mjpg-streamer vs OpenIPC
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?
mjpg-streamer
Stream JPEG frames from webcams over HTTP
VS
OpenIPC
Open-source firmware for IP cameras and surveillance devices
| Feature | mjpg-streamer | OpenIPC |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C | C |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | binary, source | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,246 | ★ 2,110 |
| First released | 2013 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Webcam streaming services | Stock IP camera firmware |
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 mjpg-streamer or OpenIPC better?
mjpg-streamer is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider OpenIPC if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are mjpg-streamer and OpenIPC free and open-source?
Yes. mjpg-streamer is licensed under GPL-2.0 and OpenIPC under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run mjpg-streamer and OpenIPC with Docker?
mjpg-streamer: check the project docs for container support. OpenIPC: check the project docs for container support.