3 November 2026

SecuritySpy vs HikGrid: a second recorder or a viewer for your Hikvision NVR?

SecuritySpy vs HikGrid: a second recorder on your Mac compared with HikGrid, a native Mac viewer for your Hikvision NVR

SecuritySpy vs HikGrid is a choice between a second recorder on your Mac and a viewer for the Hikvision NVR you already own. HikGrid (our app) is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras. SecuritySpy suits you if the Mac should do the recording. If your NVR already records, HikGrid wins: it plays back and downloads those recordings, which SecuritySpy's developer says it cannot access.

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 that uses the recordings your NVR already holds, while SecuritySpy records its own copy, needs the Mac awake to record, and its manual recommends an external drive. SecuritySpy is the better choice if you want to retire the NVR and make the Mac your recorder.

SecuritySpy 6.21 (August 2026) is Mac recording software that stores its own copy of each camera.
Ben Software staff say it cannot access an NVR's own storage (forum, 2023 and 2025). HikGrid plays back, searches and downloads those recordings.
SecuritySpy costs £35.90 to £339.00 ex VAT for 1 to 16 cameras (March 2026). HikGrid is £39.95 per Mac including VAT, not priced per camera.

SecuritySpy vs HikGrid at a glance

	SecuritySpy	HikGrid
What it is	Mac recording software (an NVR), version 6.21 (August 2026)	Native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook recorders
Uses your NVR's recordings	No: staff say it cannot access NVR storage (forum, 2023 and 2025)	Yes: playback, recording search and download
Records footage	Yes, to the Mac; the manual recommends an external drive	No, the NVR or DVR keeps recording
Mac must stay awake	Yes, to record (manual)	No
Price	1 / 4 / 8 / 16 cameras: £35.90 / £84.75 / £169.50 / £339.00 ex VAT; unlimited up to about £750 ex VAT (March 2026)	£39.95 per Mac including VAT, not priced per camera
After you buy	2 years of updates included; optional renewal: 25% of the licence price a year after 2 years. Version 5 to 6 was a paid upgrade (2024)	Lifetime licence, monthly feature upgrades included
Remote access	Forwarded port 8001 (UPnP or by hand), free DDNS name, no subscription	Remote IP or domain (may need a port forward), or Hik-Connect sign-in (no port forward)
Adding a Hikvision NVR	Each channel added as a separate camera (forum, 2023)	Connect to the recorder by local IP, remote IP or domain, or Hik-Connect
Runs on	Universal app, macOS 10.13.6 or later	Universal app (Apple silicon M1 to M5 and Intel), macOS 13 Ventura or later
Free trial	30 days	Yes
Best for	Making the Mac your recorder instead of an NVR	Mac owners who already have a Hikvision or HiLook NVR or DVR

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

SecuritySpy vs HikGrid: where SecuritySpy falls short for Hikvision owners

Looking for a SecuritySpy alternative on your Mac because your cameras already record to a Hikvision NVR? These are the points that matter.

It cannot play back what your NVR has already recorded

Ben Software staff have said SecuritySpy "cannot access" an NVR's own storage (forum thread on NVR storage, November 2023), and repeated it in a January 2025 thread on replacing iVMS-4200. It shows only what it has recorded itself. Last night's clip on the NVR's disks is out of reach. HikGrid works the other way round: playback, recording search and footage download straight from the recorder. Our guide to download Hikvision footage on a Mac shows the steps. Leaving Hikvision's own client too? See iVMS-4200 vs HikGrid.

It is a second recorder, not a viewer

In December 2024, Ben Software staff explained that SecuritySpy is not designed to act purely as a viewer for another recorder (thread on replacing iVMS-4200). It makes its own copy of your footage. The SecuritySpy manual recommends an external USB or Thunderbolt drive for recordings, ideally an SSD, and advises against a NAS or Fusion drive as the primary location. That is more hardware and a second archive to manage. With HikGrid, footage stays on the NVR's own drives.

Your Mac must stay awake to record

The manual says SecuritySpy "cannot operate" while the Mac is asleep, so sleep has to stay off for continuous recording. On a MacBook you carry around, that is a real limit. HikGrid needs no always-on Mac. The NVR keeps recording, and you open HikGrid when you want to look.

Every NVR channel counts against the licence

SecuritySpy adds an NVR as one device per camera channel (forum thread on NVR storage, November 2023). Cameras beyond your licence run "view-only": live video, no recording (forum, April 2025). The tiers jump from 4 cameras to 8, and in the same thread staff said a 6-camera licence is not planned. The 8-camera licence is £169.50 ex VAT (spec sheet, March 2026). HikGrid is one licence per Mac at £39.95 including VAT, not priced per camera.

Updates after two years cost extra

A SecuritySpy licence includes two years of support and updates. After that, renewal is optional at 25% of the licence price a year (spec sheet). Moving from version 5 to 6 was a paid upgrade (forum, March 2024). One user called it a "steep initial investment" (forum, November 2024). HikGrid is a lifetime licence at £39.95 one-time, with monthly feature upgrades included and no subscription.

Hikvision setup has needed workarounds (2021)

In July 2021, Ben Software staff said they did not officially support DVR and NVR devices. In August 2021, a user had to turn off Hikvision's stream encryption before SecuritySpy would connect (forum thread, July to August 2021). HikGrid is made for Hikvision and HiLook recorders. To be sure, check your recorder on HikGrid's compatibility page.

What SecuritySpy does well

It is a full recorder on a Mac: continuous or motion recording, AI detection of people, vehicles and animals, and alerts (manual).
It is a native Universal app with long-standing Mac support. Forum users praised its stability and power efficiency on Apple silicon (late 2024).
Remote access needs no subscription: a free DDNS name plus a forwarded port (remote access thread, November 2023).
Free iOS, tvOS and Android apps let you watch a running SecuritySpy Mac server (SecuritySpy apps page).

Which is better for a Hikvision NVR on a Mac, SecuritySpy or HikGrid?

If you already own a Hikvision or HiLook recorder, HikGrid. The NVR is already the recorder. What your Mac lacks is a good way to watch, search and export what it holds, and that is the job we built HikGrid for.

Choose HikGrid if:

You want to play back, search and download the recordings already on your NVR.
You do not want a Mac awake around the clock, or extra drives for a second copy.
You want one price per Mac, not per camera: £39.95 including VAT.
You want to connect to the recorder itself, by local IP, remote IP or domain, or Hik-Connect.

Choose SecuritySpy if:

You want to retire the NVR and record to the Mac instead.
You also run cameras from other brands. The SecuritySpy manual says it supports "virtually all IP cameras", while HikGrid works only with Hikvision and HiLook recorders.

Still set on SecuritySpy? Our guide to SecuritySpy with a Hikvision NVR covers setup. For other options, see the best NVR software for Mac, Blue Iris vs HikGrid, Agent DVR vs HikGrid and Hikvision's Mac software compared with HikGrid.

What about ViewCam?

Ben Software also makes ViewCam, a lighter live viewer with ONVIF, RTSP and HTTP support, PTZ control and AI motion detection. Its own recording is an instant replay of recent video, and its product page does not mention NVR support, browsing NVR recordings or Hik-Connect. HikGrid is built around the recorder and its recordings. ViewCam is free to try for 14 days, then $34.99 (Mac App Store).

Switching from SecuritySpy to HikGrid

Download the free trial (a DMG file) and install HikGrid.
Add your recorder by local IP, by remote IP or domain (may need a port forward), or by signing in with Hik-Connect.
Allow Local Network access when macOS asks (macOS 15 Sequoia and later), or turn it on in System Settings.
Build a layout with the cameras you want together.
Test playback and a download from the NVR before you change anything in SecuritySpy.

With HikGrid, you add the recorder itself. SecuritySpy saves standard .mp4 files (SecuritySpy forum), so copy any clips you want to keep first.

Keep your NVR. Get a better way to watch it. 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

Can SecuritySpy play back recordings stored on my Hikvision NVR?

No. Ben Software staff have said on the SecuritySpy forum that it cannot access an NVR's own storage (November 2023 and January 2025). It records its own copy to the Mac instead. HikGrid is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras, and it plays back, searches and downloads the recordings already on your NVR.

Does SecuritySpy need my Mac on all the time?

To record, yes. The SecuritySpy manual says it cannot operate while the Mac is asleep, so sleep must stay off for continuous recording. HikGrid does not record. Your NVR or DVR keeps recording to its own drives, so you open HikGrid only when you want to watch or download.

How much does SecuritySpy cost compared with HikGrid?

SecuritySpy costs £35.90 for 1 camera, £84.75 for 4, £169.50 for 8 and £339.00 for 16, excluding VAT (Ben Software spec sheet, March 2026). Two years of updates are included, then renewal is optional at 25% of the licence price a year. HikGrid costs £39.95 one-time per Mac, including VAT, with monthly feature upgrades included.

Can I use SecuritySpy and HikGrid together?

HikGrid does not change SecuritySpy or your recorder's settings, and each app connects to the recorder separately. Both have free trials, so test the combination on your own system before you buy.

Does HikGrid record footage?

No. HikGrid is a native Mac app for viewing Hikvision and HiLook cameras. Your NVR or DVR keeps recording to its own drives, and HikGrid gives you live view, playback, recording search and footage download. It does not change recorder settings such as motion zones, firmware or users.

Sources

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