CompreFace vs uStreamer
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?
CompreFace
Self-hosted face recognition service with REST API
VS
uStreamer
Lightweight MJPEG streamer for USB and CSI cameras
| Feature | CompreFace | uStreamer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Java | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,173 | ★ 2,021 |
| First released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Amazon Rekognition | mjpg-streamer |
Why pick each one
Choose uStreamer if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Frequently asked questions
Is CompreFace or uStreamer better?
Neither is universally better. CompreFace has the larger community, while uStreamer is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CompreFace and uStreamer free and open-source?
Yes. CompreFace is licensed under Apache-2.0 and uStreamer under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CompreFace and uStreamer with Docker?
CompreFace: yes. uStreamer: check the project docs for container support.