PerchCam vs SentryBlack
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
PerchCam
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Turn a spare iPhone or iPad into a private home security camera. PerchCam gives you local live view, event recording, and smart alerts without forcing your video through a cloud account. OLD PHONE AS CAMERA Use an unused iPhone or iPad as a live camera for your home, baby room, pets, shop, garage, or office. Place it where you need a view, plug it in for long sessions, and keep monitoring. LOCAL LIVE VIEW Watch from another PerchCam device, a browser, or compatible local players. PerchCam monitor devices can provide web, HLS, and RTSP outputs on your local network, so you can use another phone, a computer browser, VLC, an NVR, Home Assistant, or compatible tools in your own setup. SMART DETECTION Get notified when something important happens: - Motion detection - Person detection - Baby cry detection - Alarm and unusual sound detection - Pet and animal activity - Camera obstruction and scene changes Events can be saved locally with snapshots and video clips, so you can review what happened without scrolling through hours of footage. PRIVACY FIRST Your camera feed is processed locally whenever possible. PerchCam does not require a third-party cloud account to monitor your own space, and your recordings stay on your device unless you choose to share or back them up. USEFUL FOR - Home security - Baby monitoring - Pet watching - Elder care check-ins - Small shop monitoring - Garage, driveway, and entryway checks - Reusing an old iPhone or iPad - Local browser, HLS, and RTSP playback PRO FEATURES Upgrade to unlock the full monitoring workflow, including live streaming features, smart detection, extended event history, email alerts, webhook alerts, and advanced monitoring options. PerchCam is for people who want a simple camera app with real local playback options, local privacy, and practical alerts. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
SentryBlack
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Turn your own iPhone, iPad, or Mac into a private home security camera. Set an old device to watch a room and its screen dims to a discreet dark monitor view ā one that always shows a clear recording indicator, so it is never hidden ā while it detects motion, saves event clips, and streams live to your other devices. Wake it any time with a press-and-hold. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Unlike typical CCTV apps, SentryBlack has no company servers watching your home. Your video stays on YOUR devices and YOUR own private iCloud ā never our cloud, and never a third-party cloud you did not choose. ⢠Live view goes device-to-device and is end-to-end encrypted. ⢠If your network blocks a direct connection, you can optionally add a relay server of your own ā the video through it stays end-to-end encrypted and the relay cannot decrypt it. SentryBlack provides no relay server, and this setting is off unless you fill it in. ⢠Cameras, motion alerts, and clips sync only through your private iCloud. ⢠No account, no sign-up, no tracking. USE ANY DEVICE AS A CAMERA ⢠The screen dims to a dark monitor view with an always-on "REC" indicator and timer ā discreet and power-saving, but never blank. ⢠On-device motion detection saves a clip and snapshot of every event. ⢠Press and hold to wake the screen. MONITOR FROM ANYWHERE ⢠On another device signed into the same iCloud, tap Monitor to see all your cameras. ⢠Get instant push alerts with a snapshot the moment motion is detected. ⢠Watch live video ā fastest on the same Wi-Fi, and end-to-end encrypted everywhere. SENTRYBLACK PRO The free version records with motion detection, sends cross-device alerts, and streams live on your Wi-Fi (with a small banner ad on non-camera screens; iPhone and iPad only ā the Mac app has no ads). SentryBlack Pro adds: ⢠Cloud clip backup to your own iCloud ⢠Unlimited event history ⢠HD live view ⢠Person detection & motion zones ⢠Multiple cameras ⢠No ads Pro is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or yearly) with a 3-day free trial. One subscription works on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Payment is charged to your Apple Account; it renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings. Note: because Apple stops the camera when an app is in the background or the device is locked, a camera device must stay on and in the app while on duty ā keeping it plugged in is recommended. Please use SentryBlack only to monitor your own property and spaces. Terms: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://mwsupplylimited.github.io/sentryblack/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: PerchCam at none against SentryBlack's shown. On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. PerchCam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per year and SentryBlack sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PerchCam ships an update every 2 weeks, SentryBlack fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PerchCam | SentryBlack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Fortnightly ā better |
| Ads | No ā better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac ā better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | åé č | Matthew Wong |
In-app purchases
PerchCam
- PerchCam Pro Ā· Annual$0.991 Year
- PerchCam Pro Ā· Ł ŲÆŁ Ų§ŁŲŁŲ§Ų©$2.99
SentryBlack
- SentryBlack Pro (Monthly)3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- SentryBlack Pro (Yearly)3 Days trial$29.991 Year









