head to head · open source
frigate vs better_thermostat
frigate has 35,953 GitHub stars, 3,602 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped today. better_thermostat has 1,483 stars, 174 forks, 56 open issues and last shipped 6 days ago. frigate leads on adoption by 2,324% (35,953 vs 1,483 stars). frigate is written in TypeScript under MIT; better_thermostat is written in Python under AGPL-3.0. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, better_thermostat 12%. frigate was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 2 topic tags (home-assistant, home-automation), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| frigate | better_thermostat | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-12 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 174 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick frigate if
- You weight community size — 36K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick better_thermostat if
- You want the better_thermostat feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the AGPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and better_thermostat fits your workflow better
About frigate
Frigate NVR is a complete and local network video recorder built for Home Assistant, with AI object detection. It uses OpenCV and Tensorflow to run realtime object detection locally on IP cameras, so video analysis happens on your own hardware instead of a vendor cloud. Project lives in the Home Assistant home automation ecosystem, with tight integration through a custom component, and it talks over MQTT so other systems can consume its events. Written mainly in TypeScript, MIT licensed, 8 years old, 35,896 stars and 3,596 forks on GitHub.
read the full frigate overview →
About better_thermostat
Better Thermostat For more info visit: Requirements Minimum required Home Assistant version: 2026.7.2 ( continuously tested against Home Assistant ) Companion UI We've created a companion UI element which can display more information than the default thermostat element in Home Assistant. Check it out via HACS: better thermostat ui card If you have a question or need help please create a new discussion or check if your question is already answered If you have a suggestion, found a bug, or want to add a new device or function create a new issue If you want to contribute to this project create a new pull request Fea…
read the full better_thermostat overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or better_thermostat more popular?
frigate has 35,953 GitHub stars and better_thermostat has 1,483. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and better_thermostat free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and better_thermostat under AGPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and better_thermostat?
frigate is written in TypeScript and better_thermostat in Python. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, frigate or better_thermostat?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (35,953 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose better_thermostat if its feature set, stack or AGPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.