Screen2ipcam vs DeskCamera — an honest comparison

Q: Is Screen2ipcam a good alternative to DeskCamera?

Yes — Screen2ipcam covers the same core job (turning a Windows PC screen, window or webcam into a standard ONVIF Profile S / RTSP H.264 IP camera for any NVR or VMS) with a transparent price: a free edition on the official Microsoft Store, a fully-featured 14-day trial, and a one-time $20 lifetime license — no subscription.

Q: Does Screen2ipcam work with the same NVRs as DeskCamera?

Yes — both speak standard ONVIF and RTSP. Screen2ipcam is tested with Hikvision, Dahua, Blue Iris and Agent DVR, and works with XMEye-based NVRs, Milestone, Genetec, Nx Witness, Synology, QNAP and any ONVIF/RTSP-compliant system.

Both tools turn a Windows PC screen into a virtual ONVIF / RTSP IP camera that your NVR or VMS records like any real camera. Here is a factual, side-by-side look at pricing, performance and compatibility — so you can pick the right one for your POS terminals, classrooms, dashboards or control rooms.

Windows 7 → 11 ONVIF · Profile S RTSP · H.264 ★ 5.0/5 · 100% CLEAN — Softpedia

Side-by-side comparison

Feature	Screen2ipcam	DeskCamera
Standard ONVIF (Profile S) + RTSP H.264	✔ Main + Sub streams, JPEG snapshot, WS-Discovery	✔ ONVIF & RTSP streaming
Pricing	✔ Transparent — free edition, or $20 one-time lifetime license (no subscription, no renewals)	Perpetual PC-locked or subscription floating licenses — pricing via their store
Free edition	✔ On the official Microsoft Store, signed by Microsoft — zero security warnings	Free trial
Trial	14 days, every feature unlocked	Free trial (length not published)
Resource usage	~2% CPU while streaming · ~70 MB RAM · native C++, no .NET, no frameworks	GPU-accelerated encoding (Intel QSV / NVENC / AMD VCE)
Windows support	Windows 7 SP1 → 11, 32-bit & 64-bit — incl. IoT / Embedded / POSReady	Windows PC (supported versions not published)
Runs on old POS hardware (32-bit)	✔ Dedicated x86 build	Not published
Microsoft Store listing (signed)	✔	✖
Capture sources	Full screen · single window · webcam	Screen · window · webcam · audio / microphone
Audio streaming	✖ Video only (by design — lighter)	✔
Control panels	Native Windows app + browser web panel + config file · English / Arabic	Windows app
Always-on Windows service	✔ Starts before sign-in — or run as a tray app	Not published
Tested with	Hikvision · Dahua · Blue Iris · Agent DVR · XMEye-based NVRs — plus Milestone, Genetec, Nx Witness, Synology, QNAP via ONVIF/RTSP	ONVIF/RTSP-compliant systems
Independent review	Softpedia: 5.0/5 · Certified 100% CLEAN	—

⚖️ Fair-play note: DeskCamera is a mature, capable product. Facts in its column come from deskcamera.com as of July 2026; items marked “not published” simply aren't stated publicly there. If you spot something outdated, tell us and we'll correct it.

When to pick which?

Pick Screen2ipcam if you want the lightest footprint (~2% CPU, native C++), old-hardware support down to Windows 7 SP1 / 32-bit POS machines, a signed Microsoft Store edition, an Arabic + English UI, and a transparent $20-once price.

Pick DeskCamera if you specifically need audio / microphone streaming alongside video — that's a genuine feature Screen2ipcam intentionally skips to stay light.

Get Screen2ipcam free from the Microsoft Store

⬇ Download the 14-day full trial See pricing — $20 lifetime

Quick answers

Is Screen2ipcam a good alternative to DeskCamera?

Yes — it covers the same core job (Windows screen, window or webcam → standard ONVIF Profile S / RTSP H.264 IP camera for any NVR or VMS) with a transparent price: a free edition on the official Microsoft Store, a fully-featured 14-day trial, and a one-time $20 lifetime license — no subscription.

Which is lighter on the CPU?

Screen2ipcam is native C++ with a static runtime — no .NET, no frameworks — using roughly 2% CPU while streaming and ~70 MB RAM. It runs comfortably on old POS machines and 32-bit Windows 7 SP1+ hardware.

Does it work with the same NVRs?

Yes — both speak standard ONVIF/RTSP. Screen2ipcam is tested with Hikvision, Dahua, Blue Iris and Agent DVR, and works with XMEye-based NVRs, Milestone, Genetec, Nx Witness, Synology, QNAP and any compliant VMS.