Guardian Eye

Guardian Eye turns a Linux desktop into a private video surveillance system for users who want to monitor cameras without cloud storage, an account, or a subscription. It supports IP cameras through RTSP, ONVIF, and HTTP/MJPEG, as well as USB and built-in webcams with imaging controls. Cameras can be discovered automatically on the local network, and supported cameras can be operated with PTZ controls.

The software detects motion with adjustable sensitivity and can identify camera tampering. Users can define detection zones and schedules for each camera, while on-device AI can detect people, vehicles, and animals. Audio analytics can identify events such as a baby crying or glass breaking. Recording supports continuous or event-triggered H.264 video with storage rotation, and an event journal connects thumbnails and a timeline to the relevant recordings.

Guardian Eye can send notifications through Telegram and connect to Home Assistant over MQTT. It can also provide an MJPEG stream from any camera for other tools on the network. Recordings, detection, and the event timeline remain on the machine, and Guardian Eye collects no analytics. As a commercial Linux application in the Security & Privacy category, it is free for one camera, while paid plans add support for more cameras, longer retention, and advanced AI models; MirrorNest links directly to the official release rather than mirroring it.