head to head · open source
frigate vs HAP-NodeJS
frigate has 36,043 GitHub stars, 3,619 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped yesterday. HAP-NodeJS has 2,722 stars, 619 forks, 6 open issues and last shipped 1 months ago. frigate leads on adoption by 1,224% (36,043 vs 2,722 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; HAP-NodeJS is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, HAP-NodeJS 23%. frigate was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
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 | HAP-NodeJS | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 2.7K |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-21 | 2026-08-22 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 619 |
| 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 HAP-NodeJS if
- You want the HAP-NodeJS feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and HAP-NodeJS 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 HAP-NodeJS
HAP NodeJS is a TypeScript implementation of the server side of Apple's HomeKit Accessory Protocol (HAP), published under the Apache 2.0 licence as a library for developers who want to build their own HomeKit accessories on Raspberry Pi, Intel Edison, or any other platform that can run Node.js.
read the full HAP-NodeJS overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or HAP-NodeJS more popular?
frigate has 36,043 GitHub stars and HAP-NodeJS has 2,722. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and HAP-NodeJS free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and HAP-NodeJS under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and HAP-NodeJS?
frigate is written in Python and HAP-NodeJS in TypeScript. 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 HAP-NodeJS?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (36,043 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose HAP-NodeJS if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.