The console is the brain. Get this one right first.
It routes your traffic, runs the firewall, and hosts the controller for your access points, cameras and doors. Everything else plugs into the decision you make here.
From a small suite to a building.
Cameras and access points from older generations are fine and worth keeping. The gateway is the exception, because it is the security front door and it ages differently.
Cloud Gateway Ultra
The compact entry console. A small home or a single suite with modest camera counts.
Cloud Gateway Max
Compact, with a slot for a drive so it records cameras without a separate recorder.
Dream Machine Pro
The one we recommend most. Rack mounted, a real drive bay, room to grow into.
Dream Machine Pro Max
More capacity and two drive bays, for camera counts that outgrow the Pro.
Prices are all-in CAD, Ubiquiti’s own price including their memory surcharge, and we add nothing to them. They move when Ubiquiti moves them, so we confirm every line on the quote.
Why this is the component worth replacing while it still works.
- It is your firewall. Current consoles carry faster processors, far more memory, and up to date intrusion definitions. An old one still boots, and that is not the same as still protecting you.
- It records. Several consoles take a drive and record cameras directly, which removes a separate recorder from the bill.
- Remote access is included. Reaching your own console from anywhere is standard, not a subscription.
- It sets your ceiling. Device and client counts are decided here, so this is where growing room is cheap and where running out is expensive.
Our recommendation
The UDM-Pro is the floor we recommend for most builds. The alternative is a current compact console if you are deliberately trading capacity for cost or size, which is a legitimate choice made knowingly.
Not sure which tier you actually need?
It comes down to how many devices, how many cameras, and how long you keep footage. Three questions and we can tell you.
Want the full detail? Choosing a Gateway in the wiki has the complete tables and the specs behind these choices.