Synology Surveillance Station License Free |work|
Synology Surveillance Station is a NAS-based video management system (VMS) that manages IP cameras, recording, events, and remote viewing.
Synology invests heavily in motion detection algorithms, ONVIF compliance, AI recognition (Deep Video Analytics), and mobile apps. The license fee funds this development. There is no official way to get unlimited licenses for free. synology surveillance station license free
| Your Setup | Recommended Path | Cost | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1–2 cameras | Use Synology’s free licenses. | | | 3–4 cameras (Tech savvy) | Buy a used DS118 or DS120j ($80) + use 2 free licenses on each. | ~$80 | | 3–8 cameras (Business) | Pay for Synology licenses (4-pack for $199). | $199 | | 5–10 cameras (Home lab) | Ditch Surveillance Station. Run Frigate or Shinobi in Docker. | $0 | | Professional installer | Buy licenses; pass cost to client. | Cost of business | There is no official way to get unlimited licenses for free
While the camera count is limited, Synology includes several "free" advanced features within the software: Active Insight | ~$80 | | 3–8 cameras (Business) |
Synology knows: once you’re on Surveillance Station, you won’t leave. So they charge the toll.
(e.g., NVR1218) typically includes 4 free licenses .
Some multi-lens cameras or video servers may only consume one license despite having multiple sensors, though this depends on the specific Synology Camera Support List Deep Video Analytics (DVA): If you own a DVA series NVR (like the DVA3221), these units often come with eight free licenses