Fed up with UniFi?

Great UniFi cameras. Locked ecosystem.

What if you could keep your hardware and break free from Protect?

UniFi

Video doorbell

1

Someone approaches your home

2

Camera records what happens

3

You get a notification (maybe)

4

Crime already happened. You have footage.

scOS

Makes criminals vulnerable

1

Someone approaches your home

2

AI analyses their behaviour in real-time

3

Suspicious? System intervenes automatically

4

They leave. Crime prevented.

Use any PoE camera brand you want

UniFi Protect locks you into Ubiquiti hardware. scOS works with any wired PoE camera - UniFi, Hikvision, Dahua, Reolink, or any other brand. Mix and match cameras across your property without ecosystem restrictions.

UniFi

UniFi Protect only works with UniFi cameras

scOS

Brand-agnostic camera support

Other problems scOS solves

AI that actually understands context

UniFi Protect offers basic smart detection - person, vehicle, animal. But it can't understand behaviour or intent. scOS sees like a human would: someone checking car doors at 3am triggers a different response than your postman.

Prevention, not just recording

UniFi Protect records beautifully to your NVR - but only gives you footage after the crime. scOS adds an intervention layer: lights activate, speakers warn, and intruders leave before they reach your door.

True third-party integration

UniFi Protect is a closed system - limited automation options and no native integration with third-party smart home devices. scOS connects your cameras to lights, alarms, and any smart device for coordinated security.

We're not saying UniFi is bad.

It just wasn't built to prevent crime.

It was built for surveillance.

UniFiscOS
Camera HardwareExcellent prosumer PoE camerasWorks with your UniFi cameras
Required HardwareCloud Key, UDM, or NVRJust our Intelligence Hub
Smart DetectionBasic person/vehicle/animalBehavioural AI with context
Response to ThreatsRecords footagePrevents before it happens
Third-Party IntegrationLimited (closed ecosystem)Works with any smart device
Cross-Camera IntelligenceBasic timeline viewTracks activity across cameras
Mobile AppUniFi Protect (good but ecosystem-locked)Designed to never need it
Vehicle RecognitionBasic licence plate readingDVLA number plate verification
StorageLocal NVR onlyCloud with local fallback
ScalabilityLimited by NVR capacityUnlimited cameras
See all scOS features

Can You Use UniFi Cameras Without Protect?

If you've invested in UniFi Protect cameras, you've made a solid choice. Ubiquiti makes excellent prosumer PoE cameras with great image quality and build quality. The question is: do you have to stay locked into their ecosystem?

The short answer: no. scOS works with your UniFi cameras - along with any other wired PoE camera brand you choose.

The UniFi Ecosystem Lock-In Problem

UniFi Protect is designed as a closed system. To use your cameras, you need:

  • A UniFi Cloud Key Gen2 Plus, or
  • A UniFi Dream Machine Pro, or
  • A dedicated UniFi NVR

That's additional hardware you must buy and maintain. And once you're in the ecosystem, you're largely stuck there - UniFi cameras are designed to work specifically with UniFi Protect.

Users report frustrations with this approach:

  • Hardware requirements add significant cost
  • Limited third-party integration options
  • Scaling up means buying more Ubiquiti hardware
  • Third-party cameras in Protect lack features like motion detection and AI

What UniFi Protect Gets Right (and Wrong)

The good: UniFi Protect is polished software with a clean interface. Smart detection for people, vehicles, and animals works reasonably well. The ecosystem integration between UniFi networking and cameras is seamless.

The limitations:

  • Detection is basic categorisation, not behavioural understanding
  • No intervention capability - it records crimes, doesn't prevent them
  • Closed ecosystem limits smart home integration
  • Recent security vulnerabilities have raised concerns about network exposure

How scOS Works With UniFi Cameras

scOS connects to your existing UniFi cameras through our Intelligence Hub. No Cloud Key. No Dream Machine. Your cameras just connect directly to our hardware, which handles all the AI processing locally.

Here's what makes scOS different.

It focuses on one thing: detecting suspicious activity. Not cataloguing every movement. Not building a searchable archive of your daily life. Just watching for the things that matter - the behaviour that doesn't belong.

It only alerts you when it would make sense to. Think about how a person would watch your cameras. They wouldn't tap you on the shoulder every time a cat walks past. They'd wait until something actually warranted your attention. That's how scOS works.

It's designed to be left alone. No configuration screens to master. No detection zones to draw. No sensitivity sliders to adjust. It learns your property and handles everything from there.

Every feature is included. No tiers. No add-ons. No "premium" upsells. See what's included.

It works with any wired camera brand. Your UniFi cameras. Your neighbour's Hikvision. The Dahua system at your business. One platform for all of them.

Keep Your Cameras, Escape the Ecosystem

You've already invested in quality UniFi hardware. scOS lets you keep that investment while:

  • Removing the need for expensive Ubiquiti NVR hardware
  • Adding AI that actually understands context
  • Gaining prevention capabilities Protect doesn't offer
  • Integrating freely with your smart home

Your cameras still work brilliantly. They just work for you, not for Ubiquiti's ecosystem.

Ready to design your system?

No pressure. See what a scOS system would look like for your home. Your dedicated scOS Architect will handle the rest.

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From £19/mo · Professional installation included · No contract

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