OpenALPR vs rpisurv
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?
OpenALPR
Automatic license plate recognition library
VS
rpisurv
Raspberry Pi surveillance video wall for IP cameras
| Feature | OpenALPR | rpisurv |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C++ | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,440 | ★ 661 |
| First released | 2015 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Rekor Scout, Plate Recognizer | Blue Iris display |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenALPR if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Mature project with 11.4k GitHub stars
- Written in C++
Choose rpisurv if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenALPR or rpisurv better?
Neither is universally better. OpenALPR has the larger community, while rpisurv is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OpenALPR and rpisurv free and open-source?
Yes. OpenALPR is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and rpisurv under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenALPR and rpisurv with Docker?
OpenALPR: yes. rpisurv: check the project docs for container support.