UniFi Protect is Ubiquiti’s video surveillance application: cameras, doorbells and sensors that record to a local console or UNVR recorder, with no per-camera licences or subscriptions. It includes person and vehicle detection, footage search and, with AI or G6 series cameras, number-plate and face recognition.
UniFi Protect equipment
| Type | Models | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Bullet, dome and turret cameras | G5, G6 and AI series | Outdoors, entrances and indoors. |
| Motorised cameras (PTZ) | G5 PTZ, G6 PTZ and AI PTZ | Car parks and large areas. |
| Compact cameras | G5 Flex, G6 Instant | Indoors and homes. |
| Panoramic and multi-sensor cameras | G6 Pro 360, AI 360, AI Multi Sensor | Covering a room or junction with one camera. |
| Number-plate reading | AI LPR | Vehicle entrances. |
| Doorbells | Doorbell Lite and G6 Entry | Main door, with video and audio. |
| Recorders | UNVR Instant, UNVR, UNVR Pro, UNVR G2 and Enterprise NVR | From a few cameras to very large installations. |
| Sensors and alarms | Entry, motion, glass-break, smoke and environmental sensors; sirens | Intrusion and technical alerts in the same app. |
Where footage is recorded
Footage is stored on drives inside a UniFi console: a Cloud Gateway with storage or a UNVR recorder. There is no mandatory cloud recording and no monthly fee.
Capacity is calculated from the number of cameras, their resolution and the days to be kept. Multi-bay recorders protect data against a drive failure.
Smart detections
- Motion, person and vehicle detection.
- Footage search by detection type.
- Number-plate and face recognition, which require AI or G6 series cameras.
- The AI Key and AI Port devices add analytics to cameras that lack them, including other brands.
- The alarm manager automates responses: notify, switch on a floodlight or trigger a siren.
Cameras from other brands
UniFi Protect supports ONVIF-compatible cameras from other manufacturers, which lets you reuse an existing installation and replace it in phases. Advanced functions depend on each camera, so it is worth testing one model before approving the whole installation.
Data protection
Face recognition processes biometric data, which has reinforced protection. Before enabling it, assess with your legal adviser whether it is justified and whether less intrusive alternatives exist.
- A visible information sign in areas under video surveillance.
- Capturing only the necessary space, with no public road or neighbouring property beyond what is essential.
- Deleting footage within one month at most, except footage proving an incident.
- Access to footage limited to authorised people, each with their own user.
When it fits and when it does not
- It fits when there is or will be a UniFi network and everything is wanted in one app.
- It fits when per-camera fees are to be avoided.
- It fits less if connection to an alarm receiving centre is needed: that is provided by a licensed security company with its own equipment.
- For very specific analytics or thermal cameras, we also compare with Hikvision, Dahua or Axis.