Mac
Free NVR software for Mac
Litmus NVR installs on a Mac like any other app, records your IP cameras around the clock or on detection, and lets you search the footage by person, face, text or license plate.
Requirements
| Mac | |
|---|---|
| macOS | 14.4 (Sonoma) or later |
| Processor | Apple Silicon or Intel |
| Installer | .pkg from the download page |
| Cameras | IP cameras over RTSP or ONVIF |
How many cameras a Mac can handle
| Mac | Memory | Cameras |
|---|---|---|
| Apple M1 | 8GB | 10 to 12 |
| Apple M2 | 8GB | 12 to 14 |
| Apple M4 or newer | 16GB | 18 to 20 |
For 1080p cameras with person, face and vehicle recognition on, at the default 10 analyses per second. The Apple M2 count is measured.
Set up on a Mac
- Download the installer from the download page and run it. Litmus starts when installation finishes.
- Open Litmus in a browser on any device on the same network and create a local account. No Litmus account is needed on your network.
- Add your cameras. Litmus finds cameras on the same network. Select a camera under Found cameras, enter its username and password, and click Check connection to see a picture from the camera. If your camera is not listed, click Add manually and enter its IP address and manufacturer.
- To watch from anywhere, connect your Litmus account and use the phone app or app.litmusnvr.com.
What Litmus does
- Every person and vehicle becomes a card. Litmus detects people and vehicles as it records and turns each one into a card, so you browse who was there instead of scrubbing a timeline.
- Follow someone across cameras. Open a card to play that person’s scenes from every camera in time order.
- Four ways to search. By appearance (clothing and build), by face with no enrollment, by a description such as “a person in a yellow shirt”, or by attributes like clothing color, bag, hat and age group. Vehicles can be searched by license plate, and a partial plate works.
- Works locally, no sign-up. On your network, open it in a browser without a Litmus account.
- Remote viewing without port forwarding. Add the device to your Litmus account, and the phone app and browser connect over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection, which works on most home and office routers.
- Video stays on your hardware. Recordings and analysis are stored on the computer running Litmus, not in the cloud.
Questions
Does it work on Intel Macs?
Yes. Litmus NVR supports macOS 14.4 or later on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
Does the Mac need to stay on?
Yes. Litmus records and analyzes video on the computer it runs on, so keep that Mac on.
Is Litmus NVR really free?
Yes. Every feature is free with no camera limit. Live View over a direct connection is unlimited.