Frigate vs Home Assistant

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?
FeatureFrigateHome Assistant
CategoryHome AutomationHome Automation
LicenseMITApache-2.0
LanguageTypeScriptPython
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM2,048 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal, one-click
GitHub stars★ 34,903★ 89,795
First released20202013
ReplacesGoogle HomeSmartThings, Google Home

Why pick each one

Choose Frigate if…

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

Choose Home Assistant if…

  • Huge device support
  • Local control and privacy
  • Very active community
Home Assistant details

Frequently asked questions

Is Frigate or Home Assistant better?

Home Assistant is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Frigate if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Frigate and Home Assistant free and open-source?

Yes. Frigate is licensed under MIT and Home Assistant under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Frigate and Home Assistant with Docker?

Frigate: yes. Home Assistant: yes.

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