JVSG says
“Limited database”
Reality
65,530 camera models, counted live from our catalog. JVSG advertises 21,000+. We are larger.
Comparison
CCTVplanner vs JVSG
JVSG IP Video System Design Tool is a paid desktop application for Windows. CCTVplanner is a free, browser-based alternative that works on any device. Design CCTV layouts instantly without installing software or buying licenses.
Receipts
JVSG calls our work "vibe-coded" and "limited". Here are the receipts.
A recent comparison page on jvsg.com makes specific claims about CCTVPlanner. Below — every claim we found, quoted exactly, with what is actually in our product.
JVSG says
“Limited or simplified calculations”
Reality
Full DORI per EN 62676-4 (thresholds 25 / 62.5 / 125 / 250 px/m). HFOV, VFOV, IFOV, tilt correction, corridor mode. Obstacle-aware coverage with 3D shadow geometry. 5,600+ automated tests on the maths.
JVSG says
“Basic export”
Reality
Multi-page PDF with bill of materials, cable schedule, equipment list, elevation views, cost estimate. Full DXF export and import (BLOCK, INSERT, SPLINE, HATCH, DIMENSION). PNG export. Auto-generated GDPR DPIA worksheet (Art. 35).
JVSG says
“Cable routing and accurate cable length estimation”
Reality
We calculate cable length per route too. Visible directly in the route edit panel. Carries straight into the BOM and into the customer offer. JVSG implies this is theirs alone — it is not.
JVSG says
“Lack consistency in calculations”
Reality
5,600+ automated tests cover DORI maths, lens optics, topology graph, obstacle shadowing, multi-floor projection, currency conversion, datasheet validation. No claim — just numbers. JVSG provided no example to back this up.
JVSG says
“Vibe-coded product, limited proven capabilities”
Reality
26 standards validated (EN 62676 series, EN 50130-4/5, EN 62305 lightning, IEC 60529/62262, ISO/IEC 11801, IEEE 802.3 PoE, ONVIF, NDAA §889, GDPR, BS 8418, AS/NZS 4806, Garante 2010). 33 UI languages including RTL Arabic. Multi-floor topology with daisy-chain, NVR, WAP, multi-closet routing. Paying customers from all over the world.
JVSG says
“Cloud-based — requires internet”
Reality
Open the project from any device — laptop, tablet, phone — with no install. PWA caches the app for offline use after first load. Modern UI. JVSG: Windows install required, single machine only, UI essentially unchanged since 2015.
JVSG says
“3D visualization of camera coverage”
Reality
We now render a full 3D scene — in the browser, no install. A per-camera point-of-view walkthrough shows exactly what each camera sees, with DORI silhouettes at Detect / Observe / Recognize / Identify distances, a sun/shadow study, and one-click 3D-PDF export — all on real terrain and satellite imagery. And the engineering underneath is genuinely 3D: mounting height per camera (1–20 m), tilt angle (0–60°), obstacles with Z-ranges, 3D shadow geometry for see-over checks, multi-floor elevation. JVSG has a 3D viewport too — but it is Windows-desktop-only. Ours runs anywhere.
Quotes verified on jvsg.com/cctv-planner/ at time of publication. Numbers above are sourced from our live codebase: catalog count, test count, supported standards, language list. We will update this page if JVSG corrects theirs.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
| Feature | CCTVplanner | JVSG |
|---|---|---|
| Data Residency | EU (AWS eu-west, Ireland) | Desktop app |
| Price | Free (Installer from €4.17/mo) | From 319 EUR once, or 360 EUR/user/year |
| Platform | Browser-based (any device) | Windows desktop only |
| 3D site view | Full 3D in the browser, per-camera POV walkthrough, sun and shadow study, 3D PDF | 3D viewport, Windows install only |
| Cable engineering | 51 cable types, PoE budget, voltage drop, fibre budget, conduit fill | Cable routing and length estimation (their wording) |
| Camera Placement | Drag & drop on satellite/floor plans | Drag & drop on imported plans |
| FOV Visualization | Real-time FOV cones with DORI zones | 3D FOV modeling with DORI |
| Floor Plan Import | Yes - upload custom floor plans | Yes - import CAD/image files |
| Satellite Map View | Yes - Google Maps integration | Limited - screenshot-based |
| PDF Export | Professional PDF reports | PDF/Word export |
| Storage Calculator | Built-in with bandwidth estimation | Built-in storage/bandwidth calc |
| Collaboration | Cloud-based project sharing | No - local files only |
| Installation Required | None - works in browser | Yes - Windows installer |
| Learning Curve | Intuitive - start in minutes | Steep - complex desktop software |
| Mobile Access | Yes - any device with a browser | No - desktop only |
| Standards compliance (cited + validated) | 26 standards: EN 62676 series, EN 50130-4/5, EN 62305 lightning, IEC 60529/62262, ISO/IEC 11801, IEEE 802.3 PoE, ONVIF, NDAA §889, GDPR, BS 8418, AS/NZS 4806, Garante 2010 + more | Limited — DORI mentioned, no formal validators |
| Thermal cameras — Johnson Criteria (NATO STANAG 4347) | 64 verified thermal models with datasheet DRI tables, dual-spectrum FOV cone | Basic thermal — no Johnson Criteria implementation |
| Lightning protection assessment (EN 62305) | Automatic LPZ classification + SPD requirements per camera | Not provided |
| NDAA §889 compliance flag (US Federal) | Per camera + mixed-compliance validator | Not flagged |
| Interface languages | 33 (EN, PL, DE, ES, FR, IT, NL, PT-BR, PT-PT, CS, SK, SL, HR, HU, RO, BG, EL, ET, LV, LT, FI, SV, DA, UK, TR, AR, JA, KO, HI, VI, TH, FIL, ID) | 20+ |
| Datasheet-verified specs (bitrate, lux, IP/IK, ONVIF, NDAA, env class) | 100+ verified flagship models with full compliance metadata | Large catalog but compliance metadata limited |
| GDPR DPIA worksheet (Art. 35) | Auto-generated in PDF per WP29 WP248 | Not provided |
Why Installers Switch to CCTVplanner
Works Everywhere
No Windows PC required. Access CCTVplanner from any device with a browser - Mac, tablet, phone, or Chromebook. Review designs on-site and make changes on the go.
Instant Start, No Setup
No downloads, no installation, no license keys. Sign up and start designing CCTV layouts immediately. JVSG requires downloading, installing, and activating a paid license before you can begin.
Cloud-Based Collaboration
Your projects are saved in the cloud and accessible from anywhere. Share designs with team members and clients instantly. JVSG stores files locally with no built-in sharing.
Mobile-Friendly Design
Review and edit CCTV layouts on your tablet or phone during site surveys. JVSG is locked to a Windows desktop, making on-site adjustments impossible.
Shipping today
The engineering behind the drawing
Everything below is in the product today, on the free tier, and none of it needs an install. Open it in a browser and check it against JVSG on a job you already know.
A full 3D site, in the browser
No install and no workstation. Walk the site from any camera point of view, with DORI silhouettes standing at the Detect, Observe, Recognize and Identify distances so the customer sees what the camera sees. Sun and shadow study for the time of day that matters, and one-click 3D PDF export for the people who will never open a design tool.
Coverage solved in 3D, not drawn on a flat plan
Every cone is computed from the sensor, resolution and focal length at the mounting height (1 to 20 m) and tilt you set, then clipped by buildings, fences and real ground elevation on satellite imagery. On a flat indoor floor a 2D tool agrees with us. On a sloped yard or a sunken loading dock it does not, and that gap is exactly where the blind spots are.
23 site objects that genuinely block the view
Racking, containers, concrete blocks, scaffolding, solar panels, trees, and the machinery a live construction site actually parks in the shot: excavators, cranes, concrete mixers, bulldozers, vans and pickups. Each one carries real dimensions and a vertical range, and the field of view clips against it with the shadow drawn on the plan.
Interiors: stacked floors, walls, rooms
Stack ground floor, mezzanine, plant room and roof as separate levels. Draw walls, close rooms and read the floor area back in square metres. Cabling routes between levels, the topology graph carries across them, and each floor exports as its own DXF sheet and PDF page.
Wi-Fi and radio links designed with the cameras
Predictive coverage for access points using ITU-R P.2040 wall transmission and a P.1238 margin, drawn as a heatmap over the same plan the cameras sit on. Point-to-point links are checked for line of sight against the buildings and terrain, so the wireless leg of the design fails on screen rather than on site.
Cabling engineered, not estimated
51 specified cable types with PoE budget from loop resistance, DC voltage drop, fibre loss budget with splice and connector allowances, coax attenuation per format, speaker line loading and conduit fill. Route length is measured on the drawn route and carries straight into the bill of materials, the cable schedule and the customer offer.
67 automatic design checks
The plan is validated while you draw it: DORI shortfall, blind spots, perimeter gaps, PoE budget and class escalation, cable length and category headroom, conduit bundling, fibre loss, thermal lens and pairing, EMC and environmental class, lightning protection zones, ONVIF profile mixing, NDAA compliance, bandwidth headroom and switch port capacity.
Deliverables a contractor can hand over
CAD-grade DXF (AutoCAD R2018 / AC1021) on named layers with BLOCK, INSERT, SPLINE, ELLIPSE, HATCH and DIMENSION preserved, inside an ISO 5457 sheet frame with an ISO 7200 title block. Multi-page PDF with bill of materials, cable schedule, equipment list, elevation views, coverage analysis, acceptance test protocol, maintenance schedule and the GDPR Article 35 DPIA worksheet.
65,530
camera models
110
manufacturers
33
interface languages
5,600+
automated tests
100% EU
hosted and operated
Frequently Asked Questions
Is CCTVplanner as powerful as JVSG?
Yes. CCTVplanner covers everything most installers need: camera placement on satellite maps and floor plans, FOV visualization with DORI zones, storage calculation, and professional PDF export — and it now ships a browser-based 3D site view with a per-camera point-of-view walkthrough and 3D-PDF export, the kind of 3D JVSG is known for, but with no Windows install and on any device.
Can I import JVSG projects into CCTVplanner?
Direct JVSG project import is not currently supported. However, you can quickly recreate your layouts in CCTVplanner using satellite maps or by uploading the same floor plans. Most users find the process faster than working in JVSG.
Is CCTVplanner really free?
Yes! CCTVplanner offers a generous free tier that includes camera placement, FOV visualization, satellite map views, and basic PDF export. Paid plans start at €4.17/month for advanced features like unlimited projects and priority support.
Why switch from JVSG to CCTVplanner?
The main reasons installers switch are: no license cost to get started, works on any device (not just Windows), cloud-based project storage and sharing, and a simpler learning curve. CCTVplanner lets you design professional CCTV layouts without being tied to a specific computer.
Try CCTVplanner Free
Design professional CCTV layouts in minutes. No software to install, no license to buy. Just open your browser and start placing cameras.
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