3 November 2026

iVMS-4500 vs HikGrid: replacing Hikvision's retired app on a Mac

iVMS-4500 vs HikGrid: replacing Hikvision's retired app with HikGrid, a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras

iVMS-4500 vs HikGrid: HikGrid is the better way to replace Hikvision's retired phone app on a Mac. HikGrid (our app) is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras. Your installed copy of iVMS-4500 may still run, but Hikvision says it cannot be upgraded and its HiDDNS service is gone. HikGrid brings back the direct IP or domain connection you used, on a Mac.

Updated November 2026.

Verdict: For a Mac with a Hikvision or HiLook recorder, HikGrid is the better choice because it is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras, while iVMS-4500 was a phone app with no desktop version and has been discontinued since February 2022. iVMS-4500 is the better choice only if an old install on your phone still does all you need and you don't view from a Mac.

Hikvision discontinued iVMS-4500 and its HiDDNS service from 15 February 2022. Installed copies can still be used but cannot be upgraded.
The Android app was last updated on 8 July 2021, over five years ago (AppFollow).
Hikvision's replacement, Hik-Connect, runs on a Mac only as an iPad app on M1 or later, and its cloud live view stops after 5 minutes by design.

iVMS-4500 vs HikGrid at a glance

	iVMS-4500	HikGrid
Developer	Hikvision	HikGrid, independent of Hikvision
Status	Discontinued from 15 Feb 2022; installed copies cannot be upgraded (Hikvision notice, Dec 2021)	Actively developed, with monthly feature upgrades included
Latest version	Android last updated 8 Jul 2021 (AppFollow)	HikGrid 1.4 (current build, November 2026)
Platforms	iOS and Android; no desktop version	macOS 13 Ventura or later, native on Apple silicon and Intel
Connection	Direct by IP or DDNS; Hikvision's HiDDNS service discontinued Feb 2022	Local IP, remote IP or domain (may need a port forward), or Hik-Connect sign-in
Playback	Playback on the phone	Playback, recording search and footage download on the Mac
Price	Free	£39.95 one-time per Mac, including VAT; free trial
Replacement on a Mac	Hik-Connect, Hikvision's official replacement: iPad app, M1 or later; cloud live view stops at 5 minutes	Native app for Intel and Apple silicon, macOS 13+; direct IP or domain connection, the route Hikvision recommends for sessions over 5 minutes
Best for	An old phone install you don't need updated	Mac owners who want the direct connection back, with playback and downloads

HikGrid is independent and not affiliated with Hikvision, HiLook or the other products compared here. Prices and versions checked 3 November 2026.

iVMS-4500 vs HikGrid: where iVMS-4500 falls short on a Mac

iVMS-4500 has been discontinued since February 2022

Hikvision's notice of 23 December 2021, reprinted by UK distributor Ertech, discontinued the iVMS-4500 software and the HiDDNS service from 15 February 2022. Copies already installed can carry on, but they cannot be upgraded. Hikvision's US support site (November 2022) says the same: the app is discontinued, so use Hik-Connect. AppFollow shows the Android app was last updated on 8 July 2021. No updates means no fixes for new phone software or recorder firmware.

HikGrid is actively developed. The current build is 1.4, and monthly feature upgrades are included in the one-time price.

HiDDNS went with it

iVMS-4500 connected straight to your recorder by IP address or DDNS, with no cloud account. Hikvision shut its own DDNS service, HiDDNS, on the same date, so a setup that relied on a HiDDNS address needs a new route.

HikGrid connects the same direct way: by local IP on your network, or by remote IP or domain when the recorder is reachable from outside (that may need a port forward). If you'd rather not touch the router, sign in with a Hik-Connect account instead, which needs no port forwarding. Our guide on how to connect a Hikvision DVR or NVR to a MacBook walks through each route.

There is no iVMS-4500 for Mac or PC

Hikvision made iVMS-4500 for iOS and Android only. Searches for a desktop version lead to workarounds, none of them from Hikvision:

Android emulators. VXG, which sells a rival app, says desktop use means an emulator such as BlueStacks or LDPlayer. BlueStacks Air needs an Apple silicon Mac, macOS 11 or later, 8 GB of RAM and 12 GB of free space.
A Chrome add-on. The iVMS-4500 for PC listing is version 0.1, last updated in July 2019, from droidspc.com, with no privacy disclosure.
Third-party apps with similar names. IVMS 4500+ on the App Store comes from an independent developer, not Hikvision. It is free with in-app purchases ($24.99 lifetime on the US store) and needs macOS 14.6 and an M1 or later on a Mac.

HikGrid is a native Mac app for Intel and Apple silicon, downloaded from hikgrid.com: no emulator, no browser add-on. If you want to know how the old phone app compared with Hikvision's desktop client, see iVMS-4200 vs iVMS-4500.

Its official replacement has limits on a Mac

Hikvision's official replacement is Hik-Connect. On a Mac it is the iPad app, and the App Store listing needs macOS 13 and an M1 chip or later, so Intel Macs can't install it. Its cloud live view also stops after 5 minutes, which Hikvision describes as intentional (October 2022), to cut mobile data use. Hikvision's fix is to add the device by IP or domain with port forwarding. One App Store reviewer (June 2022) called it a consumer app, not a pro one.

HikGrid runs on Intel and Apple silicon Macs, and its direct IP or domain connection is the route Hikvision itself recommends for sessions over 5 minutes. As with Hikvision's fix, the remote route may need a port forward. Read why Hik-Connect stops after 5 minutes, what exists in Hik-Connect for Mac, or the full Hik-Connect vs HikGrid comparison.

Playback stays on a small screen

iVMS-4500 played back recordings on your phone. That is fine for a quick check, but searching hours of footage on a phone is slow, and there is no desktop version to move to. HikGrid gives you playback, recording search and footage download on the Mac, with custom layouts and several Hikvision and HiLook sites in one window.

What iVMS-4500 does well

It was free.
It connected to recorders directly by IP or DDNS, with no cloud account needed.
Copies already installed keep working, according to Hikvision's notice.

If those are the reasons you liked it, HikGrid keeps the direct connection and moves it to a proper Mac window.

Which is better for a Hikvision NVR on a Mac, iVMS-4500 or HikGrid?

If you want an iVMS-4500 alternative or replacement that runs on a Mac and is still updated, HikGrid is the one we built for it.

Choose HikGrid if:

You want to view your Hikvision or HiLook recorder on a Mac, Intel or Apple silicon.
You liked connecting straight to the recorder by IP or domain.
You want playback, recording search and footage download on a big screen.
You have several sites and want them in one window with custom layouts.
You want software that is still updated, with monthly feature upgrades included.

Choose iVMS-4500 if:

An old install on your phone still works and you only need it there. For a supported phone app, Hikvision points you to Hik-Connect.

Weighing Hikvision's desktop client instead? Read iVMS-4200 vs HikGrid, or see every option in Hikvision's Mac software compared with HikGrid.

Switching from iVMS-4500 to HikGrid

Check your recorder on HikGrid's compatibility page, then download the free trial (one DMG file).
Note your recorder's address and login. Copy them from the old app or your recorder.
Add the recorder by local IP on your network, by remote IP or domain (the recorder must be reachable and may need a port forward), or by signing in with a Hik-Connect account (no port forwarding). If your old setup used a HiDDNS address, use one of these routes instead.
Allow Local Network access when macOS asks (macOS 15 Sequoia and later). If you missed the prompt, turn it on in System Settings.
Build a layout, then test playback, a recording search and a footage download before you buy.

Bring back the direct connection, on your Mac. HikGrid (our app) gives you live view, playback, recording search and footage download in one native macOS window. It runs natively on Apple silicon and Intel Macs (macOS 13 Ventura or later), connects to several Hikvision and HiLook systems at once, and costs £39.95 one-time per Mac with monthly feature upgrades included and no subscription.

Download the free trial Buy a lifetime licence (£39.95)

FAQ

Is iVMS-4500 still available?

Hikvision discontinued iVMS-4500 from 15 February 2022. Its notice says copies already installed can continue to be used but cannot be upgraded, and the HiDDNS service was discontinued at the same time.

Is there an iVMS-4500 for Mac or PC?

No. Hikvision made iVMS-4500 for iOS and Android only. Desktop versions you find online are Android emulators or third-party apps, not Hikvision software. On a Windows PC, Hikvision's desktop client is iVMS-4200. On a Mac, HikGrid (our app) is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras.

What replaced iVMS-4500?

Hikvision's official replacement is the Hik-Connect app. On a Mac it runs as the iPad app and needs macOS 13 and an M1 chip or later, and its cloud live view stops after 5 minutes by design. HikGrid (our app) is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras, on Intel and Apple silicon.

Can HikGrid connect the same way iVMS-4500 did?

Yes. Like iVMS-4500, HikGrid can connect straight to your recorder: by local IP on your network, or by remote IP or domain, which needs the recorder to be reachable and may need a port forward. You can also sign in with a Hik-Connect account, which needs no port forwarding.

Is it safe to use iVMS-4500 emulators or third-party versions?

They are not made by Hikvision. An emulator runs the old Android app, which no longer gets updates, inside another program. Third-party apps with similar names come from other developers, so check who publishes them and what data they collect before you enter your recorder's login.

Sources

alternatives comparison hik-connect hikgrid hikvision ivms-4500 mac