Stonewatch and Frigate side by side
Stonewatch and Frigate both run object detection on your own hardware. The difference is everything around it: installation, setup, and which computers it runs on.
| Features | Stonewatch | Frigate |
|---|---|---|
| Install | One package, runs as a native service | Docker Compose, recommended |
| Setup | In the Stonewatch Viewer app | Much of it in a YAML configuration file |
| Windows | Native, as a Windows service | Not officially supported |
| Object detection | Built in and set up for you. CPU, OpenVINO, CUDA, Core ML | Built in |
| Viewing | Apps for Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, and Android | Browser |
| Home Assistant | MQTT bridge with discovery and Frigate-style topics | Integration through HACS |
| Price | USD 99 once, after a 30-day free trial | Free. Optional Frigate+ at USD 50 a year |
Why people look for a Frigate alternative
A 2026 review on cctvinfo.com calls Frigate's setup "technical, expect command-line work and YAML editing" and says it "took four hours including Docker config and YAML tuning." The same review says that once running, it worked. Stonewatch skips that stage: you install it, add your cameras in the Viewer, and it starts recording.
A Frigate alternative without Docker
Stonewatch installs from one package and runs as one service: under systemd on Linux, as a Windows service on Windows, and as a launch daemon on macOS. There are no images to pull, no volumes to map, and no YAML or compose file to keep in step with releases. If the recorder ever stops, the operating system restarts it automatically.
A Frigate alternative for Windows
Frigate's documentation says Windows is not officially supported. Stonewatch installs on 64-bit (x64) Windows and keeps recording as a background service, even when nobody is signed in. Compare the Windows options in Frigate for Windows.
Why choose Stonewatch over Frigate
Stonewatch is set up in an app, not a YAML file, and runs natively on Windows and Apple Silicon Macs as well as Linux. Live view, a playback timeline, events, and export are in one native Viewer app on your computer and your phone, and you can watch from anywhere over Tailscale or another VPN.
Common questions
Can I run Stonewatch without Docker?
Yes, that is how it is built. Stonewatch installs from one package and runs as a native service on Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Does Stonewatch use my graphics card for detection?
Whenever it can. Detection runs on NVIDIA CUDA, Intel OpenVINO, or Apple Core ML when the computer has them, and on the CPU otherwise.
Does Stonewatch work with Home Assistant?
It does. Stonewatch's MQTT bridge publishes detections to Home Assistant with automatic discovery, using Frigate-style topic names.
Is there a free trial?
Every machine gets 30 days of the full product free, with no card and no account. Recordings made during the trial stay available for playback and export after it ends.
Stonewatch pricing and availability
Each machine gets a 30-day free trial of the full product, with no card and no account. After that, the Home license is USD 99 before tax, paid once, for one machine. There is no subscription or renewal fee, and all v1.x updates are included.
Home has no camera limit beyond what your hardware can handle. The recordings you make during the trial stay yours to play back and export.
BETA WAITLIST
Local detection without the containers.
Join the Stonewatch waitlist and we'll email you when the beta opens.
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