head to head · open source
frigate vs ring
frigate has 36,071 GitHub stars, 3,630 forks, 95 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. ring has 1,523 stars, 213 forks, 37 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. frigate leads on adoption by 2,268% (36,071 vs 1,523 stars). frigate is written in Python under MIT; ring is written in TypeScript under MIT. frigate has attracted 10% as many forks as stars, ring 14%. 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 | ring | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 1.5K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | Python | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-09-23 | 2026-09-23 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.6K | ⑂ 213 |
| 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 ring if
- You want the ring feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and ring 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 ring
Ring is an unofficial, MIT licensed TypeScript project that packages interaction and automation for the majority of Ring doorbells, cameras, alarm systems and smart lighting, aimed at developers building their own Ring integrations and at homebridge users who want those devices inside Apple HomeKit.
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Frequently asked questions
Is frigate or ring more popular?
frigate has 36,071 GitHub stars and ring has 1,523. frigate has the larger community by that measure.
Are frigate and ring free?
Both are open source. frigate is licensed under MIT and ring under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between frigate and ring?
frigate is written in Python and ring 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 ring?
Choose frigate if you want the larger community (36,071 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose ring if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.