If the "Synology tax" is too high for your deployment, users often consider these alternatives:
(If you want, I can draft a short social media post or blog-style post about this.) synology surveillance station license free
: If you have three standard NAS units, you can pool their 2 free licenses each to manage If the "Synology tax" is too high for
Unlocking Free Surveillance on Your Synology NAS Synology’s Surveillance Station is widely considered a "best-in-class" video management system, but its licensing model is a frequent point of frustration for home users. While the software itself is free to install, the cost of adding cameras can quickly rival the price of the NAS itself. However, there are legitimate ways to maximize your setup without spending a dime on extra packs. The "Free" Foundation: Understanding Your Quota AI recognition (Deep Video Analytics)
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 includes by default with nearly every standard NAS model . While the software itself is free to download and use on your NAS, expanding beyond these initial two cameras requires a one-time purchase for additional licenses. Free License Quotas by Model
Synology Surveillance Station comes with a set of free default licenses built into every hardware unit