head to head · open source
frigate vs espectre
frigate has 36,043 GitHub stars, 3,619 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped yesterday. espectre has 9,388 stars, 709 forks, 13 open issues and last shipped yesterday. frigate leads on adoption by 284% (36,043 vs 9,388 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; espectre is written in Python under GPL-3.0. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, espectre 8%. frigate was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee. The two share 1 topic tag (home-assistant), 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 | espectre | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 9.4K |
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-21 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 709 |
| 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 Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick espectre if
- You want the espectre feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-3.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and espectre 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 espectre
ESPectre is an open source Wi Fi CSI motion sensing platform that turns a supported ESP32 board into a private, local motion sensor reporting movement in real time, and it is built for embedded developers, Home Assistant users, and DIY builders who want room level sensing without cameras, microphones, wearables, or dedicated radar hardware.
read the full espectre overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or espectre more popular?
frigate has 36,043 GitHub stars and espectre has 9,388. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and espectre free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and espectre under GPL-3.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and espectre?
frigate is written in Python and espectre 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 espectre?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (36,043 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose espectre if its feature set, stack or GPL-3.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.