Kerberos Agent 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?
Kerberos Agent
Lightweight video surveillance agent for a single camera
VS
Shinobi
Open-source NVR and CCTV software for IP cameras
| Feature | Kerberos Agent | Shinobi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Go | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, kubernetes | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,088 | ★ 4,000 |
| First released | 2014 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Nest Cam | Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Choose Kerberos Agent if…
- Lightweight per-camera model
- Scales with orchestration
Frequently asked questions
Is Kerberos Agent or Shinobi better?
Neither is universally better. Shinobi has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Kerberos Agent and Shinobi free and open-source?
Yes. Kerberos Agent is licensed under MIT and Shinobi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Kerberos Agent and Shinobi with Docker?
Kerberos Agent: yes. Shinobi: yes.