Guardzilla was a popular security company that offered security cameras. These cameras were compatible with the Guardzilla Android app.
Unfortunately, Guardzilla closed its door several years ago. It is no longer possible to use Guardzilla cameras with the Guardzilla app.
That’s because Guardzilla’s cloud-based solutions are no longer existent. Since the cloud infrastructure doesn’t exist, there is no way to use the Guardzilla app.
In fact, the Guardzilla cameras themselves are generally useless at this point, since there’s no supporting infrastructure.
For some time, Guardzilla didn’t even inform its customers that it was going out of business, leaving users to wonder why they were unable to log into the app all of a sudden.
There was no clear reason given as to why Guardzilla shut down. However, it had been facing various security issues related to its cameras in the leadup to the shutdown.
Don’t worry, though! Today, we will be going over alternatives that you can use instead of Guardzilla that are compatible with your Android device.
Quick Summary
The best alternatives to Guardzilla include:
- Ivideon
- IP Cam Viewer
- Blue Iris
- tinyCam Monitor
There are also some apps that allow you to turn old phones into security cameras, such as AlfredCamera and WardenCam.
In this list, we also talk about some open-source alternatives to Guardzilla, such as Ojo.
For the full list, continue reading!
11 Best Guardzilla App Alternatives For Android
1. Ivideon
Ivideon is the best alternative to Guardzilla for video monitoring, video surveillance, and remote video recording. It works with pretty much any security camera.
You can view your live feed and monitor your house or baby while you are away. You can also set up alerts for events.
For example, events can include suspicious movements detected on the live feed or suspicious sounds, such as the sound of breaking glass. That can give you a heads-up if there’s an intruder trying to break in, giving you time to call the authorities.
You can record video surveillance from your camera and upload them automatically to the cloud for fast and efficient storage.
Or, if you don’t want to rely on the Ivideon cloud storage, you can store them locally on your Android device and transfer them to a storage location of your choosing at a later stage.
You can even share your live camera feeds with other people using social sharing links.
Many cameras, such as iLuv and Philips cameras, can be configured without a computer. All you need is your camera and the app.
Other cameras may require you to have a computer for the initial setup. You will have to set up the Ivideon server on your laptop and then connect the phone to your laptop, but it’s not a very difficult process.
2. AlfredCamera
Another one of my top alternatives to Guardzilla is AlfredCamera. That’s because unlike other apps, AlfredCamera won’t require you to purchase yet another security camera, allowing you to save money!
So, how does it work? You can use AlfredCamera in two ways: with an old phone or with a new camera.
The choice is yours. If you want, you can purchase a dedicated home camera that is compatible with the AlfredCamera app.
Or, if you’d prefer, you can turn your old phone into a security camera! It comes with tons of amazing features without the need to purchase additional equipment.
For example, here are some of the features you can enjoy when you turn a second phone into a security camera:
- Livestream from one phone to another
- Motion detection to alert you to the presence of intruders
- Night vision with a low-light filter
- A walkie-talkie to allow you to communicate between the phones remotely
- Unlimited cloud storage so you can upload security footage or baby monitor footage
Setup takes just a few minutes. All you will need are two compatible phones with the AlfredCamera app.
One phone will use its built-in camera to stream live video, while the live video feed will be visible from the other phone. It’s genius, really.
You can pair the two phones by scanning a QR code or emailing a link from one phone to the other.
Now, if you do want to purchase a separate camera, you can certainly do that as well. For example, it’s kind of hard to put up a phone on your front porch to monitor your front door; it also leaves you open to the risk of phone theft.
You can find compatible AlfredCameras here. There are options for both indoor and outdoor use cases, including waterproof cameras that can withstand rainy conditions.
However, if you want ultimate portability and flexibility, consider just using an old phone as a security camera.
3. IP Cam Viewer
Another excellent alternative to Guardzilla is IP Cam Viewer, which is compatible with most IP cameras. It supports over 1,600 devices, so there’s a good chance your cameras will be compatible.
You can always check here for updated compatibility information.
It supports a wide range of features, including recording your live videos and motion detection. Many devices also support two-way audio, allowing you to not only listen to audio from your camera but also speak to your camera’s built-in microphone (if supported).
The embedded web-based server allows you to control your cameras remotely. You can take control of the PTZ (Point, Tilt, Zoom) of your camera.
Home screen and lock screen widgets make it even easier to access and view your live feeds and camera data.
There is another version of this app, called IP Cam Viewer Lite. This version can’t be upgraded to the premium version, while the Basic version can be upgraded.
4. Blue Iris
Blue Iris is a Guardzilla alternative and video camera control system. It allows you to manage, view, and control your cameras from a central interface.
There is an Android-based client for Blue Iris, but you must first install the main Blue Iris server software on your Windows PC. Once you do that, you can connect to this server via the Android client app safely and securely.
You can connect to individual cameras to avoid exposing your entire network to the internet.
The good thing about Blue Iris is that it is compatible with pretty much any IP camera. You don’t have to lock yourself into a specific software solution or brand again and make the same mistake as past Guardzilla users.
Instead, you can use any IP camera. And, if Blue Iris ever becomes defunct, you can always use an alternative solution.
5. tinyCam Monitor
tinyCam Monitor is one of the best alternatives to Guardzilla. It can be used with almost any IP camera.
It comes with codec support for Foscam and Amcrest cameras as well as support via Real-Time Streaming Protocol for cameras such as Reolink and Hikvision.
The free version is supported by ads. For free, you can enjoy features such as:
- Control the PTZ of your cameras
- Two-way audio to talk to your camera’s speakers on supported models
- LAN (Local Area Network) scanner to automatically detect new cameras to add
- SSL (Secure Socket Layer) support for a secure connection
- Group cameras by tags (one tag for outdoor cameras and one for baby monitors, for example)
The premium version, which you can download here, removes ads. It also adds premium features, including, but not limited to:
- 24/7 video recording
- Upload recordings to the cloud or store them locally or to an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) server
- Time-lapse recording
- Video player that allows you to speed up or slow down playback of recordings
- Real-time audio processing, with a graph showing audio levels, for baby monitoring
- Motion detection, both in-camera and in-app
- Face detection
- Play audio or music to your camera’s speaker (this is perfect for putting your baby to sleep)
- An Android TV interface
You can check out the list of supported camera manufacturers here.
6. Ojo
Ojo is an open-source app for Android that you can use with most IP cameras instead of Guardzilla. Guardzilla wasn’t open source, and many people learned their lesson the hard way when the app became deprecated by the company.
By opting for an open-source solution, you can continue using the app and develop it yourself further, even if the developer suspends official support.
As of this writing, the latest commits to Ojo were made just two months ago on GitHub.
You can connect your IP camera to the app via RTSP by using its stream URL. Your cameras will be shown in tile view.
7. Android RTSP IP-Cam Viewer
A lot of the apps on this list so far are packed with amazing features. While that’s a good thing, it also means that these apps can sometimes get a bit heavy.
What if you have been looking for an entirely free but lightweight alternative to Guardzilla that is also open source? In that case, Android RTSP IP-Cam Viewer is a great alternative to Guardzilla.
It comes with minimal features and a minimalist UI. It is very lightweight and won’t take up too much space on your computer.
Another benefit of this app is that it can work with old versions of Android. If you have a very old Android phone lying around that isn’t compatible with other apps, you can use this app.
It works with Android versions going as far back as Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It supports most IP cameras via RTSP and RTMP (Real-Time Messaging Protocol).
8. Cams
Another great open-source alternative to Guardzilla is Cams. It is available on F-Droid.
It supports playing RTSP streams from IP cameras.
You can add multiple video cameras and view them from a single screen. Dual-channel camera support is available, too.
It even comes with motion detection support.
You can manually switch between TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol), two popular protocols for transmitting data over networks.
The GitHub repository is here.
It is constantly being updated and supported. The latest commits were made last month, as of this publication.
9. WardenCam
If you need an alternative to Guardzilla but can’t afford to buy new cameras, you can opt for WardenCam instead, if you have an old Android device that you can repurpose as a camera.
Connecting your two phones is as easy as signing in to WardenCam with the same Google account. All you need to do is set one phone to viewer mode.
Then, you will be able to stream from one phone to the other!
It integrates with Dropbox and Google Drive to upload recordings from your feed to the cloud. Your storage is only limited by your Dropbox or Google Drive plan.
At night, the app will automatically enhance the video to help improve night vision.
With two-way audio, you can hear what’s going on in your house and even talk to the phone serving as a camera. Motion detection is supported, and you can set up alerts via push notification when an intruder is detected.
For unlimited livestreaming, you can upgrade to the premium version for a small one-time fee.
10. AtHome Camera
AtHomeCamera is another excellent alternative to Guardzilla that allows you to turn old phones into cameras.
It comes with a host of features, such as remote focus and zoom controls. It also allows for motion detection and vibration detection to keep you safe.
One cool feature of this app is the ability to play alarms and upload alarm videos to the cloud.
Scheduled recording at certain times of the day is possible.
11. Reolink
Finally, the last Guardzilla alternative on our list is Reolink. Reolink is a company that produces video and surveillance cameras, and it offers an Android app that you can use with its cameras to stream to your device remotely.
You can watch multiple channels (up to 16) on a single device. Video recordings can be saved to your Reolink camera’s SD card, and you can then stream those recordings on demand on your phone remotely.
You can also capture images from your feeds and save them to your phone’s local storage.
Reolink cameras support motion detection. You can get alerts about motion detection via push notification or email.
Motion detection can also be used as a trigger event to start video recording.
With your phone, you can also control the PTZ of the camera.
Note that you will need a Reolink camera to use this app. These can be purchased from the Reolink website.
Wrapping It Up: What Are the Best Alternatives to Guardzilla?
If you have a generic IP camera and want to use an app that is widely compatible with IP cameras, I suggest using Ivideon or tinyCam.
On the other hand, if you don’t mind buying a camera that requires a branded app, Reolink’s cameras are packed with features.
If you don’t want to buy a new camera, you can instead opt to use AlfredCamera or WardenCam to turn an old Android phone or tablet into a baby monitor or video surveillance camera.
Finally, if you are more of an open-source enthusiast, or if you are worried about the app getting deprecated, you can always opt for an open-source alternative such as Ojo.
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