The options
- Frigate - open source, runs in Docker (also as a Home Assistant app). Built around real-time AI object detection (person, car, dog, etc) with recordings, zones, review and a UI that increasingly handles configuration. Latest release I could see: 0.18.2 (15 Oct 2026). Strong Home Assistant integration. Needs more thought about hardware (detector) than a plain recorder. docs.frigate.video
- Blue Iris - commercial, Windows software. Very popular, polished and flexible. You pay for a licence, so check the vendor site for current pricing and licence terms. blueirissoftware.com
- ZoneMinder - long-running open source (Linux). Latest release I could see on GitHub: 1.38.6 (5 Oct 2026). Mature, with a web console and many features, but a different feel and a steeper setup than Frigate. zoneminder.com
- Shinobi - open source (Node.js), self-hosted. The old GitHub repository has not been updated for years, but development continues on GitLab (last activity I saw was 22 Oct 2026). I have no first-hand experience, so please share yours. shinobi.video
- Commercial standalone NVRs (Dahua, Hikvision, Reolink and so on) - a box with disks that records cameras of its own brand, usually with a phone app. Low effort and reliable for pure recording. Weaker for integration, and some are tied to the vendor's cloud or app. Check for ONVIF/RTSP export if you want to feed the cameras into other software too.
- Want smart detection, free software, and Home Assistant automation? Frigate.
- Prefer Windows, a mature GUI, lots of camera-specific options? Blue Iris.
- Want maximum recording stability from a dedicated appliance and do not care about automation? A commercial NVR.
- Can mix? Many people run a commercial NVR for safe continuous recording and Frigate for detection, pulling a second stream from the cameras.
- Cameras: they recommend cameras that output H.264 video with AAC audio and offer multiple substreams (a low-resolution one for detection and a high-resolution one for recording).
- Wi-Fi cameras are not recommended by Frigate's docs because streams are less reliable, especially with several at once. They also say to stick with 5MP and lower for Reolink cameras.
- Server: any Intel CPU (with AVX + AVX2) that can run Debian is the baseline they describe. A mini PC with two network ports lets you put cameras on a separate private network where they cannot reach the internet.
- Detectors: a detector speeds up object detection and takes load off the CPU. Their hardware page covers Intel (OpenVINO on integrated graphics, Arc or NPU), Google Coral, Hailo, Nvidia, AMD and Apple Silicon options. The Coral and Hailo pages list what model types they run.
- Storage: use a drive meant for constant writing (surveillance-rated). Plan for days of retention times bitrate, and use the substream for detection so you are not decoding 4K constantly.
- Change every camera's default password and create dedicated accounts for the NVR.
- Put cameras on an isolated VLAN or on the NVR's private network. Block them from the internet unless you specifically need it.
- Do not expose the NVR web UI or RTSP to the internet. Use a VPN for remote access. Frigate's authenticated UI port is 8971; keep any unauthenticated internal ports private.
- Be careful about recording audio and about cameras pointing at neighbouring property. Check the rules in your state or territory.
Question for the group: which NVR are you running, how many cameras, and on what hardware? If you have switched from one to another, what made you move?