DOODS2 vs Motion
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video surveillance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | DOODS2 | Motion |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 50 · Fair | 80 · Excellent |
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | C++ |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 277 | ★ 4,048 |
| First released | 2020 | 2000 |
| Replaces | Nest Cam | Nest Cam |
What are DOODS2 and Motion?
DOODS2
DOODS2 is a dedicated open object detection service written in Python. It exposes REST and gRPC APIs for running detection on images and video streams, supports Coral EdgeTPU and GPU acceleration, and is commonly paired with NVR software rather than being an NVR itself.
- Standalone object detection service
- REST and gRPC APIs
- Coral and GPU support
- Integrates with NVR software
Motion
Motion is a program that monitors video signals from cameras and detects movement. It can record video, capture snapshots, and trigger external scripts when motion is detected, all with a small footprint.
- Motion detection
- Snapshot and video capture
- External script triggers
- Very low resource use
DOODS2 vs Motion: key differences
DOODS2 is written in Python, while Motion is built with C++. Licensing differs — MIT for DOODS2 versus GPL-2.0 for Motion. Motion is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for DOODS2. Motion is the more established project (first released 2000), while DOODS2 arrived in 2020. Motion has the considerably larger community, at 4,048 GitHub stars versus 277.
Why pick each one
Choose DOODS2 if…
- Released under the MIT license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
Watch out for
- Detection service only
- Needs an NVR to pair with
Choose Motion if…
- Tiny footprint
- Highly scriptable
Watch out for
- No built-in web UI
- Configuration via files
Frequently asked questions
Is DOODS2 or Motion better?
Neither is universally better. Motion has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are DOODS2 and Motion free and open-source?
Yes. DOODS2 is licensed under MIT and Motion under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run DOODS2 and Motion with Docker?
DOODS2: yes. Motion: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, DOODS2 or Motion?
Motion has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for DOODS2. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.