Agent DVR vs Kerberos.io Machinery
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video surveillance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Agent DVR
Cross-platform DVR with AI object detection
VS
Kerberos.io Machinery
Archived
Open-source video surveillance recording engine
| Feature | Agent DVR | Kerberos.io Machinery |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 69 · Good | 10 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Freeware | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 50 | ★ 486 |
| First released | 2020 | 2014 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Milestone XProtect, Blue Iris |
What are Agent DVR and Kerberos.io Machinery?
Agent DVR
Agent DVR is a cross-platform video surveillance system from the makers of iSpy, with support for many camera types and AI-based object detection. It offers a modern web interface and can run as a standalone service.
- Wide camera support
- AI object detection
- Modern web interface
- Cross-platform service
Kerberos.io Machinery
Kerberos Machinery is the open-source video surveillance recording engine of the Kerberos.io ecosystem. It captures, records, and processes video from IP and USB cameras with motion detection and event-based recording.
- Video recording engine
- Motion-based capture
- IP and USB camera support
- Event-driven processing
Agent DVR vs Kerberos.io Machinery: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Kerberos.io Machinery's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Agent DVR is actively maintained. Agent DVR is written in Shell, while Kerberos.io Machinery is built with C++. Licensing differs — Freeware for Agent DVR versus Apache-2.0 for Kerberos.io Machinery. Kerberos.io Machinery is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Agent DVR. Kerberos.io Machinery is the more established project (first released 2014), while Agent DVR arrived in 2020. Kerberos.io Machinery has the considerably larger community, at 486 GitHub stars versus 50.
Why pick each one
Choose Agent DVR if…
- Polished interface
- Good detection options
Watch out for
- Not open source
- Some features require a license
Choose Kerberos.io Machinery if…
- Lightweight engine
- Part of broader ecosystem
Watch out for
- Best with Kerberos suite
- Single-camera per instance
Frequently asked questions
Is Agent DVR or Kerberos.io Machinery better?
Neither is universally better. Kerberos.io Machinery has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Agent DVR and Kerberos.io Machinery free and open-source?
Yes. Agent DVR is licensed under Freeware and Kerberos.io Machinery under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agent DVR and Kerberos.io Machinery with Docker?
Agent DVR: yes. Kerberos.io Machinery: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Agent DVR or Kerberos.io Machinery?
Kerberos.io Machinery has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Agent DVR. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.