head to head · open source
frigate vs midea_ac_lan
frigate has 36,560 GitHub stars, 3,697 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped yesterday. midea_ac_lan has 1,909 stars, 168 forks, 92 open issues and last shipped today. frigate leads on adoption by 1,815% (36,560 vs 1,909 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; midea_ac_lan is written in Python under MIT. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, midea_ac_lan 9%. midea_ac_lan 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 | midea_ac_lan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 1.9K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-10-13 | 2026-10-14 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 168 |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick frigate if
- You weight community size — 37K stars and counting
- You want the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick midea_ac_lan if
- You want the midea_ac_lan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and midea_ac_lan 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 midea_ac_lan
midea ac lan is a Home Assistant integration written in Python that auto configures and then controls Midea M Smart appliances — air conditioners, fans, water heaters, washers and more — over the local network, and it is built for smart home owners who want to run those appliances inside Home Assistant rather than through Midea's cloud apps.
read the full midea_ac_lan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or midea_ac_lan more popular?
frigate has 36,560 GitHub stars and midea_ac_lan has 1,909. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and midea_ac_lan free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and midea_ac_lan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and midea_ac_lan?
frigate is written in Python and midea_ac_lan 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 midea_ac_lan?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (36,560 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose midea_ac_lan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.