Frigate: A Local, Realtime NVR with Object Detection for IP Cameras
If you've ever wanted a security camera system that actually understands what it's seeing—without shipping your footage to the cloud—Frigate is the answer. This open-source NVR (Network Video Recorder) does realtime object detection locally, meaning it can tell you if there's a person, car, or even a stray cat in your camera feed—all while keeping your data private.
With over 24k stars on GitHub, Frigate has quickly become a favorite for home automation enthusiasts and privacy-conscious developers. Let’s break down why it’s worth checking out.
What It Does
Frigate is a self-hosted NVR that integrates with IP cameras (like those from Reolink, Amcrest, or UniFi) and runs real-time object detection using models like YOLOv8 or Google Coral’s Edge TPU. Unlike cloud-based solutions, everything happens on your own hardware—no subscriptions, no third-party servers.
Key features:
- Object detection (people, cars, animals, etc.)
- 24/7 recording with motion-triggered events
- Home Assistant integration for automations
- Hardware acceleration (supports Coral TPU, Intel QuickSync, Nvidia GPUs)
- Low false positives thanks to AI-based filtering
Why It’s Cool
Most NVRs just record footage and maybe do basic motion detection. Frigate goes further by:
- Running entirely locally—no cloud dependencies, no monthly fees.
- Using efficient models (like YOLO) to minimize CPU/GPU load.
- Supporting multiple cameras with minimal lag.
- Integrating with home automation (e.g., "Turn on lights if a person is detected after dark").
It’s perfect for:
- DIY home security setups
- Smart home automations
- Privacy-focused surveillance (no Big Brother watching)
How to Try It
Frigate is Docker-first, so getting started is straightforward:
- Install Docker (if you haven’t already).
- Grab a config file from the Frigate docs.
- Run it:
docker run -d --name frigate --restart=unless-stopped -v /path/to/config:/config -v /etc/localtime:/etc/localtime:ro --device /dev/dri/renderD128 --shm-size=64m -p 5000:5000 -e FRIGATE_RTSP_PASSWORD='password' ghcr.io/blakeblackshear/frigate:stable - Access the web UI at
http://localhost:5000.
For more details, check the official GitHub repo.
Final Thoughts
Frigate is one of those rare tools that’s both powerful and privacy-respecting. If you’re tired of cloud-based camera systems with questionable data policies, this is a fantastic alternative. Plus, the Home Assistant integration makes it easy to build smart alerts (e.g., "Notify me if a package is delivered but ignore squirrels").
If you’re into self-hosted tech, give Frigate a spin—it might just replace your existing surveillance setup.
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