# Frigate vs NATS

> Two self-hosted projects, compared on the numbers selfhost.directory tracks live: score, popularity, release cadence and setup effort.

| | Frigate | NATS |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 84/100 ✓ | 80/100 |
| Rank in category | #1 of 24 in Video Surveillance | #2 of 12 in Message Broker |
| GitHub stars | 37 041 ✓ | 20 954 |
| Stars, last 30 days | +970 ✓ | +192 |
| Stable releases, 12 months | 8 | 18 ✓ |
| Latest release | v0.18.2 · 15 Oct 2026 | v2.14.9 · 26 Oct 2026 ✓ |
| Setup | Advanced | Moderate ✓ |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| License | MIT | Apache-2.0 |
| Main language | Python | Go |

## Which one should you pick?

Frigate scores 84/100 against 80/100 for NATS, so it is the safer default.

NATS ships more often: 18 stable releases in the past year, against 8 for Frigate.

If you want the quickest setup, NATS is easier to run; Frigate needs more configuration.

Frigate is growing faster right now (+970 stars in 30 days).

## Details

- [Frigate](https://selfhost.directory/project/frigate) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/frigate.md)
- [NATS](https://selfhost.directory/project/nats) (markdown: https://selfhost.directory/project/nats.md)

---
Source: https://selfhost.directory/compare/frigate-vs-nats