deep-live-cam vs dsh-desktop
Two of the top projects in Desktop AI apps, side by side: who leads on each score part and who each one suits, then setup, license, activity and what each review found.
deep-live-cam
Real-time webcam face swap from a single source image
dsh-desktop
Native Windows and macOS desktop client for DeepSeek Harness
Verdict
deep-live-cam ranks higher, 76 to 73. Of the 5 score parts we measure for both, deep-live-cam leads on 2, dsh-desktop on 1 and 2 are even.
- Adoptiondeep-live-cam leads by 36 points, 98 to 62: a wide gap.
- FreshnessEven at 100.
- Maintenancedeep-live-cam leads by 2 points, 88 to 86: close to even.
- Easy to runEven at 50.
- Agent-readydsh-desktop leads by 70 points, 70 to 0: a wide gap.
Pick deep-live-cam if you are
Creators and streamers wanting local real-time face swapping on a webcam
- Live webcam mode plus image and video file processing from one GUI
- Execution providers for CPU, CUDA, CoreML, DirectML and OpenVINO
Pick dsh-desktop if you are
Windows and macOS users who want a packaged DeepSeek Harness app with plugins
- Installers for Windows x64 and macOS Universal, no separate Node.js install
- Runs a pinned, unmodified upstream DeepSeek Harness version
| What we compare | deep-live-cam | dsh-desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Score parts, out of 100 | ||
| Adoption | 98, widely used | 62, popular |
| Freshness | 100, active | 100, active |
| Maintenance | 88, healthy | 86, healthy |
| Easy to run | 50, easy | 50, easy |
| Agent-ready | 0, none | 70, partly |
| Facts from GitHub and the README | ||
| Stars | 97.2k | 32.1k |
| License | AGPL-3.0 (copyleft) | MIT (permissive) |
| Last commit | Oct 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Last release | Sep 2026 | Oct 2026 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Docker | No | No |
| GPU | Optional | Not stated |
| arm64 or Apple Silicon | Mentioned | Mentioned |
deep-live-cam
Deep-Live-Cam is a Python desktop GUI that swaps a face from one source image onto a webcam feed, video or image, using ONNX models (inswapper_128_fp16, gfpgan-1024). It supports mouth masking, mapping different faces to multiple subjects, and CPU, CUDA, CoreML, DirectML and OpenVINO execution providers. A paid pre-built edition with extra features is sold on the project website.
Who it is for: Creators and streamers wanting local real-time face swapping on a webcam
Strengths
- Live webcam mode plus image and video file processing from one GUI
- Execution providers for CPU, CUDA, CoreML, DirectML and OpenVINO
- Mouth mask and face mapping for multiple subjects in one frame
- Needs only a single source image, no per-face training
Weaknesses
- Manual install needs Python, ffmpeg, CUDA/cuDNN pinning; README says not for beginners
- CPU-only mode is slower; live preview takes 10-30 seconds to appear
- Command-line arguments are marked unmaintained in the README
- insightface models are limited to non-commercial research use
- GPU optional
- Needs Python 3.11-3.14, ffmpeg, onnxruntime, CUDA Toolkit 12.8 (NVIDIA), tkinter, OBS (for streaming output)
- Models: inswapper_128_fp16.onnx, gfpgan-1024.onnx, ONNX
dsh-desktop
DSH Desktop wraps the pinned, unmodified upstream DeepSeek Harness web UI, host service and plugin system in a native desktop app with window, tray, terminal and auto-update. The desktop shell is itself a DSH plugin, and the app includes a plugin market and phone remote control (iOS/Android, from 2.0.9). Installers cover Windows x64 and macOS Universal; no Node.js is needed.
Who it is for: Windows and macOS users who want a packaged DeepSeek Harness app with plugins
Strengths
- Installers for Windows x64 and macOS Universal, no separate Node.js install
- Runs a pinned, unmodified upstream DeepSeek Harness version
- Built-in plugin market and desktop services for third-party plugins
- Web service listens on loopback only by default
Weaknesses
- No Linux build listed
- LAN access option has no authentication, per the README
- Tied to DeepSeek Harness; independent project, not affiliated with DeepSeek
- README and docs are primarily in Chinese
- Needs DeepSeek Harness (bundled, pinned)
- Models: DeepSeek Harness models
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