Free CCTV Design Software for Security Installers — No Credit Card, No Time Limit

If you are looking for free CCTV design software that handles the full workflow — not just a drawing pad — you are in the right place. CCTV Design Tool is a browser-based platform used by security installers and integrators to plan camera coverage, calculate pixel density, route cabling, and produce client-ready PDF proposals. The free plan is a genuine working environment with no trial period and no credit card required.

On the free plan you get: the full 23,000+ camera database, live FOV and DORI zone visualisation on your floor plan, cable length calculation, an automatically generated Bill of Materials with a pricing and margin module, and PDF proposal export. The free plan is capped at 3 cameras and 3 infrastructure devices per project, and exports carry a watermark. Everything else works exactly as it does on a paid plan.

Free vs Premium: What's Included in Each Plan

Start With Any Floor Plan — PDF, DXF, CAD, or Satellite Image

Every job starts differently. Sometimes you have an architect's PDF. Sometimes you have a DXF from a consultant. Sometimes you arrive on site and take a photo with your phone. The free plan handles all of it — upload whatever you have and start placing cameras immediately.

• Satellite image — type the address and pull the site view directly, no download needed
• PDF blueprint — architectural drawings or planning documents; any page becomes the design background
• CAD DXF file — import directly from AutoCAD, select which layers become walls
• Site photo or sketch — any JPG or PNG, taken on your phone or scanned

Once imported, set a scale reference by clicking two known points and entering the real-world distance. The tool calibrates automatically — all cable length measurements and coverage calculations will be to scale from that point forward.

Camera Placement with Live FOV, DORI Zones, and Pixel Density

The free plan gives you the full camera placement engine. Search the 23,000+ model database by brand, resolution, lens, or IR range — Hikvision, Axis, Dahua, Hanwha, and 150+ other manufacturers are included. The moment you place a camera on the floor plan, you see its field of view rendered in real time.

Each camera's FOV displays DORI zones — Detect, Observe, Recognise, and Identify — colour-coded directly on the plan, so you can immediately see whether a given position will identify faces at the entrance or only detect movement in a corridor. The tool also calculates Pixels Per Metre (PPM) live at any distance, so you can verify EN 62676-4 compliance before the cable is ordered.

• Full 23,000+ camera database — search by resolution, type, IR range, lens, brand
• Live FOV cones — drag, rotate, and zoom; coverage updates in real time
• DORI zone overlay — colour-coded Detect / Observe / Recognise / Identify zones
• PPM calculation — pixel density at any point in the field of view
• Multi-floor design — design buildings with multiple levels in one project

Note: IR night vision range simulation is a Premium feature and is not available on the free plan.

Cable Route Planner, Automatic BOM, and Pricing Module — All Free

This is where the free plan separates itself from basic drawing tools. The cable route planner, Bill of Materials generator, and pricing module are all included at no cost.

Draw cable routes directly on the floor plan using waypoints to route around walls and obstacles. The tool sums totals per cable type automatically — Cat6, coax, fibre, alarm cable — and exports a complete cable schedule. Every camera and device you place is added to the BOM automatically: no manual spreadsheet, no missed line items.

• Cable route planner — draw routes on the plan, totals per cable type calculated automatically
• Auto-generated BOM — every device and cable run added to the materials list as you design
• Pricing module — load your unit prices, set margins per product or globally, apply tax
• Profit margin calculation — see hardware margin and total project profit in real time
• CSV export — export the full connection list and BOM for purchase orders

PDF Proposals on the Free Plan — What's Included and What's Not

The free plan includes both report generators: the Document Creator (full proposals with floor plan, BOM, pricing, and cover page) and the Simple Report (a clean one-page summary for quick jobs). Both are limited to 3 pages per export on the free plan, and all exports carry a watermark.

For a domestic job or a small commercial site within the 3-camera limit, a 3-page proposal is typically sufficient: a cover page, the annotated floor plan, and the itemized BOM with pricing. For larger projects or client-facing work where you need to remove the watermark and add your company logo, upgrading to Premium at $6/month billed annually removes all these restrictions.

CCTV_Proposal_SecureView.pdf

more pages in the full report

Sample PDF proposal — floor plan, camera coverage, and itemized BOMdownload Download Sample

What Requires a Premium Upgrade

The free plan covers the complete design and quoting workflow for smaller projects. The following features require a Premium subscription at $6/month billed annually:

• Unlimited cameras and devices — remove the 3-camera limit per project
• Client share link — share an interactive floor plan with your client; not available on free
• Watermark-free exports — clean PDFs for professional client-facing proposals
• Custom branding — your company logo and colours on every proposal and share link
• Night vision simulation — IR illuminator range rendered live on the floor plan
• Security device library — 18,000+ NVRs, PoE switches, and access control devices
• Cloud save and sync — access your projects from any device; local storage only on free
• Priority support — faster responses on any questions or issues

Most small installers find that the free plan covers one-off domestic jobs, client demos, and first proposals without any friction. Once you are running multiple concurrent projects or presenting to commercial clients, the $6/month Premium cost recovers itself on the first contract it helps you win.

Frequently Asked Questions — Free CCTV Design Software