Software Alternatives & Startups

Blue Iris VS pkgsrc

Compare Blue Iris VS pkgsrc and see what are their differences

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.

Rating
1.0 · 1 review
pkgsrc

pkgsrc is a framework for building over 17,000 open source software packages.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Blue Iris should be more popular than pkgsrc. It has been mentioned 56 times since March 2021.

social mentions
56 vs 11
Security popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
196 vs 86

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Blue Iris
pkgsrc
Website blueirissoftware.com pkgsrc.org
Pricing
Open source
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Blue Iris 5 features
pkgsrc 5 features
  • 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

  • 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.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    pkgsrc is designed to be a portable package management system and can be used on a variety of Unix-like operating systems, including NetBSD, Solaris, Linux, and macOS. This cross-platform capability makes it a versatile tool for developers working in diverse environments.
  • Consistency Across Systems
    Using pkgsrc allows for a consistent package management experience regardless of the underlying operating system, reducing the learning curve and maintenance overhead for administrators managing multiple systems.
  • Comprehensive Package Collection
    pkgsrc offers a wide range of software packages, providing a robust collection that can meet diverse user needs from scientific libraries to web applications.
  • Quarterly Releases
    With quarterly releases, pkgsrc provides a balanced approach between stability and keeping software up to date, offering users new features regularly while maintaining reliability.
  • Flexible Build Options
    pkgsrc supports a flexible build system, allowing users to customize package builds with specific options or dependencies, tailored to their specific needs or system requirements.

Possible disadvantages

  • Smaller Community
    Compared to other popular package management systems like apt (Debian/Ubuntu) or yum (RedHat/CentOS), pkgsrc has a relatively smaller community, which might affect the availability of support and community-driven improvements.
  • Potentially Older Software
    While pkgsrc maintains stable quarterly releases, it may occasionally lag behind other systems in terms of offering the very latest versions of certain software, which might not be ideal for users needing the newest features.
  • Manual Configuration
    Setting up pkgsrc might require manual interventions and configurations, which could pose a hurdle for users unfamiliar with its setup process or those who prefer more automated solutions.
  • Dependency Management
    Although pkgsrc is quite capable in dependency handling, some users may find its dependency resolution to be less automatic or seamless compared to other systems which offer more integrated solutions.
  • Performance Overhead
    Because it is designed to be cross-platform, there can be some performance overhead associated with using pkgsrc compared to native package managers that are optimized for specific operating systems.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

Blue Iris
pkgsrc

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.

No analysis of pkgsrc yet.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Blue Iris 3 videos + Add
pkgsrc 2 videos + Add

Blue Iris Software Security Camera - Why I Recommend it

More videos

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

pkgsrc on ChromeOS

More videos

  • - Using pkgsrc for multi-platform deployments in heterogeneous environments, G Clifford Williams

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Blue Iris
pkgsrc
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Blue Iris and pkgsrc. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Reviews and articles

External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.

Blue Iris 1.0 · 1 review
pkgsrc no reviews yet

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

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Blue Iris 56 mentions
pkgsrc 11 mentions
  • 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... - Source: Hacker News / over 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: almost 3 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... Source: about 3 years ago

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  • Debian isn't waiting for 2038 to blow up, switches to 64-bit time for everything
    > Most open source software packages are also compiled for BSD variants, they switched to 64 bit time_t a long time ago and reported back upstream any problems. * NetBSD in 2012:... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Our Audit of Homebrew
    > https://pkgsrc.smartos.org/install-on-macos/ Note that Pkgsrc is a NetBSD-derived project. * https://pkgsrc.org The Joyent folks leveraged it to allow their customers, who were perhaps not as familiar with Solaris/SmartOS, a... - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Show HN: Brioche – A new Nix-like package manager
    Https://pkgsrc.org/ from netbsd runs on many systems. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago

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Alternatives to Blue Iris and pkgsrc

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