NVR Software Pricing
Free at home.
A fraction of business VMS.
Homes never pay for the recorder: unlimited cameras, local recording and local AI, free. A shop on one site with up to 8 cameras stays free. Above that, or a second site, a business buys one yearly site package sized to its camera count, pooled across its recorders. AI detection is included. It is never an add-on.
Free
$0
forever, at home
- Unlimited cameras
- Local recording, no limits
- Local AI detection, GPU optional
- Ultrawide live view grid
- Footage stays on your disks
- No account required
No account, no licence key, no camera count.
Business
from $299/yr
site package, sized to your cameras
- One yearly package, pooled across every recorder
- Sized to the camera count, not a per-camera meter
- Installer dashboard, renewals and camera roles
- One site with up to 8 cameras stays free
- Priority support
- Recording never stops for being over the package
No card checkout yet. An installer invoices you, or ask us and we send an invoice.
Local recordings are always yours, on your own servers. Nothing is held hostage, whatever you pay or stop paying.
Business and Commercial Pricing
Sized to your cameras. Not a meter.
Pick the package that covers your camera count. It is pooled across every recorder your organisation runs, at one site or twenty. Billed annually in USD.
| Cameras | Per year | Works out to, per camera per year |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 16 cameras | $299 | $18.69 |
| Up to 24 cameras | $399 | $16.63 |
| Up to 32 cameras | $499 | $15.59 |
| Up to 48 cameras | $649 | $13.52 |
| Up to 64 cameras | $799 | $12.48 |
| Up to 96 cameras | $1,099 | $11.45 |
| Up to 128 cameras | $1,399 | $10.93 |
| Up to 200 cameras | $1,999 | $10.00 |
| Up to 300 cameras | $2,699 | $9.00 |
| Up to 500 cameras | $3,999 | $8.00 |
| More than 500 cameras | Contact us | |
Room to grow. Go up to 10% over your package for 30 days while you sort the upgrade. Recording never stops for being over, and no camera is ever switched off by a licence.
Everything is included. Local AI, learning, camera health and the installer dashboard come with every package. There is no analytics add-on and no per-feature licence. Away from the site, open a recorder over Tailscale or the VPN you already use.
How you pay. A certified installer orders the package and we invoice the installer. The installer invoices you and keeps the renewal. With no installer, ask us and we send an invoice for the list price. There is no card checkout for a site package yet.
Support packages. Every site package includes priority support from us. For a response-time SLA, scheduled remote support sessions or a managed plan, ask about a commercial support package, or buy one from your certified installer.
Above 500 cameras, or for SSO / SAML, an SLA, or offline activation for air-gapped sites, talk to us.
Buy through a certified installer
A local installer can size the package, fit and support it, and look after it year after year. Installers earn on every renewal.
Plan Comparison
Side by side.
| Feature | Free | Business from $299/yr |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Homes, and a shop on one site with up to 8 cameras | Businesses and organisations |
| Cameras | Unlimited at home | Your package, pooled across recorders |
| AI detection (local) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Away from the site | Tailscale or your VPN | Tailscale or your VPN |
| Phone alerts | Included, not a paid plan | Included, not a paid plan |
| Camera watchdog and fix advice | On the recorder | On the recorder |
| Installer dashboard | - | ✓ |
| Users | Local accounts | Team, with per-camera roles |
| Priority support | - | ✓ |
| If a licence lapses | Keeps recording | Keeps recording |
Deployment Options
Choose how you connect.
From one recorder at home to a fleet of recorders across many sites. Video always stays on your own servers.
Free
Single Server, Local Access
Desktop App
→
NVR Server
Direct connection on your home network. Unlimited cameras, full AI, local recordings. No account needed.
$0 forever
Included
Away from the site
App
→
Tailscale or your VPN
→
NVR
Open the recorder over Tailscale or the VPN the site already uses. Lookout does not relay the video, and this is not a paid plan.
Included
Business
Every Recorder, One Dashboard
NVR A
→
Installer dashboard
NVR B
→
same book
Recorders across buildings, listed on one dashboard. One site package covers the cameras on all of them. Video stays on the recorder.
Site package from $299/yr
More than 500 cameras?
SSO / SAML, SLA, offline activation for air-gapped sites, dedicated infrastructure.
Contact Sales →What's Included
No hidden costs. No camera meter.
At home, 4 cameras or 40 cost the same: nothing. A business buys one package sized to its cameras, with AI, learning and camera health already in it.
Keep the cameras you have
ONVIF and RTSP cameras from any vendor, and the video encoders behind older analog cameras. No forced camera replacement, no proprietary hardware.
AI that learns the site
Local detection runs on your own box, GPU optional. It recognises the objects it keeps seeing, lets you name them, and learns what to ignore in each spot. You can see and undo every correction.
Cloud only when you want it
Recording never depends on the internet or on us. Away from the site, open a recorder over Tailscale or the VPN you already use. A business site package adds the installer dashboard and renewals. The footage stays on your servers.
Licensing
Simple terms. No surprises.
Home use is free
LookoutNVR is free for home use on any number of cameras and any number of servers. It runs locally on your hardware. No account, no internet connection, and no licence key required.
A small shop
A shop on one site with up to 8 cameras stays free. The software does not count cameras to enforce that. Above 8 cameras, or a second site, buy a site package. Recording never stops either way.
Business site packages
A business, school, church or other organisation buys one annual site package sized to its camera count, from $299 a year for up to 16 cameras. The package is pooled across all of the organisation's recorders. A certified installer orders it and we invoice the installer. With no installer, ask us and we send an invoice. There is no card checkout for a site package yet.
Where does the video go when I am away?
On the disks at the site. Open the recorder over Tailscale or the VPN you already use. Lookout does not carry the cameras through our servers.
Frequently Asked
Questions about pricing.
Is the free tier really unlimited cameras?
Yes, at home. No camera count limit, no feature gates on local recording or AI detection. The free tier is a real product, not a trial with a timer.
Is there a per-camera fee?
Homes never pay per camera: free covers any number. A shop on one site with up to 8 cameras stays free. Businesses buy a site package sized to their camera count, not a per-camera meter. Adding a camera never sends a bill, the package covers a range, and recording never stops if you run over it.
What if we add cameras past our package?
You can run up to 10% over for 30 days while you move to the next package. Nothing switches off: LookoutNVR never stops recording or disables a camera over a licence.
Do I need a subscription to use AI detection?
No. Local AI detection is free and does not need a GPU. A GPU just makes it faster across many cameras. Detection runs on the recorder. It is not a cloud add-on and it is not a paid plan.
What hardware do I need to run it?
That depends on resolution and frame rate far more than on camera count, so the honest answer is a calculation rather than a number. The hardware sizing calculator gives you cores, memory and terabytes for your fleet, and tells you whether a machine you already own can carry it. It runs in your browser and shows its working.
What happens if I cancel?
Your NVR keeps recording, with AI detection and everything stored locally. A lapsed site package does not stop the cameras, and nothing is deleted or locked out.
Can I manage multiple NVR servers from one place?
Yes. A business site package includes the installer dashboard, and the package covers cameras on every recorder the organisation connects. Video stays on your servers. You open a recorder over Tailscale or the VPN the site already uses.
I am an installer. How do I sell it?
Certified installers order a site package and we invoice them. They invoice the customer and keep the renewal. Apply to become a partner, or see the installer directory.
Switching?
How we compare.
Three years of software for a 16-camera business, at published or typical street prices we found in October 2026. Software licences only: cameras and servers are extra everywhere, and some of these require their own.
| Software | 16 cameras, 3 years | AI detection | Keep your cameras |
|---|---|---|---|
| LookoutNVR site package | $897 | ✓ Included, local | ✓ |
| Blue Iris, commercial plan | about $1,540 | Via add-ons | ✓ |
| Milestone XProtect Express+ | about $2,800 | Paid add-on | ✓ |
| Genetec Security Center | about $4,400 | Paid add-on | ✓ |
| Rhombus | about $7,150 | ✓ | Their cameras only |
| Verkada | about $8,700 | ✓ | Their cameras only |
Vendors change prices and many quote only through resellers. Check current pricing with each vendor.
Your cameras are working.
Is your NVR keeping up?
Is your NVR keeping up?
Download LookoutNVR free for your home, or talk to us about a site package for your business. Local recording, AI detection and a live view that doesn't make you squint.