VSaaS is video surveillance delivered as a service: instead of buying servers and licenses, the operation subscribes to a platform that handles recording, alerts and artificial intelligence. On this page we explain what VSaaS is, how it differs from VMS, VMS SaaS and Cloud VMS — and how Xeqmate runs both in the cloud and on-premise.
VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) is the model where video surveillance is contracted as a service, on a subscription, instead of bought as hardware and licenses. Cameras send video to a platform the vendor runs — usually in the cloud — which records it, processes it and delivers footage and alerts through a browser and mobile apps. The operation pays for what it uses and the vendor takes care of infrastructure and updates.
In practice, VSaaS hands the vendor everything that used to be the customer problem: sizing a server, installing software, applying updates, keeping enough recording space. What stays with the customer is the use: watching live, reviewing recordings, handling alerts, managing users. It is the same shift that happened to email, ERP and telephony — software stops being an installed product and becomes a continuous service.
The term shows up next to several similar ones — VMS, VMS SaaS, Cloud VMS, on-premise. They are not exact synonyms, and understanding the difference makes it much easier to compare proposals. To start from the basics, the article what is a VMS explains video management from scratch; the article what is VSaaS goes deeper into the service model.
Five terms the market uses — sometimes interchangeably. Here is what each one means.
The video management software itself: live view, recording, playback, users and alerts. Traditionally installed on a server inside the customer infrastructure, with a purchased license. The term VMS describes what the software does, not where it runs.
The service category: video surveillance delivered on a subscription, with the vendor running the infrastructure. The term is about the commercial and operating model — a continuous service instead of an installed product.
A complete VMS delivered in the SaaS model: video management, recording, AI, multi-tenancy, permissions and an API, all on a subscription. It is the intersection of the two terms above — and it is how Xeqmate describes itself. Every VMS SaaS is a VSaaS; not every VSaaS offers a complete VMS.
A VMS hosted in the cloud: the software and the recording run on vendor servers, reached over the internet. The term stresses the infrastructure (cloud), while VSaaS stresses the contract model (service). In practice, a subscription Cloud VMS is a VMS SaaS. See cloud VMS.
The VMS running inside the customer own infrastructure: local server, local recording, local processing. It is the traditional model — and it still makes sense for large camera counts or internal policies that require video to stay in house. The guide on-premise or cloud VMS compares both paths.
When the same platform runs both cloud and on-premise recording servers behind a single interface. That is Xeqmate: cloud and local cameras live in the same dashboard, priced separately by recording server type.
How each model behaves on the points that weigh most in the decision. Xeqmate runs both, which is why the hybrid column is ours.
| Criterion | Traditional on-premise VMS | Cloud VSaaS / VMS SaaS | Hybrid model (Xeqmate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where the software runs | A server inside the customer infrastructure | Vendor cloud, reached through a browser and apps | Cloud and/or local server — same platform, same interface |
| Upfront investment | High: server, storage and installation | Low: no server to buy | Low in the cloud; a local server only where the operation needs one |
| Licensing | Perpetual or per-version license, paid upfront | Monthly subscription per camera and module | Monthly subscription per camera and module, priced separately by recording server type |
| Updates | The customer responsibility; may require downtime and reinstallation | Continuous, applied by the vendor | Continuous, applied by the vendor in both models |
| Scalability | Bounded by the server you bought; growing means new hardware | Adding a camera is adjusting the subscription | Cloud cameras join instantly; local cameras grow with the on-premise server |
| Internet dependency | Low for recording; high for remote access | The camera needs a connection to send video | Local recording does not depend on the external link; cloud needs the camera connected |
| Who maintains the infrastructure | The customer (hardware, operating system, backups) | The vendor | The vendor in the cloud; on-premise, the hardware is the customer’s and the platform is maintained by the vendor |
There is no universally "right" model: the choice depends on camera count, data policy and available infrastructure. The point worth making is that the choice does not have to be permanent or exclusive — on a hybrid platform, one operation can record its branches in the cloud and its headquarters on a local server.
Cloud and local recording servers live on the same platform. The modules below work in both models, because the AI processes video on the server — any camera with RTSP, RTMP or P2P will do, with no special hardware.
Legacy and Mercosur plates, plate alerts, read search by plate, photo or voice, and reports for co-occurrence, convoys and traffic flow.
Explore LPRReal-time face monitoring, face alerts, searchable face reads and one-to-one face comparison.
Explore facialMotion, person, vehicle, object, fire and PPE detection, with configurable detection zones, sensitivity and schedules.
Explore the AIVisitors, contractors, parcels and shift handover at the front desk; bookings, notices and invitations in the resident app.
Explore the moduleYour own domain, logos, colours, contacts, app store links and legal terms under the integrator brand.
See white-labelA documented REST API with a per-account token, plus signed webhooks that deliver plate and face alerts to your system.
See the APIIf you are evaluating vendors, the VMS SaaS page details the complete platform, and the guide on how to choose a VMS lists the questions worth asking any vendor.
Almost. VSaaS is the category: video surveillance delivered as a service, on a subscription. VMS SaaS stresses that the product is a complete VMS — video management, recording, AI, users and permissions — inside that service model. Every VMS SaaS is a VSaaS; not every VSaaS delivers a complete VMS.
Yes. Xeqmate is a VMS platform delivered as a service: a monthly subscription per camera and module, no perpetual license, reached through a browser and Android/iOS apps. And it goes beyond the typical VSaaS: the same platform also runs on-premise recording servers.
Cloud VMS describes the infrastructure: a VMS hosted in the cloud. VSaaS describes the contract model: a subscription service. A Cloud VMS bought on a subscription is, in practice, a VSaaS — the terms overlap, but they look at different sides of the same offer.
At Xeqmate, yes: IP cameras, DVRs and NVRs of any brand connect over RTSP, RTMP or P2P, with no hardware swap. ONVIF cameras come in over RTSP, since ONVIF is a discovery and control standard — the video itself travels over RTSP.
A typical VSaaS records in the cloud, with a per-camera plan set by resolution and retention days. At Xeqmate, recording can be in the cloud or on an on-premise server inside the customer infrastructure — both types live on the same platform, priced separately.
At Xeqmate it is a monthly subscription per camera (resolution × retention days) plus the modules contracted, with a monthly minimum and pro-rated billing by days of use. No perpetual license, and no mandatory server investment in the cloud model.
30 minutes with our team: we connect one of your cameras live, you watch LPR and facial recognition run, and you leave with the cost for your own scenario.
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