Best Two-Way Radios for Security Companies in Canada: Analog vs DMR, Prices and What to Buy

Short answer: Most security companies in Canada are best served by a licensed UHF handheld that's rugged, simple to use, and affordable enough to issue to every guard on the team. Digital DMR radios such as the Motorola CP100d or Hytera BD502i add features like text messaging and longer talk time, but can cost up to nearly four times more per radio. For most guarding contracts, a high-power analog radio like the GuardTech GT10-2 professional two-way radio ($199.99) delivers the range, durability and battery a site needs at a fraction of the fleet cost.

Radios are one of the biggest line items when you equip a new site, and once you choose a platform you're usually locked into its batteries, chargers and earpieces for years. Here's how the main radio types compare, what agencies actually buy, and what to check before you place a fleet order.

Analog vs DMR Radios: What's the Difference for Security Teams?

Analog radios

Analog is the long-standing standard for security radio. Voice goes out as a continuous signal, programming is simple, and analog radios from different manufacturers can talk to each other when they're set to the same frequency and tone. That makes analog the easiest way to slot into a property manager's or client's existing radio system, a common situation for contract security.

Digital (DMR) radios

DMR (Digital Mobile Radio) converts voice to digital data. Motorola states its CP100d gives up to 35% longer talk time and twice the voice capacity on a 12.5 kHz licensed channel compared with analog. Higher-tier DMR radios add GPS, text messaging and lone-worker alerts. The trade-offs are a higher price per unit, more involved programming, and the fact that digital radios from different brands don't always interoperate in digital mode. Most entry-level DMR radios, including the CP100d, also run analog channels.

What Radios Do Security Agencies Usually Buy?

Motorola and Kenwood are the most widely used radio brands in the security industry, with Hytera a common lower-cost alternative. In practice, agency purchases fall into three price tiers:

• Entry business radios: Low-power, few-channel models such as the Motorola RMU2040, which runs at 2 watts on 4 UHF channels. Fine for a single small building, but limited for multi-storey sites and large lots.
• Professional analog radios: 4–8 W, large channel capacity and repeater support. This is where the GuardTech GT10-2 analog security radio sits.
• Entry-level DMR radios: The Hytera BD502i and Motorola CP100d are the usual starting points for agencies moving to digital.

GuardTech GT10-2 vs Popular Security Radios

Competitor specs and prices are from manufacturer and dealer listings at the time of writing and vary by model, package and retailer.

Why the GT10-2 Makes Sense for Most Security Companies

• Lower fleet cost: Equipping 20 guards with the GT10-2 costs about $4,000 at retail. The same roster on non-display CP100d radios at a Canadian dealer price of $573.80 comes to about $11,476, before chargers, spares and earpieces. Corporate account pricing lowers the GT10-2 figure further.
• Built for GTA weather: IP66 protection against dust and water jets and an operating range down to -20°C cover exterior patrols through slush season and summer storms. Both DMR radios above are rated IP54.
• More power and capacity: Up to 8 W of selectable power and 999 channels let one model cover a small retail post, a parking structure and a large outdoor lot, with channels to spare for multiple clients.
• One model for every site: Tri-band VHF/UHF capability means you don't need to stock separate VHF and UHF fleets when guards rotate between urban buildings and open sites.
• Works with analog systems: Because the GT10-2 is analog, it can be programmed to talk to a client's existing analog radios, or to the analog channels on most DMR radios.
• Useful extras on shift: A built-in flashlight, SOS function, full-colour display and USB-C charging reduce the number of separate items a guard has to carry and charge.

When DMR is worth the extra cost

If a contract requires GPS tracking, text messaging, lone-worker alerts or encrypted voice, or the client already runs a digital network, a DMR radio is the right call. For standard guarding, patrol and event posts, most teams use push-to-talk voice and little else, which is exactly what the GT10-2 is built for.

What Agencies Need to Know Before Buying Radios

1. Licensing: VHF and UHF business radios need an ISED radio licence for two-way radios unless they're a licence-exempt type such as FRS. As of April 1, 2026, the annual ISED fee for each mobile station in the land mobile service is $51.36. This fee is the same whether the radio costs $200 or $750, so a lower hardware price is a real saving.
2. Certification: Only buy radios that carry an ISED certification number. Uncertified imports can't be legally licensed.
3. Client compatibility: Before you buy, confirm the frequencies, tones and mode (analog or digital) of any system you need to join.
4. UHF or VHF: UHF performs better inside buildings, stairwells and parking structures. VHF carries farther over open ground. A tri-band radio covers both.
5. Standardize one model: One radio across every site means interchangeable batteries, chargers and earpieces, and no retraining when guards change posts.
6. Total cost of ownership: Budget for spare batteries, multi-unit chargers, earpieces, radio holders and replacements over 3–5 years, not just the radio price.
7. Onboarding: Add the radio, holder and earpiece to your security guard new hire kit checklist so every guard starts day one equipped the same way.

For the Guard on Shift

A heavy radio that dies at hour nine or slips off a belt is worse than none. Keep the radio in a dedicated radio holder or MOLLE case on your duty belt, run an earpiece for front-desk and retail posts, and carry a charged spare battery in an inside pocket on winter patrols, since lithium-ion batteries lose capacity in the cold. If you're buying your own, the GT10-2's 2600 mAh battery and SOS button are built for long solo shifts. Radios also pair well with recording gear, see our body camera buying guide for security guards.

Radio licensing rules and fees change. This article is general information, not legal advice. Confirm current requirements with ISED, your employer or your local authority before deploying radios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is DMR better than analog for security guards?

DMR offers clearer audio at the edge of range, longer talk time and features like text and GPS. For standard guarding, where teams mainly use push-to-talk voice, a high-power analog radio covers the job at a much lower cost per guard.

Do security companies need a licence for two-way radios in Canada?

Yes, for VHF and UHF business radios. The ISED licence is usually held by the security company or the site owner, and an annual fee applies per radio. Licence-exempt FRS radios don't need one but are limited to low power.

Can the GT10-2 talk to our client's Motorola or Hytera radios?

Yes, on analog channels. When programmed to the same frequencies and tones, the GT10-2 can communicate with other analog radios and with the analog mode on most DMR radios. It can't join a digital-only DMR channel.

What range does the GT10-2 have?

About 0.5–2 km in urban areas and 3–8 km in open areas, depending on terrain, buildings and conditions.

Do you offer bulk pricing on radios for security companies?

Yes. Sign up for a corporate account to get company pricing and bulk discounts on radios, holders and accessories, plus a dedicated account manager.

Equipping a team? Apply for a Guardian Outfitters corporate account to unlock company pricing and bulk discounts on the GuardTech GT10-2.

Buying for yourself? Shop the GuardTech GT10-2 two-way radio online or pick it up at our store in Toronto.