CompreFace vs Viseron
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
Viseron
Self-hosted NVR with local AI object detection
| Feature | CompreFace | Viseron |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | Java | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,173 | ★ 3,334 |
| First released | 2020 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Amazon Rekognition | Nest Cam, Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is CompreFace or Viseron better?
Neither is universally better. CompreFace has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are CompreFace and Viseron free and open-source?
Yes. CompreFace is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Viseron under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CompreFace and Viseron with Docker?
CompreFace: yes. Viseron: yes.