Cameras

Frigate vs Blue Iris vs Scrypted (2026)

Pick the right self-hosted NVR — a use-case map of Frigate, Blue Iris, and Scrypted by platform, AI detection, HomeKit, and cost. Not a 'winner'.

Problem summary

Frigate vs Blue Iris is decided by your host OS before anything else: Frigate runs on Linux/Docker and is free, Blue Iris runs only on Windows and costs $99.95 one-time for the full 128-camera licence ($39.95 for the 1-camera LE), so if you are not willing to keep a Windows box running for the NVR the comparison is already over. Where both are viable, the split is detection architecture — Frigate is built around a dedicated detector (Hailo-8/8L, an Intel iGPU/NPU via OpenVINO, or an Nvidia GPU) and does object detection in-process, while Blue Iris hands frames to a separate CodeProject.AI server over the network and is stronger on recording, scheduling, and per-camera tuning. Scrypted is the third option and answers a different question entirely: it is the cleanest path to HomeKit Secure Video and to bridging cameras into HomeKit/Google/Alexa. There is no leaderboard here — pick on platform, detection needs, and ecosystem, and note that running two (commonly Frigate for detection plus Scrypted for HomeKit) is a normal answer rather than a compromise.

Operator snapshotEvidence first

First proof

State your host OS and appetite to run it.

Screen to open

ffprobe the RTSP URL; check ONVIF in ONVIF Device Manager

Expected signal

You know whether you'll run Linux/Docker, a Windows box, or want appliance-like simplicity.

Stop boundary

Don't expect HKSV to replace local AI alerts — pair with Frigate if you want both.

Layer path

1There is no universally 'best' NVR — Frigate, Blue Iris, and Scrypted are built for different homes, so the decision is a use-case map across platform, AI detection, ecosystem, and cost.

2Frigate vs Blue Iris is the matchup most people are actually deciding, and host OS settles it more often than features do: Frigate needs Linux/Docker, Blue Iris needs a Windows machine running 24/7. Rule that out first and the rest of the comparison usually collapses to one option.

3The second real difference between those two is where detection runs. Frigate is built around a dedicated detector and does object detection in-process; Blue Iris sends frames to a separate CodeProject.AI server over the network, so its AI is a component you install and tune alongside the NVR rather than part of it.

4Frigate: free/open-source, strongest at local AI object detection (Hailo-8/8L, Intel iGPU/NPU via OpenVINO, or an Nvidia GPU per Frigate's own hardware docs), runs on Linux/Docker, integrates tightly with Home Assistant, needs an accelerator for good detection.

Runbook

Step-by-step runbook

Start here. Do each check in order, compare it to the expected result, and stop when the evidence explains the failure or the safe stop point applies.

Settle Frigate vs Blue Iris on host OS first

Check: Decide whether you will run Linux/Docker or keep a Windows machine on 24/7 for the NVR.

Expected result: One of the two is ruled out, which answers the comparison most people arrive with.

If not: If both are genuinely possible, choose on detection architecture: Frigate detects in-process with an accelerator, Blue Iris calls out to a separate CodeProject.AI server.

Pin your remaining constraints

Check: Write down AI need, ecosystem target, and budget model.

Expected result: You have the inputs that decide the fit.

If not: Skipping this leads to a tool that fights your setup.

Map constraints to a primary tool

Check: Linux+AI → Frigate; Windows+mature → Blue Iris; HomeKit → Scrypted.

Expected result: You have a primary NVR candidate.

If not: Treat this as a fit, not a ranking.

Check camera compatibility

Check: Confirm your cameras expose standard RTSP/ONVIF for the chosen tool.

Expected result: The cameras integrate via standard protocols.

If not: Cloud-locked cameras narrow your options — prefer RTSP/ONVIF.

Provision the hardware

Check: Frigate: host + accelerator; Blue Iris: Windows box; Scrypted: HomeKit prerequisites.

Expected result: The platform meets the tool's requirements.

If not: Size detection with the Frigate hardware planner where relevant.

Consider pairing tools

Check: If you need both local AI and HomeKit, run Frigate + Scrypted together.

Expected result: Each tool does the job it's best at.

If not: Don't force one tool to cover a need it's weak at.

Decision tree

If: Linux/Docker home, want local AI detection.

Then: Frigate fits best.

Action: Run Frigate with an accelerator (see /cameras/coral-vs-hailo-vs-intel-npu); integrate with Home Assistant.

If: Windows-centric, want a mature deeply-configurable NVR.

Then: Blue Iris fits best.

Action: Run Blue Iris on a dedicated Windows box; add a CodeProject.AI server for detection; budget $99.95 for the full licence and re-check the current price before buying.

If: Deciding specifically between Frigate and Blue Iris, and both platforms are possible.

Then: Detection architecture is the tiebreaker, not features.

Action: Pick Frigate if you want detection built into the NVR and will fit an accelerator; pick Blue Iris if you want per-camera recording/scheduling depth on Windows and accept running CodeProject.AI as a separate service. Don't decide it on price — the Blue Iris licence is roughly what a Frigate accelerator costs.

If: Priority is HomeKit Secure Video / multi-platform bridging.

Then: Scrypted fits best.

Action: Use Scrypted for HKSV/bridging; note HKSV needs a Home hub + iCloud+ storage.

Safe stop: Don't expect HKSV to replace local AI alerts — pair with Frigate if you want both.

If: You want both strong local AI and HomeKit.

Then: Two tools is reasonable.

Action: Run Frigate for detection and Scrypted for HomeKit on the same host.

Evidence

Evidence table

Symptom	Evidence to collect	Likely layer	Next action
Choosing an NVR platform.	Host OS and willingness to manage it.	Platform fit	Linux/Docker → Frigate/Scrypted; Windows → Blue Iris.
Need local person/car detection.	Whether you'll add an accelerator.	AI detection	Frigate + Coral/Hailo/OpenVINO.
Want cameras in HomeKit.	HKSV/bridging requirement.	Ecosystem	Scrypted (+ Home hub + iCloud+ for HKSV).
Budget sensitivity.	Free OSS vs paid one-time license.	Cost model	Frigate/Scrypted core free; Blue Iris paid (verify price).

Reference

Commands and settings paths

Confirm cameras expose standard RTSP/ONVIF

ffprobe the RTSP URL; check ONVIF in ONVIF Device Manager

Where: On the LAN with camera credentials.

Expected: Cameras stream standard RTSP and expose ONVIF — all three NVRs can use them.

Failure means: Cloud-only cameras with no RTSP/ONVIF limit your NVR options.

Safe next step: Prefer cameras with standard RTSP/ONVIF (see /cameras/poe-camera-selection-criteria).

Check host suitability for Frigate

Verify Linux/Docker + an accelerator (Coral/Hailo/Intel iGPU-NPU) availability

Where: On the intended Frigate host.

Expected: The host runs Docker and has (or can add) an accelerator.

Failure means: No accelerator means CPU inference — not recommended for real detection.

Safe next step: Plan the detector with /cameras/coral-vs-hailo-vs-intel-npu and the hardware planner.

Verify HomeKit prerequisites for Scrypted

Confirm a Home hub (HomePod/Apple TV) and an iCloud+ plan for HKSV recording

Where: In the Apple Home app / iCloud settings.

Expected: A Home hub and iCloud+ storage exist for HKSV.

Failure means: Without them, HKSV recording won't work even with Scrypted bridging.

Safe next step: Provision the Home hub + iCloud+ or use Scrypted NVR / Frigate for local recording.

Hardware boundary

Hardware and platform boundary

Change only when

Choose by your platform, AI need, ecosystem, and budget — and accept that running two complementary tools (e.g. Frigate + Scrypted) is often the best 'pick'.

Evidence that matters

Cameras with standard RTSP/ONVIF, a host that matches the tool (Linux/Docker, Windows, or HomeKit prerequisites), and an accelerator for Frigate AI.

Evidence that does not matter

A single 'winner' verdict — the right NVR depends on your constraints, not a leaderboard.

Avoid

Locking into cloud-only cameras (limits every NVR) or assuming HKSV replaces local AI detection.

Related tool/calculator

Use the linked calculator or tool to turn this runbook into numbers for your exact setup.

Frigate hardware planner

Last reviewed

2026-06-03 · Reviewed by HomeTechOps. Built from June-2026 research verified against the Frigate docs, Blue Iris official site (Windows-only; paid one-time license — price not asserted statically), and Scrypted (free/open-source, HomeKit Secure Video, optional paid Scrypted NVR); framed strictly as a use-case map across platform/AI/ecosystem/cost, never a 'winner', per the no-fake-claims rule.

Sources/assumptions

Assumes self-hosting (not a cloud subscription) and cameras that expose standard RTSP/ONVIF.
Blue Iris pricing read from the vendor's own site in August 2026: Full $99.95 (128 cameras), LE $39.95 (1 camera), one year of basic maintenance included, extended maintenance $44.95/yr auto-renewing. Licensing changes — re-check before buying.
Frigate detector options are taken from Frigate's own recommended-hardware page; Scrypted's plugin model should be verified on its site before deciding.
This is a use-case map, not a ranking; the right choice depends on platform, AI needs, and ecosystem.

Source-backed checks

HomeTechOps turns official docs and conservative safety rules into a shorter runbook. These links are the source trail for the page direction.

Frigate docs: Recommended hardwareUsed for detector inference times, the cameras ≈ (1000 ÷ inference_ms) ÷ detect_fps capacity model, and the current 'Coral no longer recommended for new installs' guidance.Frigate docs: Camera setup (detect vs record streams)Used for the detect-on-substream / record-on-main pattern that drives bandwidth and detector load.FS.com: Understanding PoE standards and wattageUsed for the 802.3af/at/bt source-vs-delivered power figures and the switch total-PoE-budget constraint.Frigate documentationUsed as the first-party reference for Frigate camera setup, detectors, recording, and configuration.Blue Iris (Perspective Software) — official siteUsed to confirm Blue Iris is Windows-only NVR software with a one-time paid license (price verified on the buy page, not asserted statically).Scrypted — home video platformUsed for Scrypted as free/open-source camera bridging (HomeKit/Google/Alexa) and HomeKit Secure Video support, with an optional paid Scrypted NVR plugin.Apple Support: HomeKit Secure VideoUsed for what HomeKit Secure Video requires (a home hub + iCloud+ storage plan) when comparing Scrypted's HKSV path to a self-hosted NVR.

Diagnostic rule

1. Check the simplest signal first.
2. Change one thing at a time.
3. Prove the stream/reachability before deep config.
4. Stop when the evidence says the risk moved.

FAQ

Frigate vs Blue Iris — which should I actually pick?

Answer the platform question first, because it usually settles it. Blue Iris is Windows-only, so it means a dedicated Windows machine running 24/7; Frigate is Linux/Docker. If only one of those is realistic in your house, that is your NVR. If both are on the table, choose on how you want detection to work. Frigate is designed around a dedicated detector — Frigate's own hardware docs list Hailo-8/8L, an Intel iGPU/NPU through OpenVINO, or an Nvidia GPU — and runs detection as part of the NVR, which is why its person/car alerts are fast and why it needs that accelerator to be good. Blue Iris does its own recording and motion work and then sends frames to a separate CodeProject.AI server (which replaced the older DeepStack) over the network, so detection is a bolt-on you install and tune yourself. Practically: Frigate if you want tight local AI and Home Assistant integration and do not mind Docker; Blue Iris if you want deep per-camera recording, scheduling, and profile control on Windows and prefer a paid product with a support channel. Cost is real but rarely decisive — Frigate is free and you spend on an accelerator instead, Blue Iris is $99.95 one-time for the full licence plus maintenance after year one.

Which NVR is best — Frigate, Blue Iris, or Scrypted?

Wrong question — they target different needs. Choose Frigate if you want free, local AI object detection and run Linux/Docker with an accelerator. Choose Blue Iris if you're on Windows and want a mature, deeply configurable NVR and don't mind a paid license. Choose Scrypted if your priority is HomeKit Secure Video or bridging cameras into HomeKit/Google/Alexa. Many people run two (e.g. Frigate for detection + Scrypted for HomeKit).

What does each one cost?

Frigate is free and open-source (you pay only for hardware/accelerator). Scrypted's core platform is free and open-source, with an optional paid Scrypted NVR plugin for 24/7 recording and smart detections. Blue Iris is a one-time Windows licence — the vendor lists $99.95 for the full 128-camera version and $39.95 for the 1-camera LE, with one year of basic maintenance included and extended maintenance $44.95/yr after that (read from its own site in August 2026; re-check before buying).

I want HomeKit Secure Video — which should I use?

Scrypted is the standard answer; it's widely used to bring non-native RTSP/ONVIF cameras into HomeKit Secure Video. Note HKSV itself needs a Home hub and an iCloud+ plan for recording storage. If you also want local AI alerts and recording independent of Apple, pair Scrypted (for HomeKit) with Frigate (for detection).

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