Frigate vs SmartHomeNG
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?
Frigate
Local NVR with real-time AI object detection
VS
SmartHomeNG
Modular home automation framework with KNX focus
| Feature | Frigate | SmartHomeNG |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 34,903 | ★ 127 |
| First released | 2020 | 2013 |
| Replaces | Google Home | Loxone |
Why pick each one
Choose SmartHomeNG if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Python
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Frigate or SmartHomeNG better?
Neither is universally better. Frigate has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Frigate and SmartHomeNG free and open-source?
Yes. Frigate is licensed under MIT and SmartHomeNG under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Frigate and SmartHomeNG with Docker?
Frigate: yes. SmartHomeNG: yes.