LightNVR Cloud

Open source · MIT licensed

Run LightNVR on your own hardware. Free, open-source, yours.

LightNVR is free, open source software — run it yourself on your own hardware, or let us run it for you in the cloud. Same great software, two very different levels of effort. This page is for self-host.

View on GitHub Or let us host it →

MIT licensed · No accounts · No telemetry · No phone-home

Quick start with Docker compose

The fastest way to get LightNVR running on a Linux box, NAS, or Raspberry Pi. Save the snippet below as docker-compose.yml, then run docker compose up -d.

docker-compose.yml copy & paste 
version: "3.9"
services:
  lightnvr:
    image: ghcr.io/opensensor/lightnvr:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./data:/data
    environment:
      LIGHTNVR_LISTEN: "0.0.0.0:8080"

Replace latest with a pinned tag for production. See releases.

Once it’s up, browse to http://your-host:8080 to add cameras.

Bare-metal & embedded targets

Anywhere you can run a container, you can run LightNVR. The community regularly deploys it on these targets.

  • Linux (x86_64, arm64)

    Any modern distro with Docker or systemd. Build from source if you want to.

  • Raspberry Pi 4 & 5

    arm64 image runs on Pi OS Bookworm and later. SSD recommended over SD for recording volume.

    Community-supported · verify the latest image notes for your platform.

  • Generic NAS (TrueNAS, Synology, Unraid)

    Run as a container on any NAS that supports Docker or LXC. Mount your share as the recording volume.

    Community-supported · verify the latest image notes for your platform.

Want to build from source instead? Clone the repo — the README has compile instructions for each platform.

What you get with the OSS build vs Cloud

Same recorder, two operating models. The only honest line: self-host is free if your time is free.

Self-Hosted

Free forever

Download LightNVR and run it on your own computer, home server, or Raspberry Pi. Great if you’re comfortable with a bit of tech setup and want full control.

  • ✓Completely free and open source
  • ✓Your data stays on your own hardware
  • ✓Full customization and control
  • –You manage installation, updates, and keeping it running
  • –Recordings stored locally — if your hardware is stolen, damaged, or loses power, so are your recordings
View on GitHub

Cloud Hosted

From $25/mo

We run LightNVR for you in the cloud — managed, isolated tenant, encrypted WireGuard tunnel, our pager. Connect cameras and start recording.

  • ✓Managed updates, backups, monitoring — we operate it
  • ✓WireGuard tunnel — no port-forwarding, no exposed RTSP
  • ✓Isolated tenant instance — your namespace, your volume
  • ✓Recordings stored safely off-site — survives stolen hardware, fire, flood, power outage
When you outgrow self-hosting → Try the cloud

IP cameras that work out of the box

If your camera streams RTSP or speaks ONVIF, it works with LightNVR — whether you self-host or use the cloud. That covers the vast majority of IP cameras sold today (Reolink, Amcrest, Lorex, Axis, Hanwha, Hikvision, Dahua, and hundreds more) plus cameras running open-source Thingino firmware.

We do not support proprietary closed protocols (Ring, Nest, Arlo native streams) — those vendors deliberately block third-party recording.

Camera setup guide

Brand-by-brand RTSP URL formats (Reolink, Hikvision, Dahua, Amcrest, Axis, Lorex, Foscam, Thingino).

Docs & community

The repo, the issue tracker, and the how-to guides — everything you need to get LightNVR running, file a bug, or contribute back.

Read the docs

How-to guides for connecting cameras, configuring storage, and tuning the recorder.

/how-to →

Star on GitHub

Browse the source, build from main, or watch releases. Stars help us prioritize.

github.com/opensensor/lightnvr →

Report an issue

Found a bug? Have a feature request? Open an issue on GitHub — we read every one.

github.com/…/issues →

Curious how the cloud version is built? See the architecture →

Open-source since 2024 175+ GitHub stars Built in Maine

Build with us. Or have us build it for you.

LightNVR is open source — the same recorder runs in your basement and in our cloud. Self-host on your hardware, or hand the operations to us when you’re ready.

View on GitHub Or try the cloud →

MIT licensed · 14-day free cloud trial, no card · Built in Maine