Bluecherry 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?
Bluecherry
Open-source IP camera surveillance and NVR application
VS
ZoneMinder
Full-featured closed-circuit television software suite
| Feature | Bluecherry | ZoneMinder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 274 | ★ 5,899 |
| First released | 2010 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Milestone XProtect | Blue Iris, Milestone XProtect |
Why pick each one
Choose Bluecherry if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in C++
Frequently asked questions
Is Bluecherry or ZoneMinder better?
Neither is universally better. ZoneMinder has the larger community, while Bluecherry is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Bluecherry and ZoneMinder free and open-source?
Yes. Bluecherry is licensed under GPL-2.0 and ZoneMinder under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Bluecherry and ZoneMinder with Docker?
Bluecherry: yes. ZoneMinder: yes.