Agent DVR vs iSpy
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video surveillance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Agent DVR
Cross-platform DVR with AI object detection
VS
iSpy
Open-source camera security and surveillance software
| Feature | Agent DVR | iSpy |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Freeware | LGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Shell | C# |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 48 | ★ 1,611 |
| First released | 2020 | 2007 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Agent DVR or iSpy better?
Neither is universally better. iSpy has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Agent DVR and iSpy free and open-source?
Yes. Agent DVR is licensed under Freeware and iSpy under LGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agent DVR and iSpy with Docker?
Agent DVR: yes. iSpy: check the project docs for container support.