ONVIF Camera Support Coming to UniFi Protect

UniFi Protect Adding ONVIF Camera Support Soon

BIG UPDATE 16/9/24 – So, ONVIF is confirmed for version 5.0.21 (and later) coming very soon, no camera license needed (!!!!), cloud offsite backup and more. Official reveal covers it HERE

Good news for anyone with an existing UniFi Protect surveillance setup, or even those considering migrating to UniFi’s premium surveillance platform. At CEDIA, it was revealed that ONVIF camera support will be added next month to the Protect service. This has been a long-requested feature, almost since the initial release of UniFi Protect by Ubiquiti, and has often been a barrier for some users to integrate Protect into their home or business environment. But why is the support for ONVIF in UniFi Protect such a big deal? Why has Ubiquiti finally decided to integrate this feature, and what does this mean long-term for new and existing UniFi Protect users? Let’s discuss.

UniFi Protect and ONVIF Cameras – TL;DR:

Good news for anyone with existing UniFi Protect surveillance setups, or even those thinking of migrating over to UniFi’s premium surveillance platform, with announcements at CEDIA that ONVIF camera support will be added next month into the Protect service. This has been a long-requested feature, almost since the initial release of UniFi Protect by Ubiquiti, and one that has often been a potential barrier for some users to integrate Protect into their home or business environment. But why is the support of ONVIF in UniFi Protect such a big deal? Why have Ubiquiti finally decided to integrate this feature, and what does this mean long-term for new and existing UniFi Protect users? Let’s discuss.

  • ONVIF camera support will be added to UniFi Protect in October 2024, or at the very least announced then.
  • ONVIF is a widely used video recording protocol that supports third-party IP cameras, and has been heavily requested in UniFi Protect since it’s inception.
  • Ubiquiti resisted supporting ONVIF to maintain its single-ecosystem platform, but is changing it’s position.
  • The addition will allow users to integrate existing third-party cameras, making migration to UniFi Protect easier.
  • Ubiquiti will not require camera licenses for third-party cameras, unlike Synology and QNAP. (still TBC!)
  • Full compatibility with all ONVIF cameras is still to be confirmed.

What is ONVIF?

ONVIF, or Open Network Video Interface Forum, is a video recording protocol that allows IP cameras of any brand to be accessible, in both feed and recording, to a third-party NVR system. That is a basic explanation for it, but on the whole, that’s pretty much what it is. Plenty of budget NVR and NAS-based surveillance platforms, such as those from Synology and QNAP, support the use of third-party ONVIF cameras. This allows users access to literally thousands of different types of camera hardware, picture quality, and price. Although there are other recording protocols out there, such as RTSP, ONVIF is largely agreed to be the most flexible and accessible camera protocol on the market, even allowing access to cameras without the need for an NVR in the first place, providing the means to directly interface with a surveillance camera one-to-one if needed. So why would UniFi not want to enable this universally popular feature until now?

Why did UniFi choose not to support ONVIF in Protect until now?

It’s a good question! If everyone wants to utilize ONVIF cameras, why would Ubiquiti not allow UniFi Protect to support them? Well, probably the main reason is that UniFi’s main selling point is that it is a single ecosystem platform. From their network switches to their surveillance equipment and wireless access points, UniFi is designed to create a single managed network and internet ecosystem. That means that attack vectors are reduced, central management is uniform across hardware, and the UX throughout any access point can be streamlined. Of course, this also means that Ubiquiti needs to produce their own UniFi Protect surveillance cameras to ensure this streamlined and single ecosystem. Almost certainly, another reason Ubiquiti has opted to restrict ONVIF support until now is that it would not only reduce the need for users to purchase only their cameras, but it also opens the door to maintaining (or at least facilitating) service upgrades to third-party ONVIF cameras. This is not something that NAS brands and their NVR software have restricted, but now we are starting to see brands like Synology roll out their own hardware surveillance cameras. It wouldn’t surprise anyone if that brand started to slow down its third-party camera verification processes and support lists in the future.

All that said, Ubiquiti needs to listen to their audience, as much as any other brand. Despite their large number of first-party UniFi Protect cameras, they simply cannot compete with the hundreds of camera brands and thousands of various camera models on the market that their existing UniFi Protect users want to take advantage of. Additionally, a potential UniFi Protect user who is migrating away from an existing surveillance setup to UniFi Protect will definitely see the benefits of being able to take advantage of their existing cameras, or they may have camera hardware requirements that the existing UniFi Protect portfolio does not currently facilitate.

Imagine a business owner who has moved into a new property that already has cameras outside and inside, or simply that they have already invested thousands of pounds. Cost efficiency or sustainability in knowing that UniFi Protect will allow them to still use their existing on-site surveillance hardware, while simultaneously allowing them to gradually migrate over to UniFi Protect camera hardware, is going to be hugely desirable and a big selling point for them. All of this adds up to why Ubiquiti has decided that ONVIF support is now needed on UniFi Protect. But how will ONVIF support be deployed within UniFi Protect?

UniFi Protect: Supported Brands, 3rd Party Camera Control and Camera Licenses?

Although it is largely confirmed that UniFi Protect is going to support ONVIF cameras, how is this going to be supported in practice? Brands like Synology and QNAP have used a camera license program for the entirety of their respective software availability. However, the way these brands have approached adding cameras to their respective surveillance platforms has differed greatly from UniFi, up until now. If you were to buy a NAS system from the majority of NAS brands in the market, these systems arrive with camera licenses included. This means that when you purchase the NAS hardware, it includes the NAS but you can only have a certain number of third-party ONVIF cameras connected to the surveillance system for free. If you want to add more than the included camera licenses, you need to purchase additional camera licenses. This was added by each brand as a means to continue long-term support and funding for their camera platforms, ensuring the systems remain feature-rich and secure. Surveillance systems often only purchase one hardware NVR server every 10-plus years as well as deploy cameras in their business environment every 10 to 15 years, and then they are generally forgotten about until they are needed for security and retrieving camera footage. Think about your local supermarket or train station—the cameras outside have often been there for decades! The surveillance NVR inside the building may have changed a few times, but more often than not, the cameras externally have been there for ages. Surveillance camera licenses are how most NAS brands are able to keep their surveillance platforms up to date and financially supported, while finding a balance between home users that can get by on the included camera licenses and business users who have a larger demand for the platform to secure corporate assets and protect their business.

Currently, there is no confirmation on how Ubiquiti is going to approach ONVIF cameras on their UniFi Protect surveillance platform. However, numerous interactions with Ubiquiti staff at the UniFi Protect stand at CEDIA, and from shared details on Reddit, seem to indicate that the brand will not be instigating a camera license program and third-party ONVIF cameras will be treated no differently in terms of license-free status than first-party UniFi Protect cameras already supported by the Protect software platform. However, until an official announcement and the UniFi Protect ONVIF update is rolled out, this is still to be confirmed.

Additionally, broad support of camera brands by UniFi Protect is still also yet to be confirmed. Although it is almost certain that UniFi Protect will support most ONVIF cameras, supporting ONVIF is not the same as supporting ONVIF on select cameras. They only had a handful of third-party cameras on their official stand (with Axis being particularly prominent). Realistically, it is going to be hard for UniFi Protect to justify only supporting select ONVIF cameras on its software, and more likely than not, it will be broad and general ONVIF support. But again, it is still to be confirmed.

That said, it’s not quite the same as confirming if UniFi Protect will take advantage of hardware on all third-party cameras. Edge camera hardware support and server surveillance hardware utilization are not the same thing, and if a third-party ONVIF camera has a particularly unique hardware architecture (e.g., only supports H.264, is a dual-lens camera, or has a fisheye lens that requires post-processing), there is no confirmation yet that UniFi Protect will be completely compatible. No doubt this will be a very gradual process as more select and unique ONVIF cameras appear. No doubt, Ubiquiti will be very careful in the wording of their support portals on third-party ONVIF cameras on their platform, and who would blame them? It’s one thing to use UniFi support platforms when your UniFi camera is not working with your UniFi NVR—it’s a very different conversation if your budget third-party $20 ONVIF camera suddenly starts sending corrupt recordings to your UniFi Protect surveillance system! There will have to be a fine line between Ubiquiti allowing third-party cameras via ONVIF and using precious support resources on configurations that are simply not within their remit for what their platform should provide. It’s a balancing act.

When will Ubiquiti enable ONVIF camera support in UniFi Protect?

All indications for the support of ONVIF on UniFi Protect seem to be “next month,” as in October 2024, corroborated by several visitors to the CEDIA event in Denver, where Ubiquiti had a prominent stand and plenty of staff on hand answering people’s questions. There is a little ambiguity as to whether next month will be the rollout of the update or the official announcement, with the official update soon after, but nevertheless, it does seem like something formative is landing in October 2024. So, what do you think? Are you a long-time UniFi Protect user who thinks this is going to ultimately dilute the platform and undermine it? Or are you someone that was already on the fence about purchasing a UniFi Protect surveillance system and ONVIF support was what you wanted to hear before buying your brand-new UNVR or UniFi Dream Machine? Let’s discuss it in the comments. Have a fantastic week!

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      71 thoughts on “ONVIF Camera Support Coming to UniFi Protect

      1. Opening up to other cameras is the single thing that would make me even consider UniFi Protect.

        I hope they also implement it the other way around: unifi cameras in other systems !
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      2. I found your video while looking to see if the new Unifi Cloud Gateway Max supports ONVIF. There is absolutely no way I would purchase a Unifi product unless is has ONVIF support. I do not wish to be forced to use Unifi’s overpriced cameras.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      3. With Blueiris, I can have as much drive space as I want. I currently have 48TB of drive space and can save almost 45 days worth of clips and alerts. But I have a complete Unifi 10GiB network. Can the Unifi Protect use a network attached storage?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      4. *BIG UPDATE* So, ONVIF is confirmed for version 5.0.21 (and later) coming very soon, no camera license needed (!!!!), cloud offsite backup and more. Official reveal covers it here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kWw8EUb-40
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      5. This is a balancing act for sure. ONVIF Support would be nice, but I worry that it may end with UI abandoning their own camera range, which would be a huge detriment to the Protect ecosystem. Protect camera’s are kept updated and secured by UI, which is one of the big advantages of Protect. I hope they can keep their first party cameras fully updated and still continue developing them.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      6. Playing around with the newly released EA ptotect, my reolink cams get adopted but are limited to stream/record only. None of the onboard detection features function.

        In it’s current state, it’s a non-starter.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      7. I just got my unifi home setup, however i already invested in reolink cameras all over the house. which is why i refused to buy the unif nvr. SO im EXCITED TO see the ONVIF support coming. Fingers crossed…. also tbh… unifi cameras seems behind the curve for their price. They should be cutting edge for their price IMO… 4k should be the bare min resolution for their cameras.

        Once we know all the details of ONVIF support…and if its a great option im buying their NVR ASAP, and plugging in all my existing 10 4k 8mega pixels POE cameras
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      8. I have a Unifi network with a DM Pro, and am currently using a Synology NAS for security. I am interested in this. I’ll definitely be comparing their analytics against each other one it’s available. I had started buying Synology cameras. I had 2 BC500’s until the roofers broke one. Went to replace it, and it’s discontinued. So, I got an Axis camera, which I have found is much nicer, which it should be for the price. Synology has started to annoy me. The BC500/TC500 are discontinued, but they are the only cameras on their site. They’ve announced new cameras, including a cloud camera version of the BC500 (CC500b? I think), but no info on it. Then there is the H.265 removal. I’m waiting to update my NAS until I know more. Depending on how Ubiquiti rolls this out, I might switch. I have several other ONVIF cameras that should transfer over. I’d only have to replace the one Synology BC500. I’d been planning to upgrade them all to Synology cameras after trying out the BC500, but now I’m inclined to go with Axis after Synology pretty much abandoned the TC/BC500 models with no immediate replacement for months (still no available replacement). If I switch to Unifi Protect, I might try out some of their cameras as well. I still plan to get more Axis cameras, but compared to Axis, Unifi cameras are cheap. I have ideas for specific purposes for several camera locations. I’ve also been wanting to ditch my Ring cameras for a while and get the Unifi dorrbell cameras anyway, especially since I saw the model with the package camera. If I switched to Protect, it would be part of my ecosystem instead of a one off, like it is now with Ring.

        I love my Synology NAS, but using Surveillance Station was only because I already had the box. I never considered Protect for anything accept the doorbell camera since they didn’t support 3rd party.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      9. Some concerns to be aware of:
        1- UBNT have only just started using x265 over the default of x264. Well behind everyone else and still buggy.
        2- The UniFi video recorders are known for being low-powered and essentially NAS’s. Features and processing done on/at the camera level so don’t expect too much unless they increase the horsepower.
        3- Protect killed the UniFi-Video platform that allowed BYO servers. Protect ecosystem too far locked down.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      10. Interesting for sure. I have a Cloudkey Gen2+ and 4 Ubquiti camera. A couple could do with replacing, but I do consider the Unifi cameras quite pricey. May well drop in some Reolink’s as a replacement if they offer genuine support and don’t go ahead with licencing costs etc…
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      11. ONVIF support should have been adopted way sooner by UniFi, they are quite late to the party IMHO.
        To me this “removes” the whiff of customer lock-in a wee bit.
        BTW, what’s the word on the UniFi NAS?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      12. This is likely going to get my parents into the unifi platform. They have a bunch of cameras already but have some clunky NVR with limited features. Even just remote viewing and motion detection would be a plus for them. I am also excited to have a backup option to my frigate NVR mini pc. Having the ability to quickly activate it and run it would be a huge win for me.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      13. Very curious how the camera integration will compare to Synology Surveillance Station that has a quick integration for 10,000+ different cameras without manually entering all of the ONVIF information.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      14. Was one of the fence about getting Synology or not to get rid of the crappy camera system I have right now. I’m glad I waited because I really wanted to use unify and That’s what I’m gonna do now. All I need is the Dream Machine Pro Max, which has the built-in in NVR. And that’ll do my setup just fine. I need a new router also and I’ve been thinking about getting the Pro Max for that as well.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      15. Would wonder how this would stack up against running Blue Iris that can run about any camera, has Deep Stack AI integration, plus sends processed API calls to my security system. Would be interested if it could do those things plus keep the power draw under control.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      16. Home user. I have a unifi UNVR and I love the protect app. I hate waiting months on end for a specific camera to become available. Being able to use onvif will be excellent, as I also think unifi cameras are overpriced. Hopefully we get full onvif and will be able to make use of ptz functions.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      17. Wow that’s big news. They make great cameras IMO but some of there cameras are expensive and having choice to integrate camera you already have or a cheaper PTZ camera that could be great. Fingers crossed ???????? they add full ONVIF support with out a per camera licenses
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      18. This is a massive stroke of fortune for me. I plunged into Unifi with a UDR but couldn’t justify going into Protect with the elevated costs of NVR and cameras so kludged it with Reolink doorbell and cameras. I forced the footage into Apple HomeKit Secure Video by running Scrypted.
        Decided that I would upgrade to a Cloud Gateway Max without M.2 to get better usage of my faster broadband but now this news means I can chuck a big ol’ M.2 drive in and adopt the Reolink gear straight in. Best of all worlds!! Fingers crossed it all pans out as expected. ????
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      19. Last domino. I’m happy with my camera layout, but I want Windows out of my network entirely.. so Blue Iris has to go. I was pretty excited for the Cloud Gateway Max or Dream Machine until I did my research and found I’d have to replace my cameras too. I’ll be keeping my eyes open to see how this implementation happens. I’m not opposed to either per camera fees like Synology or annual licenses like Blue Iris. If those costs remain in line though, I’ll be moving to UniFi infrastructure this fall.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      20. Looking forward to your unifi protect vs surveillance station comparison. Hopefully you will compare the latest surveillance station version with the unfortunate downgrades (h265, thumbnails, email snapshot, etc).
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      21. Je travaille surtout sur des serveurs comme genetec / Milestone / Avigilon . Alors c’est une superbe marque et le onvif est une bonne nouvelle mais qui dit onvif dit perte de qualité et de certaines capacités des caméras axis etc….
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      22. Ive left unifi cameras a while ago, their software is very mediocre. Very basic features still missing 6 years eith tons of requests ignored. Ended up having to build a custom pc running blue iris, and dahua cameras. Cannot even compare the two. Yeah more complex, but i have so much freedom to do whatever i want with the system. I wish i new about blue iris before i poured so much money into unifi cameras. I ended up outting everything on ebay.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      23. I’m favoured, Getting my own Truck has always been my Dream for my business. I just acquired 2 recently, earning $32K weekly has been really helpful. I can now give back to the locals in my community and also support Charity Organizations.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      24. This has been something I have been waiting for. Many businesses have already invested in 3rd party cameras which would prevent them from adopting a Unifi network. It’s not just having to buy new cameras, but the cost’s of installing new cameras can be hefty. Thanks for sharing. Good news for sure.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      25. Can you comment on ONVIF support by existing NAS.
        My Google suggested that Synology, QNAP and Asustor all support it, but Synology and QNAP talk about thousands of cameras they support and then mention OVIF. Can you provide some context with your spec reading and first hand experience?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      26. it DID NOT???? I’m glad I didn’t buy Unifi back in the day, I set up a camera system some time ago and (somehow) thought unifi cameras worked with 3rd party nvrs via unifi controller.. Also, after onvif support, will we be able to use cameras without controller?
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      27. I can definitely see why some hobbyists might be upset with any sort of licensing fee, but as a commercial dairy farm and creamery, we just accept it and think of it as being part of the camera purchase. What we would really dislike would be a recurring license fee (i.e., subscription), but Synology’s perpetual/transferable model is perfectly fine with us.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      28. As a home user, I wanna know my costs up front. I’ve been running IP cams for more than 10 years, it would be a fair sum if I had to pay out an annual cost for those. Two points of view on security, either it doesn’t matter just forward ports and connect to it over the web or setup vlans on pfsense using OpenVPN to connect to your home network. I’m running 4-6 cams right now, over 10 years that could cost me perhaps £5k, not many people wanna pay that ! Once you have your cams in place they aren’t moving unless they fail, mine have been up 10 years, while I need to have Windows 7 to configure the actual camera, I can use my QNAP to record and view them on my phone.
        REPLY ON YOUTUBE

      29. Again, a great video, I love the collabs!
        I can fully understand the licensing model for nowadays surveillance systems on our NAS-ses. And from what I understand so far, Synology is okay handling that.
        QNAP on the other hand I have found quite upsetting; with their, back then QTS v5, they immediately dropped support (in July 2021) for their older Surveillance Station and enforced their new (yearly?) licensing QVR Pro. They did offer a “free” 3 years license for those “older” users.
        But, to me, it is also noticeable, the newer NAS (since 2021, according to their own statements) models not only dropped support for the older system, it appears the number of included camera’s (channels) also dropped?
        Anyways, again I can understand the licensing-model but if you look into what they are limiting for features in the various licensing-models (Basic, Smart, multisite etc) I do get the impression they are looking at t.ts trying to suck all the milk out.
        I do believe if they make the pricing a bit more attractive, it would also be obtainable for those on a thighter budget…
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