UniFi Viewport alternative
Keep your UniFi cameras in view. No Viewport needed.
Ubiquiti's Protect Viewport is a small box that puts your camera feeds on a TV. If you spend your day at a Mac, you already have a screen. PanoPaper shows your UniFi Protect cameras live right on it, as your desktop wallpaper, straight from your NVR.
For macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later, with a UniFi console running Protect.
Two ways to keep watch
A box for the TV, or an app for the screen you already use.
The Viewport is a dedicated device. It plugs into a TV or monitor by HDMI, takes its power over the network cable, and shows a Live View you set up in Protect. It's built for a screen on a wall that nobody sits at.
PanoPaper is a Mac app. Your cameras play behind your windows while you work, dimmed a little so they don't distract, and in full whenever your desktop is clear. One click in the menu bar changes the camera, and a person walking up the driveway gets your attention even when you weren't looking.
Side by side
How they compare.
| Topic | UniFi Protect Viewport | PanoPaper |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A small box from Ubiquiti that you connect to a TV or monitor | A Mac app |
| What you need | A display with HDMI, and a PoE network port or injector to power the box | A Mac with macOS 15 or later |
| Price | $199 in Ubiquiti's store, per screen | Free to try, then PanoPaper Pro as a yearly plan or a one-time purchase, for up to 3 Macs |
| Where your cameras show | The whole TV or monitor | Your desktop, behind your windows, on every display of your Mac, or in Full Screen |
| Choosing cameras | A Live View you set up in Protect | Click a camera in the menu bar, or press 1 to 9 on a clear desktop |
| Many cameras at once | Up to 16, according to independent reviews | All Cameras: every camera in one grid, on any display |
| Picture | Up to 4K at 30 frames per second | The camera's own streams, up to 4K, decoded by your Mac's hardware |
| Cameras without an NVR | Only the cameras in Protect | Protect cameras, plus ONVIF and RTSP cameras on their own |
| Your video | Stays on your network | Stays on your network |
Viewport details from Ubiquiti's store and datasheet, as of October 2026. The 16-camera limit isn't in Ubiquiti's specifications; reviewers report it.
More than a live view
What PanoPaper does on your Mac.
- Detections that reach you. When Protect tracks a person or an animal, a small line appears at the top of your screen with a soft chime. Click it and that camera fills the screen.
- Audio, if you want it. Hear the camera on your main display, a bit quieter while windows cover it.
- PTZ cameras you can steer. Turn and zoom a PTZ camera from your Mac, or send it to a preset you saved in Protect.
- 360° cameras, made flat. The round picture of an AI 360 turns into a normal view of the room.
- A camera for every Space. Each display, and each desktop Space, can show its own camera.
- Nothing to mount. No box, no cable, no extra power. Install the app and sign in to your NVR.
To be fair
When the Viewport is the better choice.
If the screen hangs on a wall in a hallway, a workshop or a reception area, and nobody sits at a computer there, the Viewport is the simpler answer. It runs on one network cable, starts by itself, and shows its Live View all day without a Mac switched on.
Plenty of people use both: a Viewport on the TV by the door, and PanoPaper on the Mac at their desk.
Questions
What people usually ask.
Do I need a Viewport for PanoPaper?
No. PanoPaper signs in to your UniFi console directly and plays the cameras on your Mac. No extra hardware is involved.
Can PanoPaper show my cameras on a TV?
Yes, if the TV is connected to your Mac as a display. PanoPaper treats it like any other display, so it can show a camera, or all of them in a grid.
Does my video go through the cloud?
No. PanoPaper talks to the console directly, over your local network or a VPN. It doesn't use Ubiquiti's cloud at all.
Is this an official Ubiquiti app?
No. PanoPaper comes from an independent developer who uses UniFi Protect every day, and it isn't affiliated with Ubiquiti.
Which Macs does it run on?
Any Mac with macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, with Apple silicon or Intel.
What does it cost?
PanoPaper is free, with every feature. For the first 7 days your cameras look clean. After that, “UNLICENSED” shows across them until you buy PanoPaper Pro, as a yearly plan or a one-time purchase.
Your cameras, right there. No box to buy.
macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, on Apple silicon or Intel.
