CompreFace 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?
CompreFace
Self-hosted face recognition service with REST API
VS
ZoneMinder
Full-featured closed-circuit television software suite
| Feature | CompreFace | ZoneMinder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Java | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 4,096 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 8,173 | ★ 5,899 |
| First released | 2020 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Amazon Rekognition | Blue Iris, Milestone XProtect |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is CompreFace or ZoneMinder better?
CompreFace is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider ZoneMinder if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are CompreFace and ZoneMinder free and open-source?
Yes. CompreFace is licensed under Apache-2.0 and ZoneMinder under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run CompreFace and ZoneMinder with Docker?
CompreFace: yes. ZoneMinder: yes.