Shinobi vs Viseron
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted video surveillance options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Viseron
Self-hosted NVR with local AI object detection
| Feature | Shinobi | Viseron |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Video Surveillance | Video Surveillance |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,000 | ★ 3,548 |
| First released | 2017 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Blue Iris | Nest Cam, Blue Iris |
What are Shinobi and Viseron?
Shinobi
Shinobi is an open-source network video recorder and CCTV solution that supports a wide range of IP cameras over RTSP, ONVIF, and other protocols. It offers motion detection, a web dashboard, and many integrations.
- Wide IP camera support
- Motion detection
- Web dashboard
- Multiple recording modes
Viseron
Viseron is a self-hosted, local-only network video recorder with built-in object detection and face recognition. It is designed to keep all processing on your own hardware without cloud dependencies.
- Local AI object detection
- Face recognition
- Hardware acceleration support
- Cloud-free operation
Shinobi vs Viseron: key differences
Shinobi is written in JavaScript, while Viseron is built with Python. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Shinobi versus MIT for Viseron. Shinobi is the more established project (first released 2017), while Viseron arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Shinobi if…
- Flexible camera support
- Active community
Watch out for
- Configuration can be complex
- Documentation is scattered
Choose Viseron if…
- Fully local processing
- Supports Coral and GPU acceleration
Watch out for
- Configuration via YAML
- Resource intensive with AI
Frequently asked questions
Is Shinobi or Viseron better?
Neither is universally better. Shinobi has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Shinobi and Viseron free and open-source?
Yes. Shinobi is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Viseron under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shinobi and Viseron with Docker?
Shinobi: yes. Viseron: yes.