The short answer: if you have capital budget and a permanent site, buy. If you want new equipment without a large cheque and prefer a fixed monthly cost, lease. If the site is temporary, whether a construction project, an event, or a building between tenants, rent. KingsGuard offers all three across Ontario, and the hardware, the installation quality, and the monitoring behind it are the same whichever you choose.
Most security companies push whichever option makes them the most money. We'd rather explain the trade-offs, because the wrong payment structure is an annoyance you live with for years.
What you're actually paying for
A Verkada system has three cost components. There's the hardware: cameras, access controllers, alarm sensors, intercoms. There's the per-device licence, which Verkada requires for every piece of equipment and which covers the cloud platform, automatic firmware updates, and the 10-year hardware warranty. And there's the installation, which for us always means hard-wired PoE cabling run by our own technicians, because wireless cameras can be jammed and we won't install them.
Buying, leasing, and renting are simply different ways of dividing those three costs over time.
Buying: own it outright
Buying suits organizations that have capital budget available, expect to keep the site for years, and either have someone to manage the system or plan to add a managed care plan afterward.
You get a site assessment, a design showing every camera position, and a single quote covering hardware, licences, cabling, and per-camera installation. After handover the system is yours. You can run it yourself, or add Managed Care and live monitoring as a monthly service.
The advantage is the lowest total cost over a long horizon and full ownership of the equipment. The disadvantage is the upfront spend, and the fact that hardware you own is hardware you have to look after. We also offer pre-authorized monthly payments on purchases for clients who want to own the system but spread the cost.
Leasing: one monthly payment, we stay responsible
Leasing turns a capital purchase into an operating expense. You get current-generation Verkada hardware installed and configured, and for the length of the term, typically 12 to 36 months, KingsGuard stays responsible for keeping it working. Licences and managed care are included in the monthly figure, so there are no separate renewals to track.
Leasing suits growing businesses opening new locations, condo corporations that would rather not draw on the reserve fund, and any operator who values budget certainty over ownership. It's also the sensible choice if you expect to expand the system, since cameras can be added mid-term and rolled into the same payment.
At the end of the term you can upgrade to newer hardware, renew, buy the equipment out, or return it. Leasing starts from $50 per camera per month, and live monitoring can be added from $250 per site per month.
Renting: for sites that won't be there next year
Renting is for temporary needs where a permanent install makes no sense: construction sites from excavation to occupancy, festivals and events, vacant properties, seasonal retail peaks, or insurance-mandated monitoring after an incident.
Temporary sites are exactly where theft happens, and they're the sites least likely to have power, internet, or a place to put a recorder. Verkada's cellular cameras and our portable solar surveillance units need none of those. We deploy, we monitor, we remove, and when the project ends, so does the bill. Rentals start from $100 per camera per month with a 6 month minimum.
A quick comparison
| Buy | Lease | Rent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Permanent sites with capital budget | Permanent sites wanting a fixed monthly cost | Temporary sites and projects |
| Upfront cost | Full | None or minimal | None |
| Who owns the equipment | You | KingsGuard during the term | KingsGuard |
| Maintenance | You, or add Managed Care | Included | Included |
| Term | None | 12 months | Month to month |
What's the same in all three
The hardware is the same Verkada equipment. Every install is hard-wired. The same monitoring centre watches the cameras if you add live monitoring. And in every case the people installing your system work alongside the guards and operators who respond to what the cameras see, which is the difference between a security company and an IT reseller.
A note on pricing
Verkada publishes its list prices in US dollars. We quote in CAD so you know what you'll pay, and every quote itemizes hardware, licences, and installation so nothing is hidden.
Not sure which path fits? Request a quote and tell us about the site. We'll come back within one business day with a recommendation and a price for whichever options make sense.
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