EyesOn vs DroneSense
DroneSense is the entrenched public-safety SaaS — strong brand, strong program-management surface, $1,500–$5,000 per aircraft per year. EyesOn is what we built when that pricing didn't survive a small-department TCO sheet. Self-hosted, sub-second WebRTC, MIT licensed, $39–$209/mo flat. Below is the line-by-line truth.
DroneSense did the hard work of educating the public-safety market. We built EyesOn for the departments that did the math after.
DroneSense has spent the better part of a decade selling chiefs and sheriffs on the idea that drones belong inside the command structure. They earned that brand authority — most agencies first hear "drone live streaming" from a DroneSense booth at IACP or the IAFC conference. That is real and valuable, and any honest comparison starts there.
What DroneSense did not do is hold their pricing flat as their target market expanded from major metro DFR programs down to 8-aircraft sheriff's offices and 3-aircraft volunteer fire departments. The published pricing band — $1,500 to $5,000+ per aircraft per year depending on tier — is fine for a 60-aircraft major-city DFR program where the line item disappears in the budget. It is brutal for a Lane County volunteer fire district running three aircraft on a grant cycle.
EyesOn is the answer to that math problem. It is not "DroneSense for less" — it is the live-streaming and evidence-chain half of DroneSense, lifted out, MIT-licensed, and engineered to run on a $20/month VPS or a Synology NAS in your IT closet. The numbers below are the comparison.
The line-by-line.
Where DroneSense wins, we mark it with a check on their side. Where they don't publish a number, we say "not published" — not "worse." Cited where citable.
| Feature | EyesOnSelf-hosted / Managed | DroneSenseSaaS · public-safety |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | ||
| Software licenseUp-front capex vs subscription | MIT, free to self-host. $0 license fee. | Proprietary SaaS subscription. No purchase option. |
| Per-aircraft fee | None — unlimited aircraft on every paid tier | $1,500–$5,000+ per aircraft per year |
| Per-user fee | None on Self-Hosted Personal/Pro/Enterprise | Tier-dependent; agency-wide tiers exist |
| Monthly subscription | $39 / $89 / $209 self-hosted · $499 managed | Not published — quoted per agency |
| Setup / onboarding | $149–$799 one-time (self-hosted to managed) | Quoted per deployment, typically thousands |
| 3-yr cost · 5 aircraft | ~$3,000 (Pro tier × 36mo + setup) | ~$22,500–$75,000 (mid-tier × 5 × 3yr) |
| Streaming Architecture | ||
| Primary protocol | WebRTC (sub-second), RTMP ingest, HLS for replays | RTMP ingest, HLS playback, WebRTC for some flows |
| Glass-to-glass latency | < 1 second on 4G LTE (measured) | 2–4 seconds typical (HLS); not published |
| Multi-stream grid | 4-up grid native, unlimited on Enterprise | Yes, AirBoss command center |
| Time-limited guest links | Token-signed, configurable expiry (5min–24hr) | Available; tied to DroneSense account model |
| Browser viewing (no app) | Yes — any modern browser | Yes — DroneSense Live web client |
| Drone Compatibility | ||
| DJI enterprise (M30T, M3T, M4TD, M350) | Native via Pilot 2 RTMP + Companion App | Native, deep integration |
| DJI Cellular Module 4G | Direct RTMP push, no relay | Supported |
| Autel EVO Max / Parrot Anafi | RTMP-in works for any compliant publisher | Limited — DJI-first integrations |
| Skydio X10 / X10D | RTMP-out from Skydio Cloud — works | Through Skydio Cloud bridge, not direct |
| Custom / hobby / homebuilt | Anything that speaks RTMP | Not in scope |
| Hosting & Data Residency | ||
| Self-hosted on your hardware | Yes — Docker on Linux, $20/mo VPS works | SaaS only, AWS-hosted |
| On-premise / agency datacenter | Yes — supported configuration | Not offered |
| Air-gapped deployment | Possible for custom builds — contact us | Not supported |
| Vendor-cloud option | Managed tier — BarnardHQ-hosted | Default delivery model |
| CJIS-compatible deployment | On agency hardware, agency network — yes | AWS GovCloud option exists; ask about pricing |
| Compliance & Audit | ||
| Audit log of viewer access | Per-token, per-IP, per-event | Yes, agency-tier feature |
| Evidence-chain export | Hash-chained recording manifest, MP4 + JSON | Available |
| Configurable retention policy | You set it (it's your disk) | Tier-dependent; storage upcharge above limit |
| FOIA / public-records friendly | Files on your disk; no vendor subpoena | Vendor-mediated; depends on contract |
| Encryption at rest | Disk-level (LUKS / dm-crypt) up to operator | AWS-managed |
| Integration & Workflow | ||
| DJI FlightHub 2 | Sibling integration via Companion App | Distinct ecosystem; some bridge tooling |
| Mission planning | Not in scope — use FlightHub 2 / DroneOps | Yes — AirBoss mission planner |
| Pilot certification tracking | Not in scope | Yes — program-management surface |
| Public API | REST + WebSocket, MIT-licensed | Partner / enterprise tier |
| Webhook events | Stream-up, stream-down, viewer-join | Limited; via partner integrations |
| Support & Operations | ||
| Community support | GitHub issues, public docs | Vendor channel only |
| Paid SLA | Managed tier: 4-hour response | Tier-dependent; agency contracts available |
| Training | Public docs + 30-min Zoom on Managed | Formal training programs, on-site option |
| Procurement maturity | One-person shop; PO/W-9 fine | NASPO ValuePoint, GSA, GovTech-vetted |
| Open-Source & Lock-in | ||
| Open source | MIT licensed | Closed-source SaaS |
| Hardware-tied | None — vendor-neutral | None — also vendor-neutral |
| Contract length | Month-to-month, cancel anytime | Annual; multi-year discounts |
| Data export on cancel | You already have it (it's your disk) | Vendor-mediated export |
| Forkable / extensible | Yes — entire stack on GitHub | No |
Where each platform actually wins.
Punching down doesn't help anyone. DroneSense earned its market position. Here's what they do better, and where the EyesOn architecture pulls ahead.
Where DroneSense wins
- Brand authority with chiefs and procurement A decade of IACP and IAFC conference presence makes "DroneSense" the default name in the room. PO templates, NASPO listings, and GSA pre-vetting are real procurement value — sometimes worth more than a pricing delta.
- Full program-management surface Pilot certifications, currency tracking, mission planning, post-flight reports, FAA grant compliance — DroneSense covers all of it in one platform. EyesOn does not. If you live in those dashboards every day, that's a feature gap, not a price-comparison line.
- Formal training and onboarding DroneSense ships dedicated trainers, instructor-led sessions, and conference workshops. EyesOn ships a 30-minute Zoom on the Managed tier and good documentation. For a 60-aircraft DFR program with rotating staff, that gap matters.
- Established CAD / RMS partner integrations Tyler, Hexagon, Mark43, CentralSquare — DroneSense has named integrations with most major CAD/RMS vendors. EyesOn ships webhooks and a REST API; the integration is a project, not a checkbox.
Where EyesOn wins
- Sub-second glass-to-glass on a 4G LTE link Measured under 1 second from camera sensor to incident commander's browser, on the same cellular link DroneSense's HLS path runs at 2–4 seconds. Why that matters in a tactical window when a barricaded subject moves.
- Total cost flat at fleet scale $209/mo Enterprise covers unlimited aircraft, unlimited viewers. A 20-aircraft sheriff's office pays the same as a 3-aircraft volunteer fire department. DroneSense's per-aircraft model means scaling the fleet means scaling the bill — linearly. Full TCO line-by-line.
- Your data on your hardware, full stop Self-hosted means recordings, audit logs, encryption keys, and access tokens live where you put them. For a CJIS-conscious agency, FOIA-bound jurisdiction, or anyone who's read their own evidence-chain SOP carefully, that property is not negotiable.
- Open source, vendor-neutral, forkable MIT-licensed entire stack on GitHub. If BarnardHQ disappears tomorrow, your deployment keeps running and your in-house engineer can fix the bug. Closed-source SaaS gives you a phone number and a status page.
Choose the one that fits your operation.
Most agencies that compared both ended up with one or the other based on these specific priorities — not on a feature scorecard.
Choose DroneSense if
- Your priority is a single program-management platform. Pilot certs, mission planning, FAA grant reporting, post-flight workflow — and you want one vendor to call.
- Your procurement team needs a NASPO / GSA / GovTech-vetted vendor. The line item exists in your purchasing system already; vendor risk is a non-issue.
- You're running a 50+ aircraft DFR program. The per-aircraft fee disappears in your operations budget, and the mature CAD/RMS integrations save more time than the pricing delta costs.
- Your IT environment is "pure SaaS, please." No appetite for self-hosting, no in-house Linux operator, no Synology in the closet.
- You want a dedicated training program, instructor-led. 30-minute Zoom kickoff is not enough for your rotation cadence.
Choose EyesOn if
- Your priority is sub-second latency for tactical decisions. WebRTC under 1s vs HLS 2–4s — measurable, not marketing.
- You're running 3–15 aircraft on a constrained budget. Volunteer fire, small-town PD, single-county SAR. The per-aircraft math doesn't fit.
- Your evidence-chain or CJIS posture rules out vendor-cloud video. Files on your disk, audit log on your disk, no subpoena-the-vendor exposure.
- You already have program management. FlightHub 2, a homegrown spreadsheet, or a smaller LAANC-only subscription. You just need the live-streaming and recording layer.
- You want to own the stack. MIT license, GitHub, fork-and-extend rights. If a future need is one webhook away, you write it yourself.
The math at 5 aircraft, 36 months.
A representative mid-tier deployment. Real DroneSense quotes vary by agency size, contract length, and whether you need their AirBoss command center module. EyesOn pricing is published; DroneSense pricing is not — the band below reflects customer-reported quotes from 2024–2026.
| Line item | EyesOn (Pro self-hosted) | DroneSense (mid-tier) |
|---|---|---|
| Software / subscription · 36 mo | $89/mo × 36 = $3,204 | $2,500/aircraft/yr × 5 × 3 = $37,500 |
| Setup / onboarding | $299 one-time | $3,000–$8,000 typical |
| Per-aircraft fees | $0 (unlimited) | included above |
| Per-user / per-viewer fees | $0 | tier-dependent; assume $0 mid-tier |
| Hosting (VPS, $20/mo · 36 mo) | $720 | included (vendor-hosted) |
| Storage / retention upcharge | $0 (your disk) | $0–$3,000 (over-quota) |
| Training | $0 (docs + 30-min Zoom) | $0–$2,500 (instructor-led optional) |
| 3-year total | ~$4,223 | ~$40,500–$51,000 |
Note: Managed EyesOn ($499/mo + $799 setup) lands at ~$18,763 over 3 years — still well under DroneSense's mid-tier band, with no infrastructure responsibility on your side. Full breakdown in the line-by-line cost post.
Frequently asked.
Can EyesOn replace DroneSense for a public-safety department of 10–20 pilots?
For the live-streaming and incident-evidence pieces, yes. EyesOn was built specifically because DroneSense's per-aircraft annual licensing did not fit a small one-person operation, and the same math applies to a 10–20 pilot department running 5–10 aircraft.
EyesOn does not replace DroneSense's full program-management surface — pilot certification tracking, training records, FAA Part 107 compliance dashboards. Most departments end up running EyesOn for live video and audit-grade evidence, then keeping a much smaller DroneSense or LAANC-only subscription for compliance — or none at all if a spreadsheet is sufficient.
What does migration from DroneSense to EyesOn look like?
EyesOn is a Docker stack you deploy on a $20/month VPS, an existing Linux server, or fully managed by BarnardHQ. RTMP ingest works with anything that publishes a stream, including DJI Pilot 2, DJI Cellular Module 4G, and Parrot/Autel/Skydio with an RTMP card.
There is no contract to break with DroneSense — let your renewal lapse and stand up EyesOn in parallel for a 30-day overlap. Historical incident video stays in DroneSense; new incidents flow into EyesOn. After 30 days, decide whether to keep both or cut over fully.
Where does the video data live with EyesOn vs DroneSense?
DroneSense stores video on AWS infrastructure under DroneSense's data-residency terms — fine for most US agencies but a hard stop for some CJIS-conscious departments. EyesOn stores video on hardware you control: your VPS, your on-premise server, or your air-gapped deployment. The recordings, the audit log, the access tokens, and the encryption keys all live where you put them.
Self-hosted means you can hand a forensic image of the disk to your evidence custodian; SaaS means you file a subpoena to the vendor. For agencies under FOIA, evidence-chain requirements, or strict data-residency contracts, this difference matters. Full self-hosted-vs-managed breakdown.
What about DroneSense's program management features that EyesOn doesn't have?
DroneSense has spent years building program management — pilot certification tracking, currency dashboards, mission planning, post-flight reports, FAA grant compliance reporting. EyesOn does not try to compete on those features and probably never will. EyesOn is the live-video-and-evidence half of the stack.
If your department lives in DroneSense's program management daily, you can keep DroneSense's program tier and run EyesOn underneath for streaming. The split saves real money: streaming and storage are the expensive line items in DroneSense's pricing, not the dashboards. Many agencies that have done this end up with a 60–80% reduction in DroneSense spend by dropping to a program-management-only tier.
What aircraft and devices does EyesOn work with?
Anything that publishes RTMP. DJI M30T, M3T, M4TD, Mavic 3 Enterprise, Matrice 350, DJI Pilot 2 with the Cellular Module 4G — all native. Autel EVO Max, Parrot Anafi USA, Skydio X10 — all work via their RTMP capability or a paired phone running Larix Broadcaster.
The EyesOn Companion App on Android RC controllers (DJI RC Plus, RC Pro) handles authentication and key rotation automatically. WebRTC viewing works in any modern browser — no app install required for incident commanders, chiefs, or guest viewers. Detailed setup walkthroughs in the DJI live-streaming guide.
Run the math on your operation.
Send your fleet size, your current DroneSense quote (if you have one), and your top three deal-breakers. You'll get a 1-page TCO comparison and a deployment plan within one business day. Same operator from quote through go-live.