← Back to home
Comparison · Meetings

CasparCG Server vs HOMER

A side-by-side editorial comparison of CasparCG Server and HOMER — release velocity, themes, recent moves, and the top alternatives to consider.

CasparCG Server vs HOMER: at a glance

FeatureCasparCG ServerHOMER
SectorMeetingsMeetings
Velocity score0.05.0
Sparks · 30d00
Top themesbroadcast, playout, ffmpeg, decklinkvoip monitoring, security, sip-i, duckdb
Last editorial update12d ago1d ago
WebsiteVisit →Visit →

What is CasparCG Server?

CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.

CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.

Read the full CasparCG Server trajectory →

What is HOMER?

HOMER 11 closes an open mTLS listener and stops dropping ISUP from SIP-I calls.

HOMER's 11.0 pre-releases keep pairing security fixes with SIP-I decoding. 11.0.384 makes HEP and HTTPS ingest with mutual TLS and no CA refuse to start, where before they accepted any client, and runs all-in-one node reads in the DuckDB sandbox. It also stops the Decode window from dropping the ISUP part of multipart SIP-I INVITEs. 11.0.382 and 11.0.381 had already required tokens for the live SIP stream and admin rights for alert changes.

Read the full HOMER trajectory →

CasparCG Server vs HOMER: editorial side-by-side

C0.0

CasparCG 2.5.1 drops the AVX2 floor it set in 2.5.0 and moves to FFmpeg 8.1.

◆ Current state

CasparCG Server is an open-source broadcast playout server shipping one or two stable releases a year. 2.5.1 (September 16) removes the AVX2 requirement except for v210 Decklink output, updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2, and adds multi-device audio output, configurable audio and screen delays and an option to disable Decklink keying. 2.5.0 in December 2025 brought initial HDR, headless Linux and Ubuntu packaging.

◆ Where it's heading

After 2.5.0 set new baselines, 2.5.1 walks back the hardware one and spends the rest on stability: FFmpeg error handling, an AMCP BATCH race and Decklink av-sync recovery. The pattern is a feature-heavy .0 followed by fix-heavy point releases.

◆ Prediction

Expect further 2.5.x point releases before any 2.6 work appears; the entries show no 2.6 betas yet.

H
HOMER
MEETINGS
5.0

HOMER 11 closes an open mTLS listener and stops dropping ISUP from SIP-I calls.

◆ Current state

HOMER's 11.0 pre-releases keep pairing security fixes with SIP-I decoding. 11.0.384 makes HEP and HTTPS ingest with mutual TLS and no CA refuse to start, where before they accepted any client, and runs all-in-one node reads in the DuckDB sandbox. It also stops the Decode window from dropping the ISUP part of multipart SIP-I INVITEs. 11.0.382 and 11.0.381 had already required tokens for the live SIP stream and admin rights for alert changes.

◆ Where it's heading

Three releases in a week closed access gaps, which suggests a security review of the 11.0 line before a stable release. Alongside it, the work on SIP-I and ISUP decoding points at carrier and telco users who bridge SS7 and SIP.

◆ Prediction

Expect more fail-closed defaults and sandboxing in the next 11.0 builds, and possibly a published advisory for the mTLS issue.

Alternatives to CasparCG Server and HOMER

Other Meetings products tracked by Sparkpulse, ranked by recent ship velocity. Each card links to a full editorial trajectory and lets you pivot into a head-to-head comparison with either CasparCG Server or HOMER.

See all CasparCG Server alternatives → · See all HOMER alternatives →

Recent activity from CasparCG Server and HOMER

Latest ship moves from both products, interleaved chronologically. ⚡ = editorial spark.

  1. 2d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.384 keeps SIP-I ISUP parts and fails closed on bad mTLS
  2. 5d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.382 requires a token for the live SIP stream
  3. 6d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.381 restricts subscription and alert changes to admins
  4. 8d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.378 adds B2BUA legs to Session Info and IPv6 search
  5. 8d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.377 brings back tshark decoding of captured messages
  6. 8d agoHOMERHOMER 11.0.376 keeps SIP-I bodies intact and decodes ITU-T ISUP
  7. 1mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.1 drops the AVX2 requirement and updates FFmpeg to 8.1.2
  8. 11mo agoCasparCG Server2.5.0 brings initial HDR, headless Linux and an AVX2 baseline ⚡
  9. 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.3 clears crashes across FFmpeg, Decklink and HTML producers
  10. 1y agoCasparCG Server2.4.2 restores Decklink driver 14.3 compatibility
  11. 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.1 fixes Decklink subregions, EXIF rotation and NDI source listing
  12. 2y agoCasparCG Server2.4.0 adds 8K and 4K DCI frames plus AMCP command batching

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between CasparCG Server and HOMER?

They serve adjacent needs but don't currently overlap on shipped themes. HOMER is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. See the at-a-glance table above for a side-by-side breakdown of velocity, recent sparks, and editorial themes.

Is CasparCG Server better than HOMER?

Sparkpulse doesn't pick a winner — we score release velocity, not feature parity. HOMER is currently shipping more aggressively (velocity 5.0 vs 0.0), with 0 editorial sparks in the last 30 days against 0. For your specific use case, the alternatives sections above list other Meetings products to evaluate alongside.

What are the best alternatives to CasparCG Server?

Top CasparCG Server alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "CasparCG Server alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/casparcg-server for the full list with editorial commentary on each.

What are the best alternatives to HOMER?

Top HOMER alternatives in Meetings are ranked by recent ship velocity. Browse the "HOMER alternatives" section above for the current picks, or visit /alternatives/homer-voip for the full list with editorial commentary on each.