How many cameras you have and the quality of video they record directly impact your cloud storage costs. Most providers charge per camera, with prices increasing as you add more devices to your system.
Video quality also matters significantly. Higher resolution cameras (like 4K) create larger video files than standard definition cameras. These larger files take up more storage space, which increases your monthly costs.
When planning your camera cloud storage cost, consider whether you need high resolution for all cameras or if some can record at lower quality to save money.
Whether your existing cameras will work with cloud storage affects your overall costs. If your current cameras are compatible with the cloud system you choose, you’ll save money on equipment. If not, you’ll need to factor in the cost of new cameras.
A camera system with cloud storage might also need to integrate with other business tools like point-of-sale systems or access control. Some providers include these integrations in their base price, while others charge extra for them.
Before choosing a cloud storage provider, check if your cameras are compatible and what integrations are included in the base price versus what costs extra.
Event-only recording
Event-only recording saves video clips only when something specific happens, like when someone walks into view or opens a door. This approach uses less storage space than recording all the time, which makes it less expensive.
This option works well when you don’t need to see every minute of the day, just the important moments.
A retail store might use event-only recording to capture customer interactions or after-hours activity. Since the system only saves video when something happens, you can review specific events without searching through hours of footage.
Continuous recording
Continuous recording captures video 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This option provides complete coverage but uses more storage space and costs more than event-only recording.
Continuous recording is valuable in high-security areas or situations where you need to see everything that happens. Banks, casinos, and certain retail environments often use this approach to maintain complete video records.
Hybrid or tiered plans
Hybrid storage combines local recording devices with cloud backup. This approach gives you the speed of on-site storage with the security of cloud backup. With cloud video recording as a backup, your footage remains safe even if something happens to your local equipment.
Tiered plans offer different levels of access to your footage. Typically, your video will be available for a certain period of time, allowing you to save what you need for investigations while the remaining unneeded video is deleted after a certain number of days. This approach can reduce costs while still preserving the video you actually need.
Many businesses choose hybrid solutions to balance performance and cost. For example, a restaurant might keep the last seven days of footage locally for quick access, while backing up important events to the cloud for longer-term storage for investigations. 
