head to head · open source
frigate vs SmartIR
frigate has 37,265 GitHub stars, 3,798 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. SmartIR has 2,855 stars, 1,251 forks, 199 open issues and last shipped yesterday. frigate leads on adoption by 1,205% (37,265 vs 2,855 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; SmartIR is written in Python under MIT. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, SmartIR 44%. SmartIR 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 | SmartIR | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 37K | ★ 2.9K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | Python |
| Last push | 2026-11-04 | 2026-11-05 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.8K | ⑂ 1.3K |
| 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 SmartIR if
- You want the SmartIR feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches Python
- You evaluated both and SmartIR fits your workflow better
About frigate
Frigate NVR™ Realtime Object Detection for IP Cameras \[English\] 简体中文 A complete and local NVR designed for Home Assistant with AI object detection. Uses OpenCV and Tensorflow to perform realtime object detection locally for IP cameras. Use of a GPU or AI accelerator is highly recommended. AI accelerators will outperform even the best CPUs with very little overhead. See Frigate's supported object detectors. Tight integration with Home Assistant via a custom component Designed to minimize resource use and maximize performance by only looking for objects when and where it is necessary Leverages multiprocessing…
read the full frigate overview →
About SmartIR
⚠️ Warning You are free to fork, modify, and use the code in this repository in accordance with the applicable open source license. However, the name "SmartIR" must not be used in any capacity , especially for promoting, rebranding, or distributing your own fork or derivative works. Please respect this guideline to preserve the original project's identity. Overview SmartIR is a custom integration for controlling climate devices , media players , fans and lights via infrared controllers. SmartIR currently supports the following controllers: Broadlink Xiaomi IR Remote (ChuangmiIr) LOOK.in Remote ESPHome User…
read the full SmartIR overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or SmartIR more popular?
frigate has 37,265 GitHub stars and SmartIR has 2,855. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and SmartIR free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and SmartIR under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and SmartIR?
frigate is written in Python and SmartIR 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 SmartIR?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (37,265 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose SmartIR if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.