SHSelfHostIndex

Agent DVR vs Shinobi

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?
AG Agent DVR Cross-platform DVR with AI object detection VS SH Shinobi Open-source NVR and CCTV software for IP cameras
FeatureAgent DVRShinobi
CategoryVideo SurveillanceVideo Surveillance
LicenseFreewareGPL-3.0
LanguageShellJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 48★ 4,000
First released20202017
ReplacesBlue IrisBlue Iris

Why pick each one

Choose Agent DVR if…

  • Polished interface
  • Good detection options
Agent DVR details

Choose Shinobi if…

  • Flexible camera support
  • Active community
Shinobi details

Frequently asked questions

Is Agent DVR or Shinobi better?

Neither is universally better. Shinobi has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Agent DVR and Shinobi free and open-source?

Yes. Agent DVR is licensed under Freeware and Shinobi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Agent DVR and Shinobi with Docker?

Agent DVR: yes. Shinobi: yes.

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