Part of the Costa del Sol security guide
The short answer
Ajax is the alarm we recommend to most people: the most polished app on the market, longer radio range, more accessories and more installers who know it. Dahua AirShield pays off when you already own Dahua cameras and want alarm and video in one app (DMSS), or when budget decides: its motion detector costs less than half. Both come with no subscription, run on 868 MHz radio, carry Grade 2 and have detectors that send photos to your phone. Dartel Solutions sells and installs both on the Costa del Sol; we connect neither to a monitoring centre. Phone and WhatsApp: +34 672 81 57 89.
Who Ajax and Dahua are in alarms
Ajax Systems is a Ukrainian manufacturer that does one thing: wireless security. It started in 2011 with the radio alarm and has since added cameras, a recorder and home automation, always inside its own system. It is the brand we explain in depth in the Ajax alarm guide.
Dahua is one of the two largest video manufacturers in the world (the other is Hikvision, compared in Dahua vs Hikvision). Its wireless alarm is called AirShield: a hub, detectors, keypads and sirens that talk over 868 MHz radio and are managed from the same app as its cameras. It arrived later than Ajax and the accessory catalogue shows it, but the core (hub, indoor and outdoor detectors, contacts, keypad) is complete.
Radio and range: Jeweller vs AirShield
Both alarms are two-way (the hub knows when a detector stops answering), encrypt their traffic and detect jamming. The difference is the open-field range each manufacturer states: up to 2,000 m for Ajax (Jeweller protocol, with the Hub 2) and up to 1,600 m for Dahua. In a house or a shop neither falls short; on a large plot with outbuildings, pool and a detached garage, Ajax has more headroom before a repeater is needed.
The hub: connections and how many devices it takes
| Hub | How it connects | Radio devices |
|---|---|---|
| Ajax Hub 2 | Ethernet and two SIM cards | Up to 100 |
| Ajax Hub 2 Plus | Ethernet, Wi-Fi and two SIM cards | Up to 200 |
| Dahua AirShield (ARC3000H) | Ethernet and Wi-Fi; SIM version available | Up to 150 |
What matters in that table: the entry-level Ajax hub already carries two SIM cards, so if the fibre goes down the alarm keeps alerting you. The basic Dahua hub runs on cable and Wi-Fi, and the SIM card is a separate version. If your house sits empty for months (very common on the Costa del Sol), that second communication path is not a luxury: it is what makes the alert arrive.
Detectors and photo verification
Both brands have motion detectors that, when triggered, send a series of photos to your phone so you know whether it is the cat or a person before calling anyone. For Ajax it is the MotionCam; for Dahua, the PIRCAM. Indoors both do the job. Outdoors Dahua has a triple-technology detector that copes well with sun and pets; Ajax has its own outdoor range with camera. Door contacts, sirens and keypads exist in both catalogues; the Dahua keypad with card reader and the Ajax keypad with RFID do the same job.
One practical detail: one brand's detectors do not work with the other brand's hub. Each uses its own radio protocol. You choose the whole system, not pieces.
The app: Ajax vs DMSS
This is the difference you notice most day to day. The Ajax app is built for the alarm alone: arming by zone, seeing who armed and when, programming scenarios ("if the garage detector trips, switch the light on and arm the rest"), sharing access with family or staff and getting the alert by push, SMS or phone call. It is by far the clearest app we have installed.
DMSS, Dahua's app, is the same one you use for its cameras and recorders. The alarm shows up as one more device: you arm, disarm and receive the alert in the same place where you watch live video. For anyone who already owns Dahua cameras, having it all together is convenient; for anyone who only wants an alarm, the Ajax app is simpler.
Cameras and recording: who integrates better
If what you want is for an alarm event to trigger recording and show you the video, Dahua plays at home: its hub and cameras belong to the same family, and a Dahua recorder keeps the footage from the moment of the alert with nothing in between. Ajax has closed that gap: it has cameras and a recorder of its own and also accepts other brands' cameras inside its app, as we explain in Ajax with other brands' cameras. In practice: a house with Dahua cameras already in place, AirShield fits; a new house or one without cameras, Ajax does it all.
Price: what each part costs in our shop
Prices from our shop in October 2026, VAT included, for the equivalent parts:
| Part | Ajax | Dahua |
|---|---|---|
| Indoor motion detector | MotionProtect Plus: €104.90 | ARD1233: €44.90 |
| Magnetic door contact | DoorProtect: €44.90 | ARD324: €34.90 |
| Hub | Hub 2: €276.90 | Included in the installation quote |
In a flat with a hub, three detectors and two contacts, the difference between brands sits in the detectors, not the hub. The Ajax system earns that difference back with the app, the range and the two SIM cards as standard. What it costs to install, labour included, is in how much an alarm installation costs in Málaga.
Grade 2 and monitoring centres
Both alarms are certified Grade 2 under the European standard EN 50131, the grade a normal home or shop needs. Both can be connected to an alarm receiving centre, but that service is provided by a registered security company, not by us: we install the alarm so it alerts you and whoever you choose. The difference between the two options is in monitored alarm or phone alerts.
Comparison table
| Ajax | Dahua AirShield | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fee | None | None |
| Radio | Jeweller, 868 MHz, up to 2,000 m | 868 MHz, up to 1,600 m |
| Basic hub | Ethernet + 2 SIM | Ethernet + Wi-Fi (SIM in another version) |
| Photo detector | MotionCam | PIRCAM |
| App | Ajax (alarm only, scenarios, phone call) | DMSS (alarm and cameras together) |
| Cameras | Own and other brands | Dahua, in the same app |
| Detector prices | Higher | Lower |
| Grade | 2 | 2 |
Which brand fits each situation
- Holiday home empty for months: Ajax. The two SIM cards as standard and the phone call are what make the alert reach you wherever you are.
- You already have Dahua cameras and a recorder: Dahua AirShield. Alarm and video in DMSS, and the alarm event is recorded with nothing else to install.
- Shop or premises with staff: Ajax, for the control over who arms and disarms and for the scenarios. How it combines with cameras is in anti-theft systems for shops.
- Small flat on a tight budget: Dahua AirShield covers the same ground (hub, photo detector, contact, siren) for less money.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Dahua detectors with an Ajax hub, or the other way round?
No. Each brand uses its own radio protocol and only recognises its own detectors. You choose the complete system from one brand.
Which of the two is cheaper to expand?
Dahua: its motion detector costs less than half of the Ajax one in our shop and the magnetic contact is cheaper too. The hub, on the other hand, costs about the same.
Which one alerts you by phone call?
Ajax calls your phone in addition to push notifications and SMS. Dahua alerts you by push notification in the DMSS app and, with the SIM version of the hub, also by SMS.
Do they work with the cameras I already have?
If they are Dahua, AirShield sees them in the same app. Ajax accepts its own and other brands’ cameras inside its app, with live video next to the alarm.
Do they keep alerting without power or internet?
Both hubs have a battery and keep watching. To keep alerting you without internet you need a SIM card: Ajax includes it as standard in the Hub 2; with Dahua it is a separate hub version.
Are both Grade 2?
Yes. Both Ajax and Dahua AirShield are certified Grade 2 under EN 50131, the usual grade for homes and shops.
Site visit and itemised quote: +34 672 81 57 89 (WhatsApp) · info@dartelsolutions.com · shop
Ajax or Dahua for your home? We tell you with the floor plan in front of us
Send us the floor plan and four photos on WhatsApp and we return an itemised quote in 24-48 h, with the brand that fits your case and no monthly fee.
You might also find these useful
- Ajax alarm: the complete guide
- Dahua vs Hikvision: the real differences
- Ajax with other brands’ cameras and scenarios
- Monitored alarm or phone alerts
- How much an alarm installation costs in Málaga
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