Three ways to get object detection on a Windows PC
Stonewatch is the only one of the three that installs natively on Windows, sets detection up for you, and also runs on Linux and Mac.
| Features | Stonewatch | Frigate under WSL or VirtualBox | Blue Iris |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runs natively on Windows | Yes, as a Windows service | No. Docker inside WSL or a virtual machine | Yes |
| Supported on Windows by its developer | Yes | No | Yes |
| Setup | One installer, then the Viewer app | WSL or a virtual machine, Docker, and a YAML file | Installer |
| Object detection | Built in. CPU, Intel OpenVINO, NVIDIA CUDA | Passing a GPU or Coral through may be hard or impossible | Built in since version 6.0.1 |
| Price | USD 99 once, v1.x updates included, after a 30-day free trial | Free. Optional Frigate+ at USD 50 a year | USD 99.95, including one year of maintenance, then USD 44.95 a year |
Your options on a Windows PC
- Frigate under WSL or VirtualBox costs nothing, but you run Linux, Docker, and Frigate's YAML configuration inside Windows. Frigate's project does not support the result, and its documentation warns that passing a GPU or Coral through may be hard or impossible. The Frigate alternative guide covers the rest.
- Blue Iris is native on Windows, but its users on the IPCamTalk forum report crashes and updates that break working setups, and maintenance costs USD 44.95 a year after the first year.
- Stonewatch is native on Windows, sets up detection for you, restarts itself if it ever stops, and costs USD 99 once.
What a native Windows recorder changes
The recorder starts with Windows and keeps recording when nobody is signed in. Detection runs on the PC's own hardware, with nothing to pass through to WSL or a virtual machine: Stonewatch picks NVIDIA CUDA, Intel OpenVINO, or the CPU based on what the PC has. The Windows NVR guide has example PCs and a storage calculator.
Common questions
Can Frigate run on Windows 11?
Not officially: Frigate's own documentation says Windows is unsupported. Stonewatch runs natively on 64-bit Windows with object detection built in.
Can I run Stonewatch without WSL or Docker?
Yes. It installs like any other Windows program and runs as a Windows service.
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
Object detection on the Windows PC you already have.
Join the Stonewatch waitlist and we'll email you when the beta opens.
No payment required. One beta announcement. See our privacy policy.