OpenALPR vs SentryShot
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
SentryShot
Video surveillance management system
| Feature | OpenALPR | SentryShot |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | C++ | Docker |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 11,440 | — |
| First released | 2015 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Rekor Scout, Plate Recognizer | — |
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 SentryShot if…
- Released under the GPL-2.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Docker
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenALPR or SentryShot better?
Neither is universally better. OpenALPR has the larger community, while SentryShot is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are OpenALPR and SentryShot free and open-source?
Yes. OpenALPR is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SentryShot under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenALPR and SentryShot with Docker?
OpenALPR: yes. SentryShot: yes.