Double Take vs Pikrellcam
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video surveillance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Double Take
Unified UI and API for face recognition on camera feeds
VS
Pikrellcam
Raspberry Pi motion-detection camera with web interface
| Feature | Double Take | Pikrellcam |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 38 · At risk | 9 · At risk |
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | JavaScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,442 | ★ 272 |
| First released | 2021 | 2015 |
| Replaces | Nest Cam | Nest Cam |
What are Double Take and Pikrellcam?
Double Take
Double Take provides a unified interface and API to coordinate multiple face recognition services for your surveillance cameras. It connects to Frigate and detectors like CompreFace to deliver named-person alerts.
- Unified face recognition UI
- Frigate integration
- Multiple detector backends
- Named-person alerts
Pikrellcam
PiKrellCam is a motion-detecting video recorder for the Raspberry Pi camera with a built-in web interface. It records motion events, captures still images, and can overlay annotations on the video.
- Raspberry Pi camera recording
- Motion detection
- Web interface
- Annotation overlays
Double Take vs Pikrellcam: key differences
Double Take is written in JavaScript, while Pikrellcam is built with C. Licensing differs — MIT for Double Take versus GPL-3.0 for Pikrellcam. Pikrellcam is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Double Take. Pikrellcam is the more established project (first released 2015), while Double Take arrived in 2021. Double Take has the considerably larger community, at 1,442 GitHub stars versus 272. Double Take lists first-class Docker deployment; Pikrellcam does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Double Take if…
- Coordinates several detectors
- Good Frigate companion
Watch out for
- Companion tool only
- Requires a detector backend
Choose Pikrellcam if…
- Great for Pi camera modules
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- Raspberry Pi specific
- Single-camera focus
Frequently asked questions
Is Double Take or Pikrellcam better?
Neither is universally better. Double Take has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Double Take and Pikrellcam free and open-source?
Yes. Double Take is licensed under MIT and Pikrellcam under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Double Take and Pikrellcam with Docker?
Double Take: yes. Pikrellcam: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Double Take or Pikrellcam?
Pikrellcam has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Double Take. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.