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How much camera storage do you need?
Pick your cameras and how many days to keep. We pick the recorder and drives and show the price.Pick cameras and days. We pick the recorder and drives.
1Your cameras
8 cameras2Days of recording
3Your property
Quiet records only when something moves, so the same drives last longer.
How much storage do security cameras use?
Every camera writes video all day. Ubiquiti rates a 2K camera at about 72 GB a day and a 4K camera at about 110 GB. Eight 4K cameras recording around the clock fill close to 0.9 TB a day.
The recorder keeps the newest video and writes over the oldest, so more drive space means more days. We pick the lowest cost drives that still keep your video if one drive fails. Very small setups on a one-drive recorder have no backup, and we say so.
On a quiet property the cameras record only when something moves. By our estimate the same drives then last close to three times as long.
Quick answers
| Cameras | Days asked | Recorder | Days you get | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 2K | 14 | Network Video Recorder Instant | about 27 | $598 |
| 4 x 2K | 30 | Network Video Recorder Instant | about 55 | $918 |
| 8 x 2K | 30 | Network Video Recorder G2 | about 41 | $2,286 |
| 8 x 4K | 30 | Network Video Recorder G2 | about 36 | $2,867 |
| 12 x 4K | 30 | Network Video Recorder G2 Pro | about 30 | $3,374 |
| 16 x 4K | 30 | Network Video Recorder G2 Pro | about 31 | $4,132 |
| 8 x 4K | 60 | Network Video Recorder G2 Pro | about 63 | $4,132 |
| 24 x 4K | 90 | Enterprise NVR | about 90 | $14,190 |
All day recording on a busy property, Enhanced Encoding off. Price is UniFi hardware plus the estimated tariff surcharge, as of Oct 11, 2026. Not an installation quote.
Storage questions
How much storage do 8 UniFi cameras need for 30 days?
At Ubiquiti's rates for all day recording, 8 4K cameras use about 26.4 TB in 30 days, and 8 2K cameras use about 17.3 TB. Our calculator picks a UNVR G2 for both: three 16 TB drives for 4K (32 TB usable, about 36 days) and four 8 TB drives for 2K (24 TB usable, about 41 days), each keeping one drive's worth as backup.
How long does a 16 TB drive keep 4K video?
One 4K camera recording all day uses about 109.92 GB a day. So a 16 TB drive holds about 145 days for one camera, or about 36 days for four. On a quiet property that records only on motion, it lasts close to three times longer, using our estimate that motion recording takes about 35% of the space of all day recording.
Which UniFi recorder fits my number of cameras?
By Ubiquiti's limits, the UNVR Instant takes up to 6 4K or 8 2K cameras, the UNVR G2 up to 30 4K or 50 2K (fewer when its Viewport screen output is in use), the UNVR G2 Pro up to 50 4K or 70 2K, and the Enterprise NVR up to 70 4K or 140 2K, with mixed sites counted by share. Our calculator suggests the UNVR Instant only for 6 cameras or fewer, and otherwise picks the cheapest G2, G2 Pro or ENVR setup that fits your cameras and days with drive backup.
What happens if a drive fails?
With one drive there is no backup, and the video on it is gone. Two drives are mirrored, and three or more keep one drive's worth of space as protection, so one drive can fail without losing video (the Enterprise NVR keeps two drives' worth once it has 9 or more). Drive backup is not a copy of your video, so a stolen or damaged recorder, a fire or a power event can still lose recordings.
Does UniFi Protect need a subscription or cloud storage?
No. UniFi Protect records to the drives in a recorder at your property, so there is no monthly camera fee and the footage stays on site. Cloud camera services are a different product, and our calculator sizes on-site recording only.
Does motion only recording or Enhanced Encoding save space?
Yes. We estimate that a mostly quiet property recording only on motion uses about 35% of the storage of all day recording, and that Enhanced Encoding uses about 30% less space, which turns the default 34 day setup into about 49 days. Both are our estimates, not Ubiquiti figures, and real numbers settle after about a week of recording.