# lightNVR vs OpenNVR

> Two self-hosted [Verkada alternatives](https://selfhost.directory/alternative-to/verkada), compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | lightNVR | OpenNVR |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 49/100 ✓ | 45/100 |
| Rank in category | #14 of 24 in Video Surveillance | #20 of 24 in Video Surveillance |
| GitHub stars | 288 ✓ | 183 |
| Stars, last 30 days | — | — |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 21 ✓ | 4 |
| Latest release | 0.44.3 · 27 Oct 2026 ✓ | v0.1.8 · 17 Oct 2026 |
| Setup | Moderate | Moderate |
| Official Docker image | Yes ✓ | No |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Main language | C | Python |

## Which one should you pick?

lightNVR scores 49/100 against 45/100 for OpenNVR, so it is the safer default.

lightNVR ships more often: 21 stable releases in the past year, against 4 for OpenNVR.

## Details

- [lightNVR](https://selfhost.directory/project/lightnvr) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/lightnvr.md)
- [OpenNVR](https://selfhost.directory/project/open-nvr) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/open-nvr.md)

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Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/lightnvr-vs-open-nvr