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Atlas Score is our framework for evaluating home security products and brands. It's designed to be explainable, source-backed, comparable, and biased toward local-first control. Every score is built from verifiable criteria—not marketing claims—so you can make informed decisions about your home security setup.
Atlas Score evaluates products and brands across dimensions that matter for privacy-conscious DIY security:
Brand scores evaluate the overall ecosystem and company philosophy. Here's how the 100-point scale breaks down:
Native local storage, RTSP/ONVIF support, offline operation
Can you use core features without recurring fees?
Integration beyond vendor ecosystem (Home Assistant, generic NVRs)
Data handling transparency, incident response (+15 base, –20 max penalty)
Subjective assessment from third-party reviews and community feedback
Note on incident penalties: Security or privacy incidents can reduce the security posture score by up to 20 points. Penalties decay over time based on severity, vendor response, and whether issues were resolved transparently.
Product scores evaluate individual cameras and NVRs. Each product inherits 30% of its parent brand's score, then adds product-specific criteria:
30% of the parent brand's Atlas Score
SD card, NVR, FTP/NAS recording; works without internet
RTSP/ONVIF support, generic NVR compatibility, API access
Subjective assessment from third-party product reviews
Ease of setup, stability, documented workflows for DIY users
Every non-subjective point in Atlas Score should be backed by verifiable sources:
Important: Atlas Score is an aid, not a guarantee. We encourage you to verify key claims from our sources before making a purchase. Security products are complex, and firmware updates can change behavior over time.
Spotted a missing source or incorrect information? Let us know so we can investigate and update our data.
HomeSecurityAtlas prioritizes privacy-conscious, local-control-friendly, and ecosystem-open brands. These align with our philosophy of giving users maximum control over their security footage and system configuration.
However, we also include major mainstream players (like Ring, Google Nest, etc.) because they represent a significant portion of the DIY market. Even if these brands don't align with our local-first preferences, users should be aware of them and understand the tradeoffs they involve.
Inclusion is not endorsement. Atlas Scores and Reality Notes will reflect the tradeoffs and limitations of each brand—whether that's vendor lock-in, subscription requirements, or privacy concerns.
Help us keep HomeSecurityAtlas accurate and transparent.