> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nightjar.ca/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is Nightjar?

> An open-source NVR that watches through the night — with an optional cloud for remote access and event history.

Nightjar is a self-hosted network video recorder (NVR) with an optional cloud service. You run the node on your own hardware — a NUC, a Raspberry Pi 5, a NAS — and point it at any camera that speaks RTSP. Recording, motion detection, and AI object detection all happen on your machine. The cloud at [app.nightjar.ca](https://app.nightjar.ca) adds remote access and cloud event history, and it is optional.

Nightjar is an alternative to Google Nest Aware and Blue Iris. The whole stack is open source under [AGPL-3.0](/project/license).

## Three promises

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Your footage stays home" icon="house">
    24/7 recording goes to your own disk. Only the event clips you opt into ever reach the cloud.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Zero port forwarding" icon="shield">
    The node keeps a single outbound connection. Remote live view flows peer-to-peer over WebRTC. Nothing on your network is exposed to the internet.
  </Card>

  <Card title="AI on your hardware" icon="microchip">
    Person, vehicle, animal, and package detection runs locally with a small ONNX model. No per-camera cloud inference fees.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How it fits together

```
┌─ your network ──────────────────────────┐      ┌─ cloud (optional) ─────────────┐
│  RTSP cams ─► go2rtc ─► WebRTC live     │      │  app.nightjar.ca (Next.js)     │
│                 │                        │      │  Supabase: auth · Postgres ·   │
│  ffmpeg ──► fMP4 segments on your disk  │◄────►│  Realtime (signaling/commands) │
│  motion ─► onnx detect ─► event clips ──┼─────►│  Storage (event clips only)    │
│  nightjar-node (TypeScript)             │      │                                │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘      └────────────────────────────────┘
```

The node is a TypeScript service that supervises [go2rtc](https://github.com/AlexxIT/go2rtc) for live streaming, runs ffmpeg for continuous recording, and runs motion and object detection itself. If you pair it with a cloud account, it holds one outbound realtime channel for signaling and status — that is the only link between your house and the internet.

Everything in this diagram is in one repository: [github.com/Snapsonic/nightjar](https://github.com/Snapsonic/nightjar).

## Works with open cameras

Anything that speaks RTSP works today: Reolink, Amcrest, Hikvision, Dahua, Ubiquiti, and most generic IP cameras. ONVIF discovery is on the roadmap. A bridge for Nest cameras (via Google's Smart Device Management API) is planned but not built yet — see the honest details in the [Nest migration guide](/guides/nest-migration).

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
    Self-host a node with Docker in about 10 minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Moving from Nest" icon="arrow-right-arrow-left" href="/guides/nest-migration">
    A realistic plan for leaving Nest Aware, including what you keep and what you lose.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Add cameras" icon="video" href="/guides/cameras">
    RTSP URL patterns for the major brands, and why substreams matter.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Architecture" icon="diagram-project" href="/reference/architecture">
    Node internals, data flow, and the security model.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Pricing, briefly

Self-hosting is free forever, including remote live view. Paid plans fund development and add cloud event history: Free keeps event clips in the cloud for 3 days, Plus ($4.99/mo) for 30 days, Pro ($9.99/mo) for 60 days. Details at [nightjar.ca](https://nightjar.ca/#pricing). Plans are in early access.