Motion 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?
Motion
Lightweight motion-detection video surveillance daemon
VS
Shinobi
Open-source NVR and CCTV software for IP cameras
| Feature | Motion | Shinobi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,030 | ★ 4,000 |
| First released | 2000 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Nest Cam | Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Motion or Shinobi better?
Neither is universally better. Motion has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Motion and Shinobi free and open-source?
Yes. Motion is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Shinobi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Motion and Shinobi with Docker?
Motion: yes. Shinobi: yes.