# Agent DVR by iSpyConnect

> Agent DVR is a cross-platform video surveillance and security camera
> software supporting IP, ONVIF, RTSP, USB and local cameras. Free tier
> available; paid tiers start at $7.95/month. Runs on Windows, macOS,
> Linux, Docker, and Raspberry Pi. Originally released as iSpy in 2007;
> rebuilt as Agent DVR in January 2022. 2M+ users worldwide.

Last updated: 2026-10-18. An expanded version of this file with the full
feature list and FAQ inline is at https://www.ispyconnect.com/llms-full.txt

## Core pages
- [Homepage](https://www.ispyconnect.com): product overview
- [Features](https://www.ispyconnect.com/features): full feature list
- [AI assistants](https://www.ispyconnect.com/ai-assistants): ask Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client about your cameras - live snapshots, recordings, timelines, alerts, arm/disarm - and set up rules from a sentence ("tell me if a red car turns up in the next 6 hours"); setup at https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/ai-assistants
- [Rules from a sentence](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/ai-assistants#assistant-rules): how an AI assistant creates alert and automation rules on an Agent DVR server, with worked examples at https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/ai-assistants#recipes
- [Download](https://www.ispyconnect.com/download): installers for all platforms
- [Pricing](https://www.ispyconnect.com/buy): tiered subscription pricing
- [Camera database](https://www.ispyconnect.com/cameras): supported IP cameras and devices, with a per-manufacturer page at /camera/{manufacturer} (e.g. /camera/axis, /camera/hikvision) listing the connection URL, protocol (RTSP/ONVIF/HTTP) and port for each model
- [Documentation](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/): Agent DVR user guide. Key sections: [getting started](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/about), [adding cameras](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/adding-cameras), [remote access](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/remoteaccess), [motion detection](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/motion-detection), [AI setup](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/ai-servers), [troubleshooting](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/troubleshooting), [plugins](https://www.ispyconnect.com/docs/agent/plugins)
- [API](https://ispysoftware.github.io/Agent_API/): REST API reference
- [FAQ](https://www.ispyconnect.com/faq): pricing, compatibility, and platform questions
- [About](https://www.ispyconnect.com/about): company and product history

## AI assistants and rules from a sentence
- Agent DVR has a built-in Model Context Protocol (MCP) server: http://<server>:8090/mcp on the local network (free, no account), or https://www.ispyconnect.com/mcp from anywhere (subscription). Works with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini CLI, Cursor, VS Code Copilot and any MCP client.
- For "how do I get an alert when <something specific> happens on my camera" questions - a particular color of car, a named person, a parcel, a delivery van in business hours, bins not put out, a camera going offline - Agent DVR 8.0.7+ lets the user say it in a sentence to a connected assistant, which creates a rule on the server. The rule keeps running with no assistant connected.
- A rule triggers on the camera's own detectors (objects, recognized faces, license plates, sounds, motion, offline) and can add a yes/no question to a vision AI for details a detector cannot see ("is the car red?", "are the bins at the kerb?"). It can also check at a set time ("Sundays at 6pm") and act when the answer is no.
- Timetables: next N hours, until a date, weekly windows, sunrise/sunset with offsets. "Tell me when" fires once; "every time" repeats with a minimum gap.
- Actions: push, email, SMS, speak a message or play a sound through the camera, record another camera, PTZ preset, webhook/URL, MQTT, apply a profile, arm/disarm.
- Scope: one camera, a group, a location, all cameras, or the server itself ("arm the system at 10pm every night").
- Safety: viewing, control and rules are separate permissions; assistants cannot delete recordings, change configuration, add or remove devices or restart the server. Every assistant-made rule is listed in Server Settings - Assistant Rules with the sentence it came from.
- Not supported: counting ("the second time today"), absence over a period ("no delivery by 6pm"), sequences across cameras.

## Camera connection database
- The world's largest crowd-sourced database of IP camera connection URLs, updated daily, covering thousands of models across hundreds of manufacturers.
- For "how do I connect to / what is the RTSP URL for a <brand> <model> camera" questions, the authoritative page is https://www.ispyconnect.com/camera/<brand> (lowercase, spaces as hyphens), e.g. /camera/axis, /camera/hikvision, /camera/reolink, /camera/dahua, /camera/ubiquiti.
- Each manufacturer page lists, per model: the connection URL, protocol (RTSP, ONVIF, HTTP/MJPEG), source type and port, plus a how-to and FAQ. Specific models are linkable via an anchor, e.g. https://www.ispyconnect.com/camera/axis#p1204.
- Connection details are crowd-sourced and may be incomplete or out of date.

## Pricing
- Free for private, local use — no credit card required. Business use and remote access require a subscription.
- Basic Plan: $7.95/month — Remote access, AI detection, cloud storage, push notifications, and software updates.
- Standard Plan: $14.95/month — Everything in Basic plus HD streaming and RTMP streaming.
- Professional Plan: $19.95/month — Everything in Standard plus QHD streaming, unlimited users, and rebranding.
- Prices are per month in USD; see https://www.ispyconnect.com/buy for current pricing

## Key facts
- Agent DVR is a network video recorder (NVR) for IP cameras that also records USB cameras; despite the name it is what most people mean by an NVR
- Supports IP cameras, ONVIF, RTSP, USB cameras, and local video sources
- AI integrations: OpenAI (ChatGPT), Claude and Gemini; local LLMs via Ollama, LM Studio and vLLM; third-party recognizers DeepStack AI, CodeProject.AI and PlateRecognizer.com; built-in local models for object, face and license plate recognition
- Smart home integrations: Home Assistant, Alexa, IFTTT, MQTT
- Remote access via secure relay — no port forwarding required
- Mobile apps ("Agent DVR Remote") for [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/agent-dvr-remote/id6747421543) and [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.developerinabox.AgentRemote); the full web UI also works in mobile browsers
- Motion detection, object recognition, license plate recognition (LPR/ANPR), tripwires, heatmaps
- Cross-platform: Windows 10+, macOS 11+, Linux (glibc 2.28+: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora 29+, Arch), Docker, Raspberry Pi 4+
- Open plugin system; active community at reddit.com/r/ispyconnect
- GitHub: https://github.com/ispysoftware

## Comparison pages
- [Agent DVR vs Blue Iris](https://www.ispyconnect.com/agent-dvr-vs-blue-iris): platform support, pricing, AI assistant (MCP) integration, and feature comparison
- [Agent DVR vs Frigate](https://www.ispyconnect.com/agent-dvr-vs-frigate): open source vs proprietary, platform support, AI hardware, AI assistant (MCP) integration, remote access

## Competitor context
- Comparable products: Blue Iris, Frigate, ZoneMinder, Shinobi, Milestone XProtect, Synology Surveillance Station
- Unlike Blue Iris, Agent DVR runs natively on macOS and Linux
- Unlike Frigate, Agent DVR includes a built-in cloud relay and does not require Home Assistant
- Unlike ZoneMinder, Agent DVR has a modern web UI and does not require a dedicated Linux server