If your agency already owns drones, Hover is the fastest path. Sign up to a live feed in one working session, over the network you already run, with no new hardware to buy. Skydio DFR Command is the stronger fit when you are buying a Skydio fleet with docks and want autonomous dispatch and deep CAD integration.
Hover is a managed relay layer for the drones an agency already owns. Skydio DFR Command is a vertically integrated DFR operating system built around Skydio hardware. Both are credible. The right pick depends on what you already have.
| Dimension | Hover managed relay · use the drones you own | Skydio DFR Command vertically integrated DFR OS |
|---|---|---|
| 01Day-one setup |
Signup to a live feed in a working session. About 30 minutes of that is your own IT install. The cloud side is fully managed.
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Multi-step. Provision X10 aircraft plus dock(s) at fixed sites (power, network, antenna), an FAA BVLOS waiver, and CAD integration. No single published time-to-first-stream.per public sources
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| 02Hardware |
Multi-OEM. Any drone exposing RTSP plus MAVLink: Parrot, Skydio, Autel, PX4 / ArduPilot. No hardware sold. Use what you own.
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Built around Skydio X10 / X10D plus Dock. Not positioned as a multi-OEM relay for an existing fleet.per public sources
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| 03Network |
All outbound, nothing inbound, no port forwards. Works over CGNAT, Starlink, and hotspot with no carrier firewall coordination.
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Cloud-managed, but fixed dock sites need power, high-speed network, and antenna placement. No published CGNAT or no-inbound posture.per public sources
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| 04Network resilience |
Sequence-aware loss recovery on both legs, paced. A 75 ms reorder window. Live link health in-app and in Hover logs.
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Not the documented axis. The strength is dispatch and integrations, not cellular-relay resilience.per public sources
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| 05Multi-viewer |
Operator client plus PIN-gated public viewer with no install. Concurrent public viewers are not metered.
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ReadyLink one-tap browser stream. Live video into Axon Fusus / Respond and partner RTCC / VMS.
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| 06Recording |
Field-side SD card on all tiers (canonical, always-on, local-first for evidence). Cloud recording opt-in on Fleet and up, auto-deletes per tier: Pilot 7d, Crew 30d, Fleet 1y, Enterprise custom.
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Watermarked media (X10 serial, time), auto-upload to Axon Evidence, SHA256 integrity, transparency dashboard.
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| 07Compliance |
Not certified CJIS, SOC 2, FedRAMP, or HIPAA today. Built with the practices, with no third-party attestation.
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NDAA-compliant, Blue UAS certified. Exceeds CJIS 6.0 with FIPS 140-3 validated encryption. Cites a FedRAMP 3PAO review, which is an assessment step and not a FedRAMP authorization.SOC 2 unverified · per public sources
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Skydio cells marked per public sources are summarized from Skydio's published material and not independently verified by Hover.
Skydio cites a FedRAMP 3PAO assessment, which is a review step and not a FedRAMP authorization. SOC 2 status for Skydio is unverified. Hover claims no CJIS, SOC 2, FedRAMP, or HIPAA certification today.
All outbound, nothing inbound, no port forwards. Hover sits under any ground-control software the operator already runs.
A vertically integrated stack built around Skydio hardware and partner integrations.per public sources
Signup to a live feed in a working session. The install is the longest step, and most of that is your own IT setup.
A multi-step chain across hardware, approvals, and integrations. No single published time-to-first-stream.per public sources
Any RTSP plus MAVLink drone, with no firmware change.
Sequence-aware loss recovery with a 75 ms reorder window.
Operator client plus PIN-gated public viewer, not metered.
Field-side SD always-on, plus cloud recording on Fleet and up.
A real comparison says where the other platform is stronger. Here is ours.
In one working session with Hover. Sign up (about 2 minutes), create a deployment (about 1 minute), install the relay (about 30 minutes, most of which is your own IT setup), pair and see the first feed (about 5 minutes), then confirm it on a flight test. The install is the longest step.
Yes. Hover is multi-OEM and relays any drone that exposes RTSP plus MAVLink, including Parrot, Autel, custom PX4 / ArduPilot, and Skydio, with no firmware change. Hover sells no hardware. You use what you own.
Every connection is all outbound, nothing inbound, no port forwards. That posture works over CGNAT, Starlink, and a phone hotspot with no carrier firewall coordination, so there is nothing to open on the network you already run.
Yes. An operator client runs the deployment, and a PIN-gated public viewer opens in any browser with no install. Concurrent public viewers are not metered, so command staff and mutual-aid partners can all watch the same feed.
A field-side SD card records on all tiers. It is always-on, local-first, and canonical for evidence. Cloud recording is opt-in on Fleet and up, with per-tier auto-delete: Pilot 7 days, Crew 30 days, Fleet 1 year, Enterprise custom.
No, not today. Hover is not certified CJIS, SOC 2, FedRAMP, or HIPAA. It is built with those practices, with no third-party attestation. If certification is a requirement for your agency, raise it in discovery so we can talk through your timeline.
Hover is a managed relay for the drones you already own, over the network you already have. Skydio DFR Command is a vertically integrated DFR operating system built around Skydio hardware, with autonomous dock dispatch and deep CAD integration. Pick Hover to stream what you already fly. Pick Skydio when you are standing up a Skydio fleet with docks.Skydio detail per public sources
Start a free Pilot with one deployment, or read the setup guide first. Pricing is a flat monthly fee per tier.