OpenCvSharp 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?
OpenCvSharp
.NET wrapper for OpenCV computer vision
VS
Shinobi
Open-source NVR and CCTV software for IP cameras
| Feature | OpenCvSharp | Shinobi |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 6,056 | ★ 4,000 |
| First released | 2008 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Commercial vision SDKs | Blue Iris |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is OpenCvSharp or Shinobi better?
Neither is universally better. OpenCvSharp has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenCvSharp and Shinobi free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCvSharp is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Shinobi under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCvSharp and Shinobi with Docker?
OpenCvSharp: check the project docs for container support. Shinobi: yes.