A Frigate alternative with no config files
Frigate is a popular open-source NVR that runs in Docker and is configured with a YAML file. Litmus NVR is a free NVR you install like a regular app and set up from your phone or browser, with search built in.
At a glance
| Frigate | Litmus NVR | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free and open source. Optional Frigate+ subscription ($50 a year) for fine-tuned models | Free, no camera limit. Paid plans only add relay bandwidth for remote viewing and cloud storage |
| Install | Docker (recommended) or a Home Assistant add-on. Windows is not officially supported | Installers for Windows, macOS and Linux, plus Raspberry Pi images, Docker and a Home Assistant add-on |
| Setup | Edit a config.yml file | Guided setup in the app. ONVIF cameras on the same network are found automatically |
| Text and similar-image search | Semantic search, off by default. Needs 8GB of RAM and a CPU with AVX2 | Built in: search by appearance, text and attributes |
| Faces | Recognizes faces you have trained (0.16 and later) | Search by any face with no enrollment. Register faces for alerts |
| License plates | Built in (0.16 and later) | Built in, and a partial plate works |
Frigate details are from docs.frigate.video and frigate.video as of October 2026.
What Litmus does differently
- Every person and vehicle becomes a card. Litmus detects people and vehicles as it records and turns each one into a card, so you browse who was there instead of scrubbing a timeline.
- Follow someone across cameras. Open a card to play that person’s scenes from every camera in time order.
- Four ways to search. By appearance (clothing and build), by face with no enrollment, by a description such as “a person in a yellow shirt”, or by attributes like clothing color, bag, hat and age group. Vehicles can be searched by license plate, and a partial plate works.
- Works locally, no sign-up. On your network, open it in a browser without a Litmus account.
- Remote viewing without port forwarding. Add the device to your Litmus account, and the phone app and browser connect over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection, which works on most home and office routers.
- Video stays on your hardware. Recordings and analysis are stored on the computer running Litmus, not in the cloud.
When Frigate may be the better fit
- You want open-source software. Frigate’s code is public, and you can inspect and change it.
- You rely on Home Assistant. Frigate has its own Home Assistant integration for automations.
Questions
Is Litmus NVR really free?
Yes. Every feature is free with no camera limit. Live View over a direct connection is unlimited on every plan. Paid plans only add relay server bandwidth for networks that block direct connections, and more cloud storage for alert photos.
Does my video go to the cloud?
No. Video and AI analysis stay on the computer running Litmus. Only alert snapshots pass through our servers so they can reach your phone.
What hardware does Litmus need?
An Intel N100 mini PC handles 1 to 2 cameras, a 12th-gen Core i5 5 to 6, a 12th-gen Core i7 9 to 10, and an Apple M2 Mac 12 to 14. A Raspberry Pi 5 handles 1 to 2. A graphics card lets the same PC handle more cameras. These are for 1080p cameras at the default 10 analyses per second.