Frigate vs OpenBeken
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
OpenBeken
Tasmota-like firmware for non-ESP smart devices
| Feature | Frigate | OpenBeken |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Home Automation | Home Automation |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | TypeScript | C |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 34,903 | ★ 2,230 |
| First released | 2020 | 2021 |
| Replaces | Google Home | Tuya Cloud |
Why pick each one
Choose OpenBeken if…
- Released under the MIT license
- Active community (2.2k GitHub stars)
- Written in C
- Tiny footprint — runs in 64 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is Frigate or OpenBeken better?
Neither is universally better. Frigate has the larger community, while OpenBeken is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Frigate and OpenBeken free and open-source?
Yes. Frigate is licensed under MIT and OpenBeken under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Frigate and OpenBeken with Docker?
Frigate: yes. OpenBeken: check the project docs for container support.