Free tool
Video/CCTV Storage Calculator
Estimate storage needs for continuous recording — security cameras, dashcams or 4K footage.
Estimated storage
86.40 GBper day
Based on typical H.264 bitrates — actual footage size varies with motion, compression and codec.
Continuous video recording eats storage fast, and the math depends on resolution, bitrate and how many hours a day you're actually recording — a single 4K security camera running 24/7 can outpace a dozen 1080p cameras on a motion-triggered schedule. This calculator estimates daily storage from those inputs so you can size a drive or a cloud plan before you run out mid-month.
Pick a resolution to load a typical bitrate, or type your own if you know your camera's actual setting — bitrate is what actually drives file size, resolution alone doesn't.
How to use it
- 01Pick a resolution (or Custom to leave the bitrate untouched) and a frame rate.
- 02Adjust the bitrate if you know your camera or recorder's actual setting — it's the number that matters most.
- 03Enter hours recorded per day and the number of cameras to get an estimated daily storage total.
Frequently asked questions
Why does bitrate matter more than resolution?
Resolution sets the pixel count, but bitrate sets how much data is actually written per second of footage — the same 1080p camera can produce very different file sizes depending on its bitrate setting and compression quality. If you know your device's actual bitrate, use it instead of the suggested default.
How is this different from “What Fits in X GB?”
That tool works backward from a storage amount to rough everyday equivalents. This one works forward from a recording setup — resolution, bitrate, hours per day, camera count — to the storage a continuous-recording system actually needs, which is a very different kind of estimate.
Does motion-triggered recording change this?
Yes, significantly — if your cameras only record on motion instead of continuously, actual usage will be far lower than a 24-hour estimate. Set “hours recorded per day” to your realistic triggered recording time instead of 24 to model that.
Related tools
This is what Purgify automates.
Connect your cloud accounts and Purgify finds duplicates and reclaimable space like this — across all of them, on a schedule.
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