Synology Surveillance Station License Free May 2026

If you absolutely refuse to pay Synology, do not want a second NAS, and need more than 2 cameras, do not use Surveillance Station. Use a different VMS on your Synology (via Docker) or on a separate PC.

You cannot legally run 10 cameras for free on a single Synology NAS. However, you can run 2 cameras for free indefinitely, and with clever workarounds (sequential recording, RTSP viewing, dual-lens cameras), you might not need more.

If you exceed two cameras, your honest options are: synology surveillance station license free

Avoid cracked licenses at all costs. The malware risk is not worth saving $80.

Final recommendation: Start with your two free licenses. If you find yourself needing a third camera, buy a single license. After 10 years, that $50 license will have cost you $5 per year—cheaper than any cloud subscription. Free is great, but reliable security is priceless. If you absolutely refuse to pay Synology, do

Have you successfully run Surveillance Station without licenses? Share your setup in the comments below.

Reality: Don't do this. Surveillance Station is deeply integrated into DSM (Synology’s OS). Cracks often brick the system, break during updates, or introduce malware. Because your NAS holds your personal data, this is a high-risk gamble. Avoid cracked licenses at all costs

The LiveCam app (turns your old phone into an IP camera) does count as a camera license. Using LiveCam consumes one of your two free slots.

You can run Scrypted NVR, Frigate, or Shinobi as a Docker container on your Synology NAS. These are open-source and have no camera limits.

Cost to you: $0 for licenses. You lose Synology’s polished mobile app (DS cam) but gain unlimited cameras.