sites while evaluating a platform for new builds.
What is Rhombus, and what is Kotelab?
Rhombus is a cloud-managed physical security company. Its platform covers smart cameras, access control (door controllers, readers, intercoms), IoT sensors, and a 24/7 alarm monitoring service, all managed in the Rhombus Console. In July 2024 Rhombus announced a $45 million Series C led by NightDragon, bringing total funding above $90 million, and cited more than 3,000 customers and over 100,000 devices, Security Systems News reported. In March 2026 it announced Recon, a robotics offering designed to dispatch robots, including models from Boston Dynamics and Unitree, to investigate events, available through an early access program.
Kotelab makes Kote, an AI layer that turns existing CCTV into real-time operations intelligence for security, safety and operations teams. It connects to existing IP cameras and RTSP-capable DVR/NVR streams, monitors the connected feeds, and surfaces configured events with site, zone, camera, time and clip context for human review. The Kotelab agentic physical security platform explains how it works.
Four definitions keep this comparison clear:
- An intelligence layer is software that analyzes video from cameras you already own without replacing the cameras or the recorders.
- A cloud camera platform is a system where one vendor supplies the cameras, the cloud software and the licenses as a single product.
- Rhombus Relay is Rhombus's method for bringing third-party camera streams into the Rhombus Console, through either a Relay Core appliance or Relay Lite on existing Rhombus cameras.
- RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is the standard most IP cameras and NVRs use to send a live video stream to other software.
The core difference: hardware-plus-cloud platform vs intelligence layer
Rhombus's model starts with its own hardware. Cameras store video on board, the Console manages them in the cloud, and the license on each device unlocks features. Its pricing page states that all Rhombus cameras require an ongoing license to operate. For an organization that wants one vendor for cameras, doors, sensors and alarm response, that integration is the appeal.
Kotelab starts from the cameras already on the wall. The work is to define the operational need (zones, events and owners), review the camera estate, then configure and evaluate detections with operators. Configured events range from restricted-zone entry, perimeter breach and after-hours activity to equipment tampering, PPE monitoring and queues.
Kotelab covers operations and safety as much as security: a vehicle in a restricted zone on a mine haul road, service vehicle dwell at a depot, or crowding on a concourse. The real question is how much working infrastructure you would retire to get the outcome you need.
Kotelab vs Rhombus: side-by-side comparison
- Deployment model. Rhombus: Rhombus cameras, sensors and access control managed in a cloud console; Kotelab (Kote): Intelligence layer on cameras you already own.
- Existing cameras. Rhombus: Via Relay Core (up to 10 RTSP cameras per N100) or Relay Lite (one stream per Rhombus camera); Kotelab (Kote): Existing IP cameras and RTSP-capable DVR/NVR streams; Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview, Axis, Bosch, Hanwha Vision, Sony, Avigilon listed.
- New hardware. Rhombus: Rhombus cameras or Relay Core appliances, plus licenses; Kotelab (Kote): No new cameras; starts with a review of your camera estate.
- AI and search. Rhombus: AI Search, face recognition, LPR, PPE, line crossing (Enterprise license); Kotelab (Kote): Configured security, safety and operations events; natural-language search across connected cameras.
- Access control. Rhombus: Sells its own controllers, readers and intercoms; Kotelab (Kote): Correlates events from your existing access control with video.
- Alarm response. Rhombus: 24/7 monitoring service, stated as available in all US states; Kotelab (Kote): Alerts routed to your teams, SOC or GSOC; people verify and decide.
- Security posture. Rhombus: SOC 2 adherence, NDAA, TAA, GDPR and more stated on trust page; Kotelab (Kote): AES-256, ISO 27001 (stated), SOC 2 Type 2 in progress.
- Best fit. Rhombus: New builds, refreshes, US teams standardizing on one vendor; Kotelab (Kote): Large or mixed-brand estates, global and pan-African multi-site operations.
How does Rhombus Relay work with third-party cameras?
Rhombus Relay comes in two forms, described in the Rhombus support article on Rhombus Relay.
Relay Core (N100)
Relay Core is an on-premises appliance. Per Rhombus support:
- Capacity: up to 10 third-party RTSP cameras per unit, with 1TB to 4TB of SSD storage. Rhombus cites up to 40 days per camera on the 4TB option, and less at higher resolution or bitrate.
- Discovery: ONVIF cameras and cameras on the standard RTSP port (554) can be auto-discovered. Others are added manually with an RTSP URL. H.264 encoding is recommended.
- Features: alert policies, AI analytics, sharing, video walls, Activity Regions and Alarm Monitoring work on Core-connected streams.
- Limits: connect and disconnect notifications do not work, because Rhombus cannot see third-party camera health. Image settings must still be changed in the camera maker's own interface.
On cost, Rhombus's pricing page lists the N100 at $2,999 and notes that a Professional or Enterprise license is needed per camera to enable AI features on third-party cameras. When Relay launched in March 2025, SDM Magazine reported that the N100 carried no added licensing cost for video streaming, and that a 50-camera N500 was coming soon. The N500 is not listed on the current pricing page, so confirm its status with Rhombus.
Relay Lite
Relay Lite needs no extra hardware. It uses Rhombus cameras already on the network to pull in third-party streams, one third-party stream per Rhombus camera. According to Rhombus support, footage is kept on a 24-hour rolling basis, features such as analytics require assigning the camera to a Relay Core, Relay Lite cameras cannot take an Enterprise license, and Alarm Monitoring works with Relay Core only. The Relay Lite product page also notes that Rhombus cannot update firmware on non-Rhombus cameras, so that stays with you.
What this means for a large estate
Relay is a credible, well-documented way to bring older cameras into the Rhombus console and phase a migration. For a 400-camera estate spread across 30 sites, the planning questions are how many Core appliances you need at 10 cameras each, which features you need on which cameras, and who keeps third-party firmware patched.
Kotelab is built for the case where the existing estate is the long-term home, not a stop on the way. Before you test either option, run your recorders and cameras through our NVR and AI compatibility checklist.
What can Rhombus AI Search do?
Rhombus launched AI Search in beta in April 2025, letting operators type plain-language descriptions such as a person holding a delivery package and get short matching clips across cameras, filtered by time or camera. It was first offered to Enterprise license users. Rhombus's Console Features & Licensing article lists AI Search alongside face recognition, LPR, PPE detection, line crossing, people and vehicle counting and visual tamper detection as Enterprise features. It also states that AI Search uses OpenAI and that search prompts are shared with OpenAI and logged in the console, a detail privacy reviewers will want to note.
Kotelab's natural-language search is built around operational questions across the cameras you keep. Examples include "Show unusual activity near Substation 3 overnight" and "Was anyone near the north gate overnight?".
How does Rhombus licensing work, and what are the TCO questions?
Rhombus publishes US list prices, which is useful for budgeting. In October 2026 its pricing page showed:
- Camera hardware from $399 (R120 mini dome) to $3,299 (R600 multisensor), each with a 10-year warranty.
- A Professional license listed at $149 per camera, which excludes AI features and cloud archiving.
- License terms of 1, 3, 5 or 10 years.
- The N100 Relay Core at $2,999, with a license per connected camera for AI features.
Enterprise license prices for most models were not shown on the page, so a full quote is needed. Kotelab does not publish pricing either, so ask for a quote scoped to your cameras and sites.
On lapses, Rhombus's Claiming License Keys article says that if no licenses are applied, camera footage is available as a live stream only. We found no Rhombus page on what happens when an existing license expires or whether a grace period applies, so ask Rhombus to put that in writing.
Questions for your total cost of ownership model:
- How many working cameras would you retire, and how much useful life do they have left?
- What does installation cost per camera, including cabling, lifts, permits and site downtime?
- How many Relay Core appliances does your estate need at 10 cameras each, and for how long?
- Which cameras need Enterprise licenses for AI features, and what do those cost over 5 and 10 years?
- What happens to recording, playback and alerts if a renewal is delayed?
- How many staff hours go into footage review today, and how much would AI search and event surfacing reduce that?
When is Rhombus the better choice?
Rhombus is a strong option in these situations:
- New builds or end-of-life estates. If you need new cameras anyway, Rhombus offers a wide range at published prices with a 10-year warranty.
- One vendor for cameras, doors, sensors and alarms. Access control, IoT sensors and alarm monitoring sit in the same console.
- US-based monitored response. Its alarm monitoring service routes alerts to live agents at TMA Five Diamond certified centers, with video-verified or automatic dispatch per zone, across all US states.
- US public sector and regulated buyers. Its trust page lists SOC 2 adherence, NDAA and TAA hardware sourcing, GDPR, CJIS, TX-RAMP and support for HIPAA and CMMC programs.
When is Kotelab the better choice?
- You own a large, working CCTV estate. Mixed brands across Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview, Axis, Bosch, Hanwha Vision, Sony and Avigilon can stay in place.
- Your operations are global or pan-African. A multi-country portfolio of mines, substations, charging hubs and warehouses rarely shares one camera generation, and a layer avoids site-by-site replacement.
- You need operations and safety events, not only security alerts. Kote surfaces vehicles in restricted zones on a haul road, cable tampering at chargers, service vehicle dwell, PPE and restricted-zone safety, and queue build-up, alongside intrusion and after-hours activity.
- You want to keep your access control and response model. Kotelab correlates door events with video and routes alerts to your own teams, SOC or GSOC. For a worked example, see our guide to corporate campus after-hours security.
- You want results before a capital program. You can prove value on existing cameras before committing budget to new hardware.
For a wider view of the category, see our buyer's guide to the best AI video analytics software for existing cameras and our comparisons of Kotelab vs Verkada, Kotelab vs Spot AI and Kotelab vs Ambient.ai.
Can you run Kotelab and Rhombus together?
Yes, and coexistence is often the lowest-risk path. Some organizations are partway through a refresh, with new sites on a cloud platform and older sites on legacy NVRs.
A practical sequence:
- Pick two or three sites with known problems, such as after-hours intrusions, perimeter breaches or dock congestion.
- Connect Kotelab to the existing cameras at those sites and define the zones, events and owners.
- Measure with your operators the events surfaced, review time and incident outcomes over a set period.
- Decide site by site. Refresh the sites where cameras are at end of life, and keep the layer where cameras are still sound.
People stay accountable throughout. AI surfaces events with context, and operators verify and decide on dispatch or response.
Buyer checklist: questions to ask any vendor
- Which of our camera models and NVRs are supported, at what resolution and encoding?
- Which AI features work on our existing cameras, and which need new hardware or a higher license tier?
- What extra hardware is needed per site, and how many cameras does each unit handle?
- What happens to recording, playback and alerts if a license expires or a renewal is late?
- Where is video processed and stored, and which third parties (including AI model providers) see any data?
- What certifications and audit reports can you share today, and what is in progress?
- Is alarm monitoring or response available in every country where we operate?
- What does a pilot on our own cameras look like, and how is success measured?
Kotelab's own controls and policies are published in the Kotelab Legal & Trust Center.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kotelab a Rhombus alternative?
Yes, for organizations that want AI monitoring without replacing cameras. Kotelab works on existing IP cameras and RTSP-capable DVR/NVR streams, while Rhombus is a platform built around its own cameras, access control and sensors. If you need new hardware anyway, Rhombus is a different kind of purchase.
What is Rhombus Relay?
Rhombus Relay brings third-party cameras into the Rhombus Console. Relay Core (N100) is an appliance that supports up to 10 third-party RTSP cameras. Relay Lite needs no hardware but takes one third-party stream per Rhombus camera, keeps 24 hours of footage, and needs a Relay Core for analytics.
Does Rhombus work with third-party cameras?
Yes, through Relay Core or Relay Lite, using ONVIF discovery or RTSP URLs, with H.264 recommended. Rhombus documents some limits: it cannot monitor third-party camera health or push firmware updates to non-Rhombus cameras. AI features on third-party cameras need a license per camera.
Do Rhombus cameras need a license?
Yes. Rhombus states that all of its cameras require an ongoing license to operate, with terms of 1, 3, 5 or 10 years. AI features such as AI Search, face recognition and LPR need an Enterprise license, and unlicensed cameras offer live stream only.
Who are Rhombus's main competitors?
Rhombus competes with other cloud camera platforms such as Verkada, traditional VMS vendors, and AI analytics layers that run on existing cameras. Which group fits depends on whether you want to replace hardware or add intelligence to cameras you already own.
Can I use Kotelab while I evaluate Rhombus?
Yes. You can connect Kotelab to existing cameras at a few sites, measure results with your operators, and make refresh decisions site by site.
Does Kotelab replace Rhombus access control or alarm monitoring?
No. Kotelab does not sell door hardware or a monitoring service. It correlates events from your existing access control with video and routes configured alerts to your own teams, SOC or GSOC, where people verify and decide on response.
See Kote on your own cameras
If you already own a large CCTV estate, the fastest way to compare is on your own footage. Tell us about your sites, your cameras and the events that matter, and we will walk through a configuration with your team. Book a demo with Kotelab.