Free NVR software for Windows
Turn a Windows PC into an NVR for the IP cameras you already have. Litmus NVR is free with no camera limit, records around the clock or on detection, and finds people and vehicles in your footage.
Requirements
| Windows | |
|---|---|
| Windows | 10 version 1903 or later, 64-bit (x64) |
| Installer | .exe from the download page |
| Cameras | IP cameras over RTSP or ONVIF, and USB cameras |
How many cameras a PC can handle
| Processor | Memory | Cameras |
|---|---|---|
| Intel N100, N150 | 8GB | 1 to 2 |
| Core i7 7th gen | 8GB | 2 to 3 |
| Core i3 12th gen or newer | 16GB | 3 to 4 |
| Core i5 12th gen or newer, Ryzen 5 4600G or newer | 16GB | 5 to 6 |
| Core i7 12th gen or newer | 32GB | 9 to 10 |
For 1080p cameras with person, face and vehicle recognition on, at the default 10 analyses per second. 4K cameras or a higher analysis rate lower these numbers. A graphics card lets the same PC handle more cameras.
Set up on Windows
- 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
Can Litmus use a graphics card?
Yes. Choose the graphics card under AI processor in Settings > Performance (device software 2.1.4 or later). The same PC can then handle more cameras.
Is Litmus NVR really free?
Yes. Every feature is free with no camera limit. Live View over a direct connection is unlimited.
Does my video go to the cloud?
Recordings and AI analysis stay on the computer running Litmus. Where a network blocks direct connections, encrypted video passes through our relay server without being stored. Alert photos are kept in cloud storage.