Is Rhombus Proprietary? Open Architecture, APIs, and Hardware Flexibility Explained

Rhombus is a cloud-managed physical security platform with a documented open API, support for third-party cameras, and hardware-agnostic access control. You can connect third-party cameras, build against that API, and run access control on hardware that isn’t locked to a single vendor. The platform was designed to work with the infrastructure you already own rather than replace it.

Bottom line: Rhombus is not proprietary. It ships with a documented open API, Relay connectors for third-party cameras, 50+ native integrations, and hardware-agnostic access control. Buyers who conflate it with closed ecosystems like Verkada are comparing the front-end experience, not the underlying architecture.

The confusion comes from a fair assumption. Cloud-native camera systems handle their own hardware and firmware, so buyers group them with closed ecosystems that refuse outside equipment. Rhombus shares the cloud-native model without the lock-in.

Open architecture means you control your data, choose your hardware, and integrate with the tools your IT team already runs. A proprietary system forces you into one vendor’s cameras, one vendor’s API rules, and one vendor’s upgrade path. Rhombus takes the opposite stance through its documented open API, Relay connectors for legacy cameras, and 50-plus native integrations.

What “Proprietary” Actually Means in Physical Security

A proprietary security platform forces you to buy one vendor’s cameras, run them on that vendor’s software, and stay locked in for the life of the system. The hardware only talks to the matching cloud. The cloud only recognizes the matching hardware. Walk away from one and you walk away from both.

Buyers feel this lock-in in three ways. Hardware lock-in means a camera you bought for one platform becomes scrap metal if you switch vendors. Vendor dependency means a single company controls your pricing, your roadmap, and your data. You have no leverage to push back. Migration friction is the bill that arrives when you finally want out. Pulling cameras off the walls and re-cabling a building costs more than the software ever did.

An open platform breaks that grip. You document the API so other systems can read and write data. You support cameras you didn’t manufacture. You let an organization connect its existing access control, identity tools, and alarm hardware without ripping anything out.

The practical test is simple: when you decide to leave, what do you have to throw away? A proprietary system answers “most of it.” An open one answers “almost nothing.”

Where the Rhombus-as-Proprietary Myth Comes From

The myth starts with how Rhombus and Verkada look from the outside. Both sell cloud-managed cameras, a single dashboard, and hardware that arrives ready to plug in. Buyers see that polished, all-in-one experience and assume the architecture underneath must be closed too.

Look past the interface and the difference is clear. Verkada is primarily designed around its own hardware, and its integration surface is more limited than Rhombus’s. Third-party camera migration is not a supported path, based on publicly available product documentation.

Rhombus delivers the same cloud-native convenience. The difference is what you can connect to it and what you can do with your data. Conflating the two is easy because the front end looks identical. The platforms diverge the moment you try to bring your own cameras.

The broader market adds to the confusion. Traditional on-premises platforms like Genetec and Milestone are genuinely open — they run on customer-managed servers and support a wide range of third-party cameras natively. Buyers familiar with that model sometimes assume cloud-native means less open, because cloud vendors historically bundled hardware and software together. Rhombus closes that gap: it delivers the deployment simplicity of a cloud platform with an integration surface closer to what enterprise buyers expect from an on-premises VMS.

How Rhombus Is Built as an Open Platform

Rhombus is open by design across four areas.

A documented, public API

Rhombus publishes its full API so your developers can pull video, events, and analytics into the tools you already run. You authenticate, hit documented endpoints, and build against a contract that does not change without notice. Verkada keeps much of its integration surface gated behind partner agreements, which is the closed pattern Rhombus avoids.

Relay Core and Relay Lite for third-party cameras

Relay Core and Relay Lite let you connect existing ONVIF and RTSP cameras into the Rhombus console without ripping them off the wall. Relay Lite runs as a software bridge for smaller deployments. Relay Core handles larger camera counts and keeps your legacy hardware feeding the same cloud interface as native Rhombus devices. You migrate on your own timeline instead of buying a full hardware refresh on day one.

More than 50 native integrations

Rhombus ships over 50 prebuilt integrations across access control, identity, alarm, and communication systems. You connect Okta for single sign-on, Slack or Microsoft Teams for alerts, and your access control panels for door events tied to video. These connectors work out of the box, so you spend time configuring rather than writing glue code.

Hardware-agnostic access control

Rhombus access control runs on open standards rather than a single proprietary reader or controller line. You pair the platform with OSDP-capable readers and standard credentials, then manage doors and cameras in one console. Your badging and physical infrastructure stay portable, which matters when a building already has installed hardware you do not want to scrap.

Together these pillars mean you keep your cameras, your IT stack, and your access hardware while gaining one cloud platform to run them. None of the four traps you in Rhombus-only equipment.

Open vs. Closed: Platform Comparison Table

Rhombus gives you API access, supports third-party cameras through Relay, and runs on hardware you can mix. Vendors designed around a closed ecosystem restrict most of those options.

| API access | Documented, open | Limited or partner-gated |

| Third-party camera support | Yes, via Relay Core and Relay Lite | None | | Native integrations | 50+ listed integrations (as of publication) | Curated, vendor-controlled | | Hardware portability | Reuse existing cameras and IT stack | Vendor hardware required | | NDAA/TAA compliance | Yes | Varies by vendor |

Rhombus lets your existing infrastructure stay in play. A closed platform asks you to replace it on the vendor’s schedule.

What Open Architecture Means for Your Existing Infrastructure

Most organizations evaluating Rhombus already own cameras, switches, and an aging NVR. Open architecture determines whether you keep that hardware or replace it. Rhombus lets you keep most of it.

Migrating off a legacy NVR or DVR

You connect existing IP cameras through Relay Core or Relay Lite and bring them into the Rhombus console without buying new camera hardware. The old NVR retires on your schedule, not the vendor’s. You keep recording while you migrate site by site.

Mixing third-party cameras with Rhombus

You can run Rhombus cameras at new sites and pull RTSP-capable third-party cameras into the same dashboard. One pane of glass covers both. You replace cameras when they fail rather than all at once to satisfy a platform.

Connecting to your existing IT stack

Rhombus speaks to your identity provider, SIEM, and access control through a documented API and 50+ native integrations. You wire alerts into the tools your team already watches. No forklift upgrade, no parallel system your IT group has to babysit.

The result is a phased rollout you control, replacing hardware when it makes sense rather than all at once.

Retention, bandwidth, and deployment tradeoffs

Rhombus cameras store footage locally on the device — up to 180 days depending on the model and resolution — and sync to the cloud selectively rather than streaming everything continuously. That design keeps bandwidth consumption lower than systems that push all footage to a central server, which matters for multi-site organizations running on shared WAN links. On-premises platforms like Genetec or Milestone give you more control over retention policy and storage architecture, but require server infrastructure and IT overhead to manage. Rhombus trades some of that granular control for simpler deployment and automatic firmware updates. If your compliance environment requires fully air-gapped, on-premises storage with no cloud dependency, Rhombus is not the right fit — that tradeoff is covered in the Not the Best Fit section below.

NDAA and TAA Compliance as an Openness Signal

NDAA and TAA compliance tell you who controls the hardware inside your security system. The NDAA bans cameras and components from manufacturers the U.S. government flagged as security risks. TAA limits federal purchases to products made in approved countries. Rhombus cameras meet both standards.

For open-architecture buyers, that compliance doubles as a trust signal. A vendor willing to disclose its supply chain and document its components gives you a verifiable view of how the hardware works. Closed systems that obscure their parts give you fewer ways to verify what runs on your network.

If you are a security director or work with a government-adjacent organization, you often face these requirements as a hard gate, not a preference. School districts, healthcare networks, and contractors handling federal data all need to prove their cameras meet NDAA rules. Rhombus clears that bar, so you can specify it without chasing exemptions or filing waivers.

Best For

Choose Rhombus when your existing camera infrastructure outweighs your appetite for a forklift upgrade. Three buyer profiles get the most value.

• Multi-site organizations with existing cameras. You run mixed hardware across locations and want one platform that pulls third-party RTSP and ONVIF feeds into a single view through Relay Core or Relay Lite.
• IT-driven security teams. You manage cameras like any other network endpoint and need documented API access to script provisioning, pull events, and connect existing identity and alerting tools.
• Organizations with open architecture mandates. Your procurement rules ban vendor lock-in and require NDAA and TAA compliance up front.

Not the Best Fit

Rhombus may not be the right choice in every scenario.

• Buyers who want the lowest upfront hardware cost. Rhombus hardware is mid-to-enterprise tier. If the primary driver is the cheapest possible camera, there are lower-cost options — though they typically come without the cloud management, AI analytics, or integration depth.
• Organizations that need a fully on-premises deployment. Rhombus is cloud-managed by design. If your compliance environment requires fully air-gapped, on-premises recording with no cloud dependency, Rhombus is not the right fit.
• Teams that want a single-vendor, fully managed turnkey system. If you have no existing camera infrastructure and want one vendor to own the entire stack end-to-end, a more vertically integrated platform may feel simpler — though it comes with the lock-in tradeoffs described above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rhombus open source? Rhombus is not open source, and open architecture does not mean open source. Rhombus publishes a fully documented public API that any developer can build against. You get programmatic access to footage, events, and device controls without paying for a separate integration tier.

Can I use non-Rhombus cameras with Rhombus? Yes. Relay Core and Relay Lite connect existing third-party and ONVIF-compliant cameras into the Rhombus Console. You keep your installed hardware and manage everything in one interface, which avoids a rip-and-replace migration.

Does Rhombus lock you into a contract?
A contract lock-in means you depend on an ongoing subscription to keep your system working. Rhombus sells hardware you own outright and pairs it with subscription licensing for cloud features. The hardware is yours regardless of subscription status. Compare that to closed systems where the hardware stops functioning the moment the subscription ends — verify current license-lapse behavior with Rhombus directly for your deployment.

What is Relay Core? Relay Core is an appliance that brings non-Rhombus cameras into the Rhombus platform. It pulls streams from existing IP cameras, NVRs, and DVRs and presents them alongside native Rhombus devices. You get unified search, AI analytics, and cloud access across mixed-vendor hardware without replacing what already works.

Verkada, Genetec, and Milestone are trademarks of their respective owners. This page is authored by Rhombus and represents Rhombus’s own assessment of the physical security market, not an independent review. All comparative claims are based on publicly available product documentation at the time of publication. Buyers should verify current product capabilities directly with each vendor before making a purchasing decision.