WLED vs Frigate

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted home automation options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureWLEDFrigate
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITMIT
LanguageC++TypeScript
Setup difficultyEasyHard
Min. RAM16 MB2,048 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcedocker
GitHub stars★ 18,518★ 34,903
First released20162020
ReplacesPhilips HueGoogle Home

Why pick each one

Choose WLED if…

  • Easy to flash and use
  • Vibrant effects
WLED details

Choose Frigate if…

  • Smart local NVR
  • Great with Home Assistant
  • Privacy-friendly
Frigate details

Frequently asked questions

Is WLED or Frigate better?

Neither is universally better. Frigate has the larger community, while WLED is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are WLED and Frigate free and open-source?

Yes. WLED is licensed under MIT and Frigate under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run WLED and Frigate with Docker?

WLED: check the project docs for container support. Frigate: yes.

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