A free Blue Iris alternative
Blue Iris is a long-standing Windows NVR. Grablo Spot is a free NVR that runs on more platforms and organizes footage by the people and vehicles in it, so you can find someone without scrubbing through hours of video.
At a glance
| Blue Iris | Grablo Spot | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $39.95 (LE, 1 camera) or $99.95 (Full, up to 128 cameras). Updates included for 1 year, then $44.95 a year | Free, no camera limit. Paid plans only add relay bandwidth for remote viewing |
| Runs on | Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit) | Windows, macOS, Linux, Raspberry Pi, Docker, Home Assistant add-on |
| AI detection | Built in since version 6.0.1. External AI servers such as CodeProject.AI also work | Built in: people, faces, vehicles and license plates |
| Trial | 15 days | Not needed, free to use |
| Phone app | Android and iOS | Android and iOS, plus any web browser |
Blue Iris prices and features are from blueirissoftware.com as of October 2026.
What Spot does differently
- Every person and vehicle becomes a card. Spot detects people and vehicles as it records and turns each one into a card, so you browse who was there instead of scrubbing a timeline.
- Follow someone across cameras. Open a card to play that person’s scenes from every camera in time order.
- Four ways to search. By appearance (clothing and build), by face with no enrollment, by a description such as “a person in a yellow shirt”, or by attributes like clothing color, bag, hat and age group. Vehicles can be searched by license plate, and a partial plate works.
- Remote viewing without port forwarding. The phone app and browser connect over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection, which works on most home and office routers.
- Video stays on your hardware. Recordings and analysis are stored on the computer running Spot, not in the cloud.
When Blue Iris may be the better fit
- More than 16 cameras on one machine. A Blue Iris Full license supports up to 128 cameras. Spot recommends splitting more than 16 cameras across several devices.
- No online account. Spot uses a free Grablo account to connect the app to your device.
Try Spot alongside Blue Iris
Spot connects to cameras over RTSP or ONVIF, and to the streams of an existing NVR. You can install it on another computer and try it on a few cameras without changing your current setup, as long as each camera accepts a second connection.
Questions
Is Grablo Spot really free?
Yes. Every feature is free with no camera limit. Live View over a direct connection is unlimited on every plan. Paid plans only add relay server bandwidth for networks that block direct connections.
Does my video go to the cloud?
No. Video and AI analysis stay on the computer running Spot. Only alert snapshots pass through our servers so they can reach your phone.
What hardware does Spot need?
An Intel N100 mini PC handles 1 to 2 cameras, a 12th-gen Core i5 up to 6, and a Core i5 with a GeForce GTX 1650 up to 8. A Raspberry Pi 5 handles 1. These estimates are for 1080p cameras at 5 analyses per second.