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CompreFace

github.com

Free plan Open source WebWindowsmacOSLinuxAPISelf-hosted
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Spec score 8.9 #2 of 37 in AI Image Recognition Software

What it is

CompreFace is a free, open-source face recognition service that provides capabilities through a REST API. It supports face recognition and verification, plus face, landmark and mask detection, head pose detection, age recognition and gender recognition. The project says setup and use do not require prior machine-learning skills. It is packaged as a Docker Compose configuration and can run as a standalone server or in the cloud; listed deployment options also include hybrid use. Setup instructions cover Windows, macOS and Linux and require Docker with Docker Compose or Docker Desktop. The service supports CPU and GPU models, with an x86 processor supporting AVX among the stated requirements. A UI panel and role management let users manage roles and control access to face recognition services. The project names FaceNet and InsightFace among its underlying libraries and links JavaScript, Python and .NET SDK repositories. CompreFace is self-hosted and released under Apache 2.0. The documented quick start uses a release archive and starts the service with docker-compose up -d; the project also points users to GitHub channels and a community chat.

Spec sheet

What it does
CompreFace is Exadel’s free, open-source facial-recognition server designed for integration into other systems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Deployment
It is delivered as a Docker Compose configuration and can run as a standalone server or be deployed in the cloud.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Integrations
The project invites contributors to add support for other platforms such as Home Assistant or DreamFactory; it does not describe these as built-in integrations on the page.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Support
The project directs users to report ideas and bugs on GitHub and offers a community chat link.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Access management
The web interface includes roles and permissions for controlling access to face services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Age recognition
An age-recognition plugin is listed among the available services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
API documentation depth
The repository documentation includes endpoint descriptions for subjects, examples, recognition, verification, detection, embeddings and base64 requests.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Cloud and on-premises
Official feature documentation says the software can be deployed in the cloud or on premises.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Company headquarters and founding
LinkedIn lists Walnut Creek, California as headquarters and 1998 as the founding year.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
CPU and GPU
The project documents model variants that run on both CPU and GPU hardware.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Data-control positioning
The project presents self-hosting and on-premises deployment as ways to keep face data under the operator’s control.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Deployment model
CompreFace is distributed as Docker Compose configuration and can run as a standalone server or in cloud environments.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Documentation scope
The documentation index also covers configuration, architecture and scalability, custom builds, migration, roles, plugins, Kubernetes and installation options.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Extensibility
The project invites contributors to add SDKs, plugins and integrations such as Home Assistant or DreamFactory.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Face detection
A face-detection service is included alongside recognition and verification.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Face recognition
The service can identify enrolled people from submitted images.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Face verification
The API supports comparing faces to verify whether they belong to the same person.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Gender recognition
A gender-recognition plugin is available.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Hardware
CompreFace supports CPU and GPU models and lists an x86 processor with AVX support among its requirements.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Independent deployment example
A 2026 technical article used CompreFace with Immich, Home Assistant, UniFi Protect and Double Take in a self-hosted doorbell workflow.Read 15 Oct 2026 · whitematter.tech
Landmark detection
A plugin provides facial-landmark detection.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Legal name and owner
Crunchbase identifies the legal entity as Exadel, Inc. and says it was acquired by Sun Capital Partners.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Licence
CompreFace is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source licence.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: Docker operational burden
An independent project report said CompreFace required multiple Docker instances, complicating deployment on machines without Docker or docker-compose.Read 15 Oct 2026 · adrianchen8662.github.io
Limit: ecosystem maintenance
A Home Assistant community thread described CompreFace as having gone many months without an update and noted that it does not understand Frigate by itself.Read 15 Oct 2026 · community.home-assistant.io
Limit: hardware and containers
Open-Awesome warns that x86 with AVX excludes many ARM devices and that Docker may be unsuitable where containerization is unavailable.Read 15 Oct 2026 · open-awesome.com
Limit: pricing information
Slashdot’s comparison page lists no price information for CompreFace.Read 15 Oct 2026 · slashdot.org
Limit: production integration effort
The same Reddit discussion said the accompanying Python web server was not production-ready for that user’s project.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: response speed
The same G2 reviewer reported lagging response times.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Machine-learning barrier
The project states that setup and use do not require prior machine-learning expertise.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Maker company
LinkedIn lists Exadel as a privately held software-development company with 1,001–5,000 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Mask and pose analysis
Plugins cover face-mask detection and head-pose estimation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
No ML expertise required
The project says it can be set up and used without prior machine-learning skills.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Praise: API usability
The G2 reviewer praised the ease of integrating the API for recognition, detection and verification.Read 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Praise: deployment and privacy
Open-Awesome highlights one-command Docker deployment, self-hosted data privacy and use without deep machine-learning knowledge.Read 15 Oct 2026 · open-awesome.com
Praise: prototype integration
A Reddit user reported that CompreFace worked for testing when connected to a custom recognition application.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Praise: recognition accuracy in use
Another Home Assistant participant reported CompreFace with Double Take and Frigate working reliably with fewer than 2% false positives.Read 15 Oct 2026 · community.home-assistant.io
Rating on G2
4.5 out of 5 from 1 reviewRead 15 Oct 2026 · g2.com
Recognition libraries
The implementation is based on open-source libraries including FaceNet and InsightFace.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
REST API
The product exposes REST endpoints for face-analysis services and subject management.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
SDKs
Exadel links JavaScript, Python and .NET SDK repositories for CompreFace.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Security and license
The project describes itself as self-hosted, which it says gives additional guarantees for data security, and releases the software under the Apache 2.0 license.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Setup requirement
The documented quick start downloads a release archive and starts the service with docker-compose up -d.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
System requirements
The documented quick start requires Docker and Docker Compose or Docker Desktop, and lists an x86 processor with AVX support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Where it runs
The setup instructions cover Windows, macOS, and Linux, and require Docker and Docker Compose or Docker Desktop.Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com

Plans and prices

CompreFace Free free and open-source; Docker-based deployment; CPU and GPU support Read 4 Oct 2026 · github.com
Free Free face recognition · verification · detection · landmark, mask, age, gender and head-pose plugins · REST API · Docker deployment Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com

Every CompreFace plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free and open-source under Apache 2.0.
  • REST API covers recognition and multiple detection tasks.
  • Supports CPU and GPU models.
  • Includes UI and role-management controls.
  • JavaScript, Python and .NET SDK repositories are linked.

Limits

  • Requires Docker and Docker Compose or Docker Desktop.
  • Hardware requirements include x86 with AVX support.
  • Self-hosted deployment requires users to run the service.

Who it suits

It suits developers or teams seeking a self-hosted face recognition service with a REST API and Docker-based setup. The stated platform support covers Windows, macOS and Linux, with Docker requirements.

Verdict

CompreFace offers a broad face-analysis API in a free, self-hosted package. Its Docker and hardware requirements are important to check before setup.

Where Specifiction places it

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