Yasir Ai
@AiwithYasir
·
10h
Amazon Ring has a serious problem, and it doesn't cost a dollar.
It's called Frigate: a free, open source app that watches your driveway, your porch, your garage, entirely on hardware you already own. No cloud. No subscription. No footage anyone else can request.
It's built by Blake Blackshear, and it's been quietly becoming the go-to alternative for people who got tired of renting access to their own front door.
Here's the math Ring doesn't want you doing:
You: "How much is Ring Protect Pro?"
Ring: "$20 a month. $200 a year. Per house."
You: "What do I actually get for that?"
Ring: "Cloud storage. Also, we paid the FTC $5.8 million in 2023 after employees and contractors accessed customer videos without consent."
You: "What does Frigate cost?"
Frigate: "Nothing. It runs locally. Your footage never leaves your house."
Ring sells you the camera. Then rents you access to your own footage, every month, indefinitely.
Frigate just gives it to you.
100% open source (MIT license).
100% local.
100% yours.
The smart camera industry bet you'd keep paying rent on hardware you already bought.
Free, local alternatives are quietly proving that bet wrong.
'
September 14, 2026