SHSelfHostIndex

Kerberos.io Machinery vs MotionPlus

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?
KE Kerberos.io Machinery Archived Open-source video surveillance recording engine VS MO MotionPlus Archived Next-generation successor to the Motion surveillance software
FeatureKerberos.io MachineryMotionPlus
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score10 · At risk9 · At risk
StatusArchivedArchived
CategoryVideo SurveillanceVideo Surveillance
LicenseApache-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguageC++C++
Setup difficultyMediumMedium
Min. RAM512 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, binary, sourcebare-metal, source
GitHub stars★ 486★ 367
First released20142020
ReplacesMilestone XProtect, Blue IrisBlue Iris, ZoneMinder

What are Kerberos.io Machinery and MotionPlus?

Kerberos.io Machinery

Kerberos Machinery is the open-source video surveillance recording engine of the Kerberos.io ecosystem. It captures, records, and processes video from IP and USB cameras with motion detection and event-based recording.

  • Video recording engine
  • Motion-based capture
  • IP and USB camera support
  • Event-driven processing

MotionPlus

MotionPlus is the next-generation continuation of the Motion video surveillance software, written by a longtime Motion developer. It monitors video signals from cameras and detects motion to trigger recordings and events.

  • Motion-triggered recording
  • Multiple camera sources
  • Web control interface
  • Event scripting

Kerberos.io Machinery vs MotionPlus: key differences

Note that both projects' repositories are archived — neither is actively developed. Both projects are written in C++. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Kerberos.io Machinery versus GPL-3.0 for MotionPlus. MotionPlus is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Kerberos.io Machinery. Kerberos.io Machinery is the more established project (first released 2014), while MotionPlus arrived in 2020. Kerberos.io Machinery lists first-class Docker deployment; MotionPlus does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Kerberos.io Machinery if…

  • Lightweight engine
  • Part of broader ecosystem

Watch out for

  • Best with Kerberos suite
  • Single-camera per instance
Kerberos.io Machinery details

Choose MotionPlus if…

  • Lightweight and flexible
  • Active development

Watch out for

  • Configuration heavy
  • No bundled AI detection
MotionPlus details

Frequently asked questions

Is Kerberos.io Machinery or MotionPlus better?

Neither is universally better. Kerberos.io Machinery has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Kerberos.io Machinery and MotionPlus free and open-source?

Yes. Kerberos.io Machinery is licensed under Apache-2.0 and MotionPlus under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Kerberos.io Machinery and MotionPlus with Docker?

Kerberos.io Machinery: yes. MotionPlus: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Kerberos.io Machinery or MotionPlus?

MotionPlus has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Kerberos.io Machinery. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

Related comparisons