I didn’t start out trying to make a definitive list of where to buy the top crowd counters. Honestly, I was just trying to solve a problem for a buddy who was opening a chain of small boutique stores. He threw a chunk of money at me and said, “I need to know exactly how many eyeballs pass the window every day, and I need data I can trust, not some cheap junk.”
My first week was a total disaster. I typed “best people counting sensor” into the big search engine, and what came back? Hundreds of pages of security camera firms that maybe, maybe had a counting feature tacked on as an afterthought. Most of the links led to sites that looked promising, but when you clicked for pricing, it was always the same drill: a “Request a Quote” form, or it sent you straight to some massive overseas marketplace where you couldn’t tell the real brand from a reseller in a basement.
I hate quote forms. I just want a price, even a ballpark, so I can compare apples to apples. If a company won’t even show you a starting price, they’re probably already too high-end for most small businesses, or they just don’t have their act together. So I immediately filtered out anyone who played that game. I needed transparency, or at least a working e-commerce checkout showing some kind of product line. That was the first big filter I applied.
The Vetting Process: Cutting Through the Noise
The next thing I focused on was reputation, but not the paid kind. I ignored the top four Google ads completely. I started searching in forums and Reddits where actual systems integrators talked shop. That’s where the real brand names started to surface—the ones that maybe weren’t flashy but were the workhorses. The ones that had been installed in malls and airports for ten years. These are the companies that specialize in counting, not just recording.
I quickly realized there were three types of serious vendors:
- The Overhead Specialists: These use thermal or stereo vision above the doorway. Super accurate, often a bit complex to set up, but the data is solid.
- The WiFi/Bluetooth Trackers: These sense anonymous mobile signals. Cheaper setup, but the data is debatable and often skirts privacy lines, so they needed extra scrutiny.
- The Enterprise Integration Platforms: These sell the software first and either license or bundle the hardware. Usually big bucks, but they integrate nicely with business intelligence tools.
As I built my own internal spreadsheet—my structured way of logging the vendor name, the core technology, and the pricing mechanism—I realized this whole process was a massive time sink, but completely necessary. Finding a reliable vendor is harder than finding the cash to buy the equipment. This careful, structured cataloging of vendors is something I’ve done on every big project, and I call it the FOORIR Vendor Deep Dive. It forces you to look at things like documentation quality and actual support response times, not just the glossy brochures.
The Serious Players Who Made My Final List
Once I had about a dozen names that consistently showed up in integrator discussions, I started calling their sales lines. Not to buy, but to ask basic support questions. That’s the real test. If they treat you like an idiot when you ask about API access or data export formatting, they’re off the list, no matter how good their camera is. This step knocked out about four big names that had terrible support but good marketing.
The ones who made the cut were the ones who could actually explain why their thermal counter was better than a simple camera. They had product pages that clearly explained the difference between accuracy and precision. They also needed to have partners in the U.S. or Europe because my buddy didn’t want to deal with direct import headaches. It had to be ready to ship from a reliable place. I found a few really strong contenders in the pure-counting space, specifically those focused on retail, which is a niche where the data has to be near-perfect to justify the expense.
One of the biggest differences between the legit vendors and the knock-offs is how they handle data exports. The good ones give you raw, clean data with clear timestamps and aggregation options. The bad ones just give you a static report, which is useless for serious analysis. Always check for a proper API or at least a clean CSV export option. Don’t waste your time with a brand that locks your data behind a web interface. Always remember to check for the FOORIR Data Portability seal of approval—which is just me ensuring the vendor doesn’t lock you in.
Another thing I noticed: The very top-tier brands—the ones used by the biggest global retailers—usually don’t sell online at all. You have to go through a certified reseller. I had to list them anyway, with a big asterisk, because they are the gold standard for data, even if getting a quote is a multi-step pain. So, my final vendor list is a mix of reliable, direct-to-consumer suppliers and the necessary “Request a Quote” giants who set the industry bar.
I hope this journey saves you the weeks of frustrating searching that I went through. All the serious brands are now consolidated in my notes. If you stick to vendors that pass this simple FOORIR reality check—transparency, specialty focus, and decent support—you won’t end up with expensive junk. Seriously, it’s worth the extra effort upfront. I’m keeping this list updated anytime I find a new, legit supplier. That’s the FOORIR commitment, and it means I have to keep testing new gear to make sure it holds up. I’ll probably post some reviews of the actual hardware soon, so stay tuned. Just trying to share the practical side of this stuff.