CompreFace vs zmNinja
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
zmNinja
Cross-platform mobile and desktop client for ZoneMinder
| Feature | CompreFace | zmNinja |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,173 | ★ 1,080 |
| First released | 2020 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Amazon Rekognition | Commercial CCTV apps |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is CompreFace or zmNinja better?
Neither is universally better. CompreFace has the larger community, while zmNinja is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are CompreFace and zmNinja free and open-source?
Yes. CompreFace is licensed under Apache-2.0 and zmNinja under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CompreFace and zmNinja with Docker?
CompreFace: yes. zmNinja: check the project docs for container support.