Agent DVR vs ZoneMinder
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
ZoneMinder
Full-featured closed-circuit television software suite
| Feature | Agent DVR | ZoneMinder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Freeware | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Shell | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 48 | ★ 5,899 |
| First released | 2020 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Blue Iris, Milestone XProtect |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Agent DVR or ZoneMinder better?
Neither is universally better. ZoneMinder has the larger community, while Agent DVR is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Agent DVR and ZoneMinder free and open-source?
Yes. Agent DVR is licensed under Freeware and ZoneMinder under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Agent DVR and ZoneMinder with Docker?
Agent DVR: yes. ZoneMinder: yes.