# v4l2loopback vs Webcamoid

| Attribute | v4l2loopback | Webcamoid |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 39.7 (23% (low)) | 41.5 (39% (low)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 1 | 44 |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 0 | 0 |
| adoption.github_stars | 4,235 | 2,540 |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Creates virtual video devices that applications recognize as regular video sources but receive streams generated or modified by other software. Commonly used to apply effects to video conferencing calls without requiring specialized hardware. It is indexed under Webcam Streaming Tools.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What is v4l2loopback?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"v4l2loopback is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-2.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Is v4l2loopback free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"v4l2loopback supports Linux and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"What platforms does v4l2loopback support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. v4l2loopback can be deployed air-gapped and self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://github.com/pricing","question":"Can v4l2loopback be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. v4l2loopback is published under the GPL-2.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/umlaeute/v4l2loopback","question":"Is v4l2loopback open source?","confidence":0.95}]` | `[{"answer":"A comprehensive video capture and streaming tool supporting multiple cameras, effects application, and virtual camera functionality across Windows, Linux, and Android platforms. It is indexed under Webcam Streaming Tools.","source":"https://webcamoid.github.io","question":"What is Webcamoid?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Webcamoid is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the GPL-3.0 licence. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://webcamoid.github.io","question":"Is Webcamoid free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Webcamoid supports Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://webcamoid.github.io","question":"What platforms does Webcamoid support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Webcamoid can be deployed self-hosted, so it does not have to run on the vendor's infrastructure.","source":"https://webcamoid.github.io","question":"Can Webcamoid be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Webcamoid is published under the GPL-3.0 licence, a copyleft licence, so check its terms before embedding it in a closed-source product. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid","question":"Is Webcamoid open source?","confidence":0.95}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"air_gapped":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | Creates virtual video devices that applications recognize as regular video sources but receive streams generated or modified by other software. Commonly used to apply effects to video conferencing calls without requiring specialized hardware. | A comprehensive video capture and streaming tool supporting multiple cameras, effects application, and virtual camera functionality across Windows, Linux, and Android platforms. |
| features.capabilities | `{"pricing_model":"free_hardware_utility","architecture_model":"driver_level_hardware_utility","gpl_or_permissive_oss_license":true,"virtual_camera_driver_output_for_zoom_teams_meet":true}` | `{"pricing_model":"free_hardware_utility","architecture_model":"desktop_local_application","gpl_or_permissive_oss_license":true,"video_recording_to_local_mp4_disk":true,"multi_camera_switching_and_scene_management":true,"virtual_camera_driver_output_for_zoom_teams_meet":true}` |
| integrations.count | - | 2 |
| integrations.list | - | `[{"name":"Twitch","native":true,"category":"streaming","direction":"outbound"},{"name":"YouTube","native":true,"category":"streaming","direction":"outbound"}]` |
| language.primary | C | C++ |
| license.spdx | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"linux":true}` | `{"mac":true,"linux":true,"android":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://github.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-08-31T13:59:48.432Z"}` | `{"type":"open_source","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://webcamoid.github.io","retrievedAt":"2026-08-31T13:57:08.486Z"}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | commercial | open_source |
| pricing.price_level | free | free |
| pricing.transparent | yes | - |
| release.cadence_days | - | 147 |
| release.history | - | `[{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.4.0","date":"2026-07-06T17:07:20Z","type":"stable","version":"9.4.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.3.0","date":"2025-07-29T02:20:33Z","type":"stable","version":"9.3.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.2.3","date":"2024-10-03T00:22:37Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.3"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.2.2","date":"2024-10-03T00:21:05Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.2"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.2.1","date":"2024-10-03T00:19:31Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.2.0","date":"2024-10-01T13:15:50Z","type":"stable","version":"9.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.1.1","date":"2023-06-15T02:42:04Z","type":"stable","version":"9.1.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.1.0","date":"2023-06-11T02:36:57Z","type":"stable","version":"9.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/9.0.0","date":"2022-02-15T04:53:43Z","type":"stable","version":"9.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.8.0","date":"2021-02-16T13:38:10Z","type":"stable","version":"8.8.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.7.1","date":"2019-10-22T16:33:46Z","type":"stable","version":"8.7.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.7.0","date":"2019-10-01T12:22:58Z","type":"stable","version":"8.7.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.6.1","date":"2019-03-26T15:01:45Z","type":"stable","version":"8.6.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.6.0","date":"2019-03-21T03:43:31Z","type":"stable","version":"8.6.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.5.0","date":"2019-01-22T11:32:12Z","type":"stable","version":"8.5.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.1.0","date":"2017-10-10T15:28:24Z","type":"stable","version":"8.1.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/8.0.0","date":"2017-05-16T01:03:25Z","type":"stable","version":"8.0.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/7.2.1","date":"2016-08-30T17:01:23Z","type":"stable","version":"7.2.1"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/7.2.0","date":"2016-07-19T13:43:35Z","type":"stable","version":"7.2.0"},{"url":"https://github.com/webcamoid/webcamoid/releases/tag/7.1.0","date":"2016-04-28T20:41:19Z","type":"stable","version":"7.1.0"}]` |
| security.scorecard | 4.2 | 5.1 |
| security.trust_center | https://github.com/security/advanced-security/secret-protection | - |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=nixpkgs&package_name=linuxKernel.packages.linux_5_10.v4l2loopback&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` | `{"count":0,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=nixpkgs&package_name=webcamoid&per_page=100","last_12m":0,"max_severity":null}` |

## Capabilities (Webcam Streaming Tools)

| Capability | v4l2loopback | Webcamoid |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Architecture model | Driver level hardware utility | Desktop local application |
| Virtual camera driver output for zoom teams meet | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI background removal and blur without green screen | - | - |
| AI eye contact correction gaze redirection | - | - |
| Presentation slide overlay picture in picture | - | - |
| AI audio noise cancellation and echo removal | - | - |
| Ar face tracking and 3d masking snapchat style | - | - |
| Multi camera switching and scene management | - | ✓ |
| Video recording to local mp4 disk | - | ✓ |
| Nvidia rtx GPU hardware tensor core requirement | - | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | - |
| Gpl or permissive oss license | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pricing model | Free hardware utility | Free hardware utility |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-09-11T23:36:56.716Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*