head to head · open source
frigate vs HomeSpan
frigate has 36,071 GitHub stars, 3,630 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. HomeSpan has 2,166 stars, 199 forks, 9 open issues and last shipped 10 days ago. frigate leads on adoption by 1,565% (36,071 vs 2,166 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; HomeSpan is written in C++ under MIT. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, HomeSpan 9%. 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-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 | HomeSpan | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 2.2K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | C++ |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-15 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 199 |
| 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 HomeSpan if
- You want the HomeSpan feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches C++
- You evaluated both and HomeSpan 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 HomeSpan
HomeSpan is an MIT licensed C++ Arduino library for the Arduino ESP32 ecosystem. It lets developers build HomeKit devices on Espressif ESP32 microcontrollers without external bridges or components. The project implements Apple's HomeKit Accessory Protocol Specification Release R2, called HAP R2, and pairs directly to HomeKit through a home WiFi network.
read the full HomeSpan overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or HomeSpan more popular?
frigate has 36,071 GitHub stars and HomeSpan has 2,166. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and HomeSpan free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and HomeSpan under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and HomeSpan?
frigate is written in Python and HomeSpan in C++. 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 HomeSpan?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (36,071 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose HomeSpan if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.