iSpy 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?
iSpy
Open-source camera security and surveillance software
VS
ZoneMinder
Full-featured closed-circuit television software suite
| Feature | iSpy | ZoneMinder |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | LGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C# | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,611 | ★ 5,899 |
| First released | 2007 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Blue Iris, Milestone XProtect |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is iSpy or ZoneMinder better?
Neither is universally better. ZoneMinder has the larger community, while iSpy is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are iSpy and ZoneMinder free and open-source?
Yes. iSpy is licensed under LGPL-3.0 and ZoneMinder under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run iSpy and ZoneMinder with Docker?
iSpy: check the project docs for container support. ZoneMinder: yes.