Parim is one of the most established workforce management platforms for UK security companies. It covers guard scheduling, and gives out shifts by location and by qualification. It records time and attendance, and works out the pay. Guards manage their shifts in the Parim app. For many UK security firms, Parim has been the default choice. The industry keeps moving. Lone worker rules. SIA compliance handled by the system. Clients who expect their own portal. Patrol checks as they happen. Parim puts scheduling first, and some companies find it does not cover those. This article compares five platforms that UK security companies evaluate as alternatives to Parim.
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Best for: Large security companies (100+ guards) that need deep operational analytics, automated billing, and enterprise-grade compliance features.
TrackTik is the enterprise platform in the security guard software market. It covers workforce management, guard tour systems, real-time dashboards, incident reporting, post inspection management, and automated client invoicing. The analytics are the standout feature: operational dashboards that show guard performance, site coverage, incident patterns, and contract profitability.
TrackTik handles complex UK billing. Different rates for day and night, for a weekday and a weekend, and for a bank holiday. A company with several contracts, priced differently, needs that. The client portal shows a client what is happening now, and enterprise clients expect.
The limitation: TrackTik is enterprise-priced and requires significant setup. Small to mid-sized security companies (under 50 guards) will find it more platform than they need. The implementation timeline is weeks, not days. UK-specific features like SIA licence tracking may require configuration rather than being available out of the box.
Pricing: Enterprise. Quote-based. Typically the most expensive option in this comparison.
Best for: Security companies where patrol verification and proof-of-presence are primary contractual requirements.
Silvertrac specialises in guard tour management. Supervisors create digital tour routes with checkpoints verified through NFC tags, QR codes, Bluetooth beacons, or GPS. The platform proves a guard was there, with evidence stamped with the timdence that a guard physically visited each checkpoint during their patrol. This is the most robust patrol verification in this comparison.
Silvertrac also handles incident reports, with photographs, video and a GPS stamp. It covers scheduling. Guards and the control room can message each other. Clients get a portal, with reports you can shape. The focus on evidence-based security operations makes it strong for companies whose contracts include patrol SLAs with financial penalties for missed checkpoints.
The limitation: Silvertrac's scheduling capabilities are less developed than Parim's. If your primary challenge is complex shift scheduling across multiple sites and qualifications (rather than patrol management), Silvertrac may not fully replace Parim. You could end up needing both.
Pricing: Mid-range. Per-user pricing.
Best for: Growing security companies (20-100 guards) that want scheduling, patrol management, GPS tracking, incident reporting, and invoicing in a single platform.
GuardsPro runs in the cloud. It covers guards and scheduling. It runs patrols, with GPS, boundary alerts and checkpoint scans. It handles incident reports, invoices you do not have to write, and a client portal. The platform aims to be the single system for all security operations without needing separate tools for different functions.
The GPS and boundary alerts show you where each guard is, as it happeny. Automated check-in and check-out at sites creates attendance records without manual input. The invoicing module generates client invoices based on actual attendance data, reducing billing errors.
The limitation: GuardsPro has a smaller UK market share than Parim or TrackTik. The community of UK users is smaller, which means fewer UK-specific templates, integrations, and support knowledge. SIA-specific compliance features should be verified before committing.
Pricing: Competitive for mid-sized companies. Quote-based.
Best for: Security companies that also need general workforce management features (training, internal communication, HR document management) alongside scheduling and time tracking.
Connecteam is an all-in-one employee management app designed for non-desk workers. It covers scheduling, time tracking with GPS, task management, internal communication, training modules, and document management. The free tier for up to 10 users is genuine and functional.
Some companies care as much about training and HR as about the rota. That means first aid, fire safety and conflict management certificates, and talking to your own staff. Connecteam covers more of that than a security platform does. The training module allows you to create and deliver training content directly through the app.
The limitation: Connecteam is not built specifically for security. It lacks patrol verification, guard tour checkpoints, NFC/QR scanning, and security-specific incident reporting. If your contracts require proof-of-patrol, Connecteam cannot give it to you. The platform is a workforce management tool that happens to work for security, not a security-specific platform.
Pricing: Free for up to 10 users. Paid plans from about $29 per month for up to 30 users.
Best for: UK security companies that prioritise SIA licence tracking, lone worker safety, and UK-specific compliance automation.
Belfry is built specifically for UK security operations. The platform covers scheduling, time and attendance, patrol management, incident reporting, and compliance tracking. Its SIA parts stand out. It follows every licence expiry date by itself. It holds the right-to-work documents. Its screens show which guards must renew soon.
Lone worker monitoring is built in, which is increasingly important as UK health and safety obligations for lone workers tighten. The platform also handles client reporting with branded reports that can be customised per contract.
The limitation: Belfry is a smaller platform with a more limited user base than TrackTik or Parim. The analytics depth is less than TrackTik's enterprise dashboards. For very large operations (200+ guards across multiple regions), Belfry may lack the parts a large platform gives you as you grow.
Pricing: Quote-based. Competitive for UK-focused operations.
| Platform | Best For | Patrol Verification | SIA Tracking | Client Portal | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parim | Scheduling-first operations | Basic | Basic | Basic | Per-user |
| TrackTik | Large operations, analytics | Full (NFC, GPS) | Configurable | Enterprise | Enterprise |
| Silvertrac | Patrol verification | Best (NFC, QR, BLE, GPS) | Basic | Customisable | Mid-range |
| GuardsPro | Mid-sized all-in-one | GPS, geofencing | Configurable | Yes | Competitive |
| Connecteam | Workforce management + security | None | Document mgmt only | No | Free tier, from $29/mo |
| Belfry | UK SIA compliance | Yes | Best (UK-native) | Branded reports | Competitive |
The strongest feature named in this article is licence expiry tracking. It is worth asking why that is a feature at all, rather than something the system simply cannot get wrong.
In most platforms a licence is a field on a guard record, and a shift is a row on a rota. Nothing ties one to the other, so the software warns you and hopes somebody acts. A warning that a busy scheduler misses is how an unlicensed deployment happens.
On engage.re a guard, a licence, a licence type and a shift are declared once, with permanent identifiers, and the server enforces the rule. A shift that would use an expired or wrong licence cannot be created. Every action goes to a signed log, so you can prove afterwards that every deployment was licensed.
Every security company we build for shares that foundation, so an SIA change is made once for all of them. We explain that in bespoke software for a whole sector.
Security companies with non-standard operations often find that no single platform covers their requirements. Companies that combine manned guarding with mobile patrol, CCTV monitoring, key-holding, and alarm response need different workflow logic for each service type. Companies managing security across unusual environments (construction sites, events, retail parks with mixed tenants) need site-specific set-ups that a general platform cannot give you.
A security system of your own is built around your real service lines and your contracts. It removes the workarounds that build up around general software. Client portals can be tailored to each contract's reporting requirements, and billing rules can match the specific rate structures in each agreement.
TrackTik (large operations, analytics), Silvertrac (patrol verification), GuardsPro (mid-sized all-in-one), Connecteam (workforce management with free tier), and Belfry (UK-built SIA compliance). The right choice depends on company size and whether you need patrol verification or scheduling depth.
Parim is per-user, cost-effective for small teams but expensive at scale. TrackTik is enterprise-priced. Connecteam has a free tier for up to 10 users. Calculate per-guard monthly cost at your current and projected headcount.
Belfry has the strongest SIA tracking. TrackTik and GuardsPro support licence management with configuration. Connecteam handles documents generally but is not security-specific. Silvertrac focuses on patrol, not compliance.
Belfry and TrackTik offer dedicated lone worker features. GuardsPro includes GPS tracking for lone worker support. See our lone worker software guide for detailed coverage.
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