Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Blue Iris VS OpenFrameworks

Compare Blue Iris VS OpenFrameworks and see what are their differences

Blue Iris logo Blue Iris

Blue Iris is a high end security monitoring system that lets you view and control the feeds from all the cameras at your home or place of business.

OpenFrameworks logo OpenFrameworks

openFrameworks
  • Blue Iris Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-19
  • OpenFrameworks Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-30

Blue Iris features and specs

  • Comprehensive functionality
    Blue Iris offers a wide range of features including motion detection, remote viewing, and integration with various camera brands. This makes it a versatile solution for different surveillance needs.
  • Customizable alerts
    Users can set up custom alerts based on motion, audio, or predefined schedules. Notifications can be sent via email, SMS, or push notifications.
  • User-friendly interface
    The software provides a relatively intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, which makes it accessible for both novice and advanced users.
  • Good performance
    Blue Iris is known for its reliable performance and efficiency in handling multiple camera feeds simultaneously, without significant lag.
  • Affordable pricing
    Compared to other surveillance software options, Blue Iris offers competitive pricing without compromising on core features.

Possible disadvantages of Blue Iris

  • Initial setup complexity
    Setting up Blue Iris for the first time can be complicated, particularly for users who are not familiar with surveillance systems or networking.
  • Resource intensive
    Running Blue Iris requires a relatively powerful computer with a good amount of RAM and CPU. This can be a limitation for users with less robust hardware.
  • Lack of cloud storage
    Blue Iris does not offer a built-in cloud storage solution, thus users must rely on local storage or third-party cloud services for storing their footage.
  • Windows-only
    The software is only available for Windows, which excludes users who operate on macOS or Linux systems.
  • Paid updates
    While Blue Iris is affordable initially, updates and major version upgrades require an additional purchase, which can add to the long-term cost.

OpenFrameworks features and specs

  • Open Source
    OpenFrameworks is open-source, allowing developers to access, modify, and contribute to its codebase. This fosters a community-driven development environment and encourages collaboration.
  • Cross-Platform
    It supports multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, making it versatile for developing applications across various operating systems.
  • Rich Collection of Add-ons
    OpenFrameworks offers a wide range of add-ons and libraries contributed by the community, which extend the framework's capabilities and provide tools for graphics, sound, video, computer vision, and more.
  • Community Support
    The framework has a robust community that provides support via forums, tutorials, and a wealth of shared projects and code snippets, making it easier to learn and troubleshoot.
  • Artistic and Creative Focus
    OpenFrameworks is particularly well-suited for projects that emphasize creativity and artistic output, making it popular among artists and designers working on interactive installations and media art.

Possible disadvantages of OpenFrameworks

  • Steep Learning Curve
    While OpenFrameworks is powerful, its complexity can be daunting for beginners, especially those without experience in C++ programming.
  • Limited Documentation
    Although there is community support, the official documentation can sometimes be sparse or outdated, which can pose challenges for developers seeking detailed explanations or examples.
  • Performance Overhead
    As an abstraction layer over native OpenGL, OpenFrameworks might introduce performance overhead compared to writing raw OpenGL code, which can be a concern for high-performance applications.
  • Dependency Management
    Managing dependencies and ensuring compatibility across different platforms can be complex, especially when dealing with various libraries and add-ons.
  • Not Ideal for All Types of Applications
    OpenFrameworks is tailored towards creative coding and may not be the best choice for applications that require extensive GUI features or are more business-logic-oriented.

Analysis of Blue Iris

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Blue Iris is considered a good choice for those looking to set up a flexible and customizeable surveillance system without investing in overly expensive enterprise solutions. Its cost-effectiveness relative to features offered and active user community support are notable advantages.

Why this product is good

  • Blue Iris is widely regarded as a robust and versatile video management software, particularly for home and small business security cameras. It offers extensive support for various camera models, real-time recording and streaming, and a plethora of configuration options. Users appreciate the customization capabilities, user-friendly interface, and regular updates that keep the software relative to current security needs.

Recommended for

    Blue Iris is highly recommended for tech-savvy users who are comfortable managing network settings and configuring software. It is a great fit for homeowners, small business owners, and security enthusiasts who want a comprehensive, DIY-friendly security solution. Less ideal for users seeking a plug-and-play setup due to its complex configuration.

Analysis of OpenFrameworks

Overall verdict

  • OpenFrameworks is considered a good choice for those looking to explore creative coding due to its combination of versatility, performance, and community support. Its open-source nature and cross-platform capabilities make it an attractive option for both beginners and experienced developers in the field.

Why this product is good

  • OpenFrameworks is widely regarded as a solid toolkit for creative coding. It provides a comprehensive set of tools and functionalities aimed at artists, designers, and developers who seek to create interactive applications, visuals, and installations. The framework is built on top of C++ and offers extensive support for multimedia operations, making it suitable for graphics rendering, audio processing, and computer vision tasks. Additionally, OpenFrameworks benefits from an active community that contributes to a rich ecosystem of addons and shared projects, providing a collaborative environment for learning and experimentation.

Recommended for

  • Artists and designers looking to create interactive installations.
  • Developers interested in multimedia applications and simulations.
  • Educators teaching creative coding or multimedia art courses.
  • Hobbyists wanting to experiment with graphics and audio processing.

Blue Iris videos

Blue Iris Software Security Camera - Why I Recommend it

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Blue Iris Detailed Tutorial - The Best Security Camera Software
  • Review - Is the Synology Surveillance Station better than Blue Iris?

OpenFrameworks videos

Part 2 of GAFFTA OpenFrameworks for Processing Coders

More videos:

  • Tutorial - openFrameworks tutorial - 000 intro to openFrameworks
  • Review - [openframeworks] Box2d study - Burst -

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Blue Iris and OpenFrameworks)
Security
100 100%
0% 0
3D
52 52%
48% 48
Video Surveillance
100 100%
0% 0
VJ
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using Blue Iris and OpenFrameworks. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Blue Iris and OpenFrameworks

Blue Iris Reviews

  1. Mike Johnson
    Terrible Experience

    I have tried this software and it was the worst experience I have had. First, I had so much trouble connecting up my IP Cameras. I would error messages multiple times and the application kept crashing. Once I finally got everything up and running, I would periodically loose connection to my cameras. I had contacted customer support regarding my issues and they would never respond. There are many other better products than Blue Iris.


Banalytics vs Blue Iris
Blue Iris is a long-established Windows-only commercial VMS sold as a one-time license, focused on local recording from many IP cameras. Banalytics is a cross-platform edge orchestration platform that includes a VMS plus event automation, MQTT/Modbus, dashboards, AI, and multi-site capability. Choose Blue Iris if you are committed to Windows and a single-PC NVR. Choose...
Source: banalytics.live
10 Best ZoneMinder Alternatives: Free and Paid Video Surveillance
Blue Iris is a commercial option that charges a yearly license, starting at $39.95 for one camera. The full version supports up to 64 cameras and goes for $79.95 per year. If you want to try the software there is a 15-day demo available. This company also offers support plans costing up to $99.95, which gets you phone and remote desktop support.
15 Best Blue Iris Alternatives 2024
However, it is not the only software in the category that gives excellent performance. Among the more popular Blue Iris alternatives are ZoneMinder, Shinobi, YawCam, and others. However, iSpy is the best Blue Iris alternative thanks to its affordability and feature-packed design.

OpenFrameworks Reviews

We have no reviews of OpenFrameworks yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Blue Iris should be more popular than OpenFrameworks. It has been mentiond 56 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Blue Iris mentions (56)

  • Which Security Cameras?
    I use Annke (rebranded HikVision, and firewalled off from the Internet) and Eufy cameras in non-cloud (RTSP) mode. I use Blue Iris[1] as an NVR. I also run Skrypted[2] container on my Synology that concurrently makes me able to use HomeKit Secure Video. I've been using this setup for years. I kinda miss the ease of the cloud, but love the configurability and modularity. 1. https://blueirissoftware.com/ . Blue Iris... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Security cams
    Frigate https://frigate.video/ and ZoneMinder https://zoneminder.com/ come to mind. Blue Iris https://blueirissoftware.com/ is not open source but is what I prefer to use for my PoE systems ($80/yr). Source: over 2 years ago
  • unable to activate-- blueirissoftware.com down?
    I've had BI running for years-- something went haywire with my setup this morning and now I need to re-activate my license. However, I'm unable to do so within BI, and it appears that blueirissoftware.com is down. Anyone else having issues or know what's going on? Source: about 3 years ago
  • Trying to get a Blue Iris license - no response from IPcam-central
    Blue Iris' official site is blueirissoftware.com and the company is Perspective Software. Source: about 3 years ago
  • Looking for an alternative
    Could look into a diy solution like https://blueirissoftware.com/ See what cameras are compatible. Might be some Ethernet based or wifi based cameras out there that would do what you need. Keeps it all local no clouds. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

OpenFrameworks mentions (33)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Blue Iris and OpenFrameworks, you can also consider the following products

ZoneMinder - ZoneMinder is a free and open-source piece of security software that can be used at home or in your business. The software puts you in control of all of your data, and it is exceptionally easy to setup. Read more about ZoneMinder.

Processing - C++ and Java programming at the speed of thought.

Omnigo - Omnigo ensures a safer tomorrow by delivering security management, incident reporting, and public safety software for law enforcement, education, dispatch, and more

Cinder - CINDER PROVIDES A POWERFUL, INTUITIVE TOOLBOX for programming graphics, audio, video, networking...

MotionEye - motionEye is a web frontend for the motion daemon, written in Python.

Pure Data - Pd (aka Pure Data) is a real-time graphical programming environment for audio, video, and graphical...