iSpy vs mjpg-streamer
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?
iSpy
Open-source camera security and surveillance software
VS
mjpg-streamer
Stream JPEG frames from webcams over HTTP
| Feature | iSpy | mjpg-streamer |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C# | C |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | binary, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,611 | ★ 3,246 |
| First released | 2007 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Webcam streaming services |
Why pick each one
Choose mjpg-streamer if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
- Active community (3.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
Frequently asked questions
Is iSpy or mjpg-streamer better?
mjpg-streamer is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider iSpy if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are iSpy and mjpg-streamer free and open-source?
Yes. iSpy is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and mjpg-streamer under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iSpy and mjpg-streamer with Docker?
iSpy: check the project docs for container support. mjpg-streamer: check the project docs for container support.