go2rtc vs Shinobi
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?
go2rtc
Ultimate camera streaming gateway with low latency
VS
Shinobi
Open-source NVR and CCTV software for IP cameras
| Feature | go2rtc | Shinobi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, binary, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 13,837 | ★ 4,000 |
| First released | 2022 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Nest Cam | Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is go2rtc or Shinobi better?
Neither is universally better. go2rtc has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are go2rtc and Shinobi free and open-source?
Yes. go2rtc is licensed under MIT and Shinobi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run go2rtc and Shinobi with Docker?
go2rtc: yes. Shinobi: yes.