VLC alternative for IP cameras
Your IP cameras on your Mac. Not in a player window.
VLC is the classic answer to "how do I watch my camera's RTSP stream on a Mac?" Paste the address, and there it is, in a window, until the connection drops. PanoPaper finds your cameras by itself, keeps them connected and plays them live as your desktop wallpaper.
For macOS 15 (Sequoia) and later, with cameras that speak ONVIF or RTSP.
A player, or a camera app
VLC plays anything.
PanoPaper knows your cameras.
VLC is a free media player that plays almost any file or stream you throw at it, a camera's RTSP address included. For a quick look at a camera, it's hard to beat.
Watching cameras every day is a different job. PanoPaper remembers each camera and its password, picks it back up when the connection comes back, and keeps it where you already look all day: on your desktop, behind your windows.
Side by side
How they compare.
| Topic | VLC | PanoPaper |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free, open-source media player for nearly any video file or stream | A Mac app for your cameras |
| Adding a camera | Type or paste the camera's RTSP address | Cameras that answer ONVIF show up by themselves. Or paste an RTSP address once |
| Signing in | User name and password in the address, or typed when you open it | Once, kept in the macOS keychain |
| Where it plays | A player window | Your desktop, behind your windows, on every display, or in Full Screen |
| Several cameras | A window for each | A camera for each display, or all of them in one grid |
| When the connection drops | The stream usually ends until you open it again | Connects again by itself |
| When someone shows up | Not what a media player is for | A line at the top of your screen and a soft chime, from the camera's own detections |
| Price | Free | Free to try, then PanoPaper Pro as a yearly plan or a one-time purchase, for up to 3 Macs |
VLC details as of October 2026.
Made for cameras
The things a player doesn't do.
- Every stream the camera offers. PanoPaper reads the camera's streams through ONVIF, so you choose High, Medium or Low instead of hunting for the right address.
- Number keys for your cameras. On a clear desktop, press 1 to 9 to switch cameras.
- Audio, if you want it. Hear the camera on your main display, a bit quieter while windows cover it.
- The details at a glance. See what a stream really sends: its frame rate, bitrate and keyframes, not just what the camera claims.
- UniFi too. Have UniFi Protect as well? Both kinds of cameras sit side by side.
To be fair
When VLC is the better choice.
For a one-off look at a stream, for playing a recording your camera saved, or on Windows and Linux, VLC is free and does the job. It plays almost anything, not just cameras.
Keep it. PanoPaper is for the cameras you want to see every day.
Questions
What people usually ask.
Do I still need the RTSP address?
Not if your camera speaks ONVIF: PanoPaper finds it and reads its streams by itself. If it doesn't, paste the same address you use in VLC.
Which cameras work?
Cameras that speak ONVIF or send RTSP, with H.264 or HEVC video, and UniFi Protect cameras through your NVR, including IP cameras you’ve adopted into Protect.
Does my video go through the cloud?
No. Your cameras' video and audio travel straight from the camera to your Mac, over your own network.
Can I still use VLC?
Of course. PanoPaper doesn't change anything on the camera, so VLC and PanoPaper can watch it side by side, as long as the camera allows that many connections.
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 app to open.
macOS 15 (Sequoia) or later, on Apple silicon or Intel.
