What is Plate-Minder?

Plate-Minder monitors video sources (RTSP streams, MJPEG streams, or local video files) for license plates using OpenALPR via a companion HTTP wrapper service. It processes frames through configurable filters (motion detection, masking) and records results to a SQLite database, an MQTT broker with Home Assistant auto-discovery, or image files on disk with customizable naming patterns. A REST API on port 4000 and an optional web UI on port 8080 allow configuration without editing YAML. The system runs as Docker containers with support for Intel QuickSync hardware acceleration. It is in early development with an unstable API.

Should you self-host Plate-Minder?

Plate-Minder scores 38/100 on selfhost.directory (how scoring works) and ranks #90 of 104 in Home Automation. It has 163 GitHub stars.

There was no stable release in the past 12 months, so check the repository's recent activity before you rely on it.

Setup is moderate: expect some configuration beyond a single command. An official Docker image is available. It is MIT-licensed and written mostly in JavaScript.

Its closest alternative on selfhost.directory is Home Assistant (91/100, 91 794 stars). It scores higher overall, so compare the two before you pick. See Plate-Minder vs Home Assistant side by side.

Features

File image storage
Home Assistant Auto-Discovery
Image pre-processing filters
Intel QuickSync hardware accelerationRequires /dev/dri/renderD128 device and matching group ID
License Plate Recognition
MQTT publishing
Multiple video source types
REST API
SQLite Storage
Web configuration UI