Frigate vs Blue Iris vs Agent DVR UK 2026 — Best NVR Software for Home CCTV

Last updated: May 2026 | Based on running home CCTV with PoE cameras and Home Assistant integration

Buying an NVR box like the Reolink RLN36 is the easy path — plug it in, it works. But software NVR running on a PC, NUC, or Raspberry Pi unlocks something hardware NVRs can't match: true AI object detection, full Home Assistant integration, and total control over your data.

Three names dominate the NVR software space for home users in the UK: Frigate, Blue Iris, and Agent DVR. They're very different products aimed at different users. Here's the honest breakdown.

Quick Comparison Table

Feature	Frigate	Blue Iris	Agent DVR
Price	Free (open source)	~£60 one-off	Free / £3/month cloud
OS	Linux / Docker	Windows only	Windows, Linux, macOS
AI detection	✅ Built-in (YOLOv5/v8)	✅ Via plugins	✅ Built-in
Home Assistant	✅ Native MQTT	✅ Via add-on	⚠️ Limited
Hardware requirement	Pi 4 minimum, Coral TPU ideal	Windows PC (4GB+ RAM)	Modest — runs on old hardware
Camera compatibility	RTSP/ONVIF	RTSP/ONVIF + 2,000+ models	RTSP/ONVIF + plugins
Recording storage	Local / NAS	Local / NAS	Local / cloud optional
Setup difficulty	⭐⭐⭐⭐ (YAML config)	⭐⭐⭐ (Windows GUI)	⭐⭐ (Very easy GUI)
Best for	Home Assistant users, homelab	Windows users wanting polish	Beginners, multi-OS

Frigate NVR — The Home Assistant Choice

Frigate is a free, open-source NVR built specifically with Home Assistant in mind. It runs as a Docker container or Home Assistant add-on, uses YAML configuration, and integrates AI object detection natively using Google's Coral TPU (or CPU-only mode).

What Makes Frigate Different

Frigate doesn't just record video — it understands it. It can detect people, cars, dogs, and cats in real-time, fire MQTT events straight into Home Assistant, and trigger automations based on what it sees, not just motion pixels. Run it right and you get near-zero false alarms.

Hardware requirements:

Minimum: Raspberry Pi 4 (4GB) or Intel NUC — CPU-only mode is slow
Recommended: Add a Coral USB Accelerator (~£50) for real-time inference at any camera count
Storage: USB SSD or NAS for recordings

Camera compatibility: Works with any camera that supports RTSP streams — all PoE cameras we've tested work perfectly, including Reolink, Hikvision, and Amcrest.

Frigate Pros

Completely free — no subscriptions, no licence fees
Best Home Assistant integration of any NVR (native MQTT, HA add-on available)
AI detection without cloud — everything stays local
Active development, large community, excellent documentation
Supports multiple camera streams per camera (low-res detect + high-res record)

Frigate Cons

YAML configuration has a learning curve — not for complete beginners
Runs on Linux/Docker; Windows users need WSL2 or a separate machine
Without a Coral TPU, CPU usage on high camera counts gets heavy
No polished GUI — web interface is functional but bare

Best for: Home Assistant users, homelabbers, anyone who wants maximum automation capability and doesn't mind a little setup effort.

Blue Iris — The Windows Professional

Blue Iris has been the go-to NVR software for serious Windows users for over a decade. It's not free (around £60 one-time licence), but it's the most polished, feature-complete software NVR available.

What Makes Blue Iris Different

Blue Iris runs as a Windows desktop application with a full GUI. It supports over 2,000 camera models natively, has deep scheduling controls, and its AI alert filtering (via DeepStack or CodeProject.AI integration) is excellent once configured. It's been battle-tested in real security installations, not just home labs.

Hardware requirements:

Windows 10/11 PC or dedicated mini PC
4GB RAM minimum; 8GB+ recommended for multiple cameras
GPU optional but helpful for high camera counts
Works well on an Intel N100 mini PC (~£150–200)

Camera compatibility: Exceptional — Blue Iris has direct support for specific camera models from Reolink, Hikvision, Dahua, Amcrest, and hundreds more. If you're running a Reolink RLN36 and want software as a secondary option, Blue Iris handles Reolink streams without fuss.

Blue Iris Pros

Best-in-class Windows GUI — genuinely polished and feature-rich
Widest camera compatibility of the three
One-off licence (~£60) — no ongoing costs
Excellent scheduling, zones, and alert filtering
Free trial available before you commit

Blue Iris Cons

Windows only — not suitable for Linux/Raspberry Pi/Docker setups
Home Assistant integration requires a third-party add-on (works, but not native)
Steeper licensing cost upfront vs free alternatives
AI features require separate DeepStack/CodeProject.AI setup

Best for: Windows users who want the most polished NVR experience and don't mind paying for it.

Agent DVR — The Accessible Option

Agent DVR (from iSpy) is the most beginner-friendly of the three. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and even Raspberry Pi, offers a web-based interface, and has a free tier that covers most home use cases.

What Makes Agent DVR Different

Agent DVR is the easiest to get running. Install it, open a browser, add your cameras — done. There's no complex config file to write. Its cloud option (£3/month) adds remote access and cloud storage, but local-only use is free.

Hardware requirements:

Very modest — runs on older hardware, Raspberry Pi 3B+, Windows, Linux, macOS
2GB RAM minimum for a few cameras
AI detection built in (uses its own models)

Camera compatibility: RTSP/ONVIF plus a library of pre-configured camera profiles. Most PoE cameras will work.

Agent DVR Pros

Easiest setup of the three — browser-based, no YAML
Runs on almost anything including old Windows PCs and Raspberry Pi
Cross-platform (Windows, Linux, macOS)
Free for local use; cloud tier is cheap
Good basic AI motion filtering included

Agent DVR Cons

Home Assistant integration is limited compared to Frigate
AI detection less sophisticated than Frigate + Coral
Web interface feels dated compared to Blue Iris
Cloud features require a subscription
Smaller community than Blue Iris or Frigate

Best for: Beginners who want NVR software running quickly without a steep learning curve.

Which Should You Choose?

Go with Frigate if:

You're already using or planning to use Home Assistant
You want local AI detection with no cloud dependency
You're comfortable with Docker and YAML config
You want maximum automation — automations triggered by "person detected at front door"

Go with Blue Iris if:

You're on Windows and want the most feature-complete NVR GUI
Camera compatibility is critical (you have a mix of brands)
You prefer a one-off payment over ongoing costs
Home Assistant integration is nice-to-have, not essential

Go with Agent DVR if:

You're new to software NVR and want the easiest setup
You have older or low-power hardware
You want cross-platform flexibility (macOS, Linux, Windows)
You don't need deep Home Assistant automation

Software NVR vs Hardware NVR — When to Use Each

Not sure whether to go software or hardware? Here's the honest answer:

Buy a hardware NVR like the Reolink RLN36 if: You want a set-and-forget setup with no maintenance. Plug it in, configure it once, forget it's there. It records reliably 24/7 without a PC running.

Use software NVR if: You want AI automation, deep Home Assistant integration, and don't mind a small amount of ongoing maintenance. Software NVRs are more powerful but require a dedicated PC or mini PC running continuously.

Many serious home setups use both — a hardware NVR for rock-solid continuous recording, and Frigate running in parallel for AI detection events fed into Home Assistant automations.

What You Need to Run Software NVR at Home

Whichever software you choose, you'll need:

PoE cameras — our tested picks here
A PoE switch — to power cameras and connect to your network (PoE switch guide)
Dedicated hardware — a mini PC, old laptop, or Raspberry Pi 4/5
Storage — USB SSD or NAS for recordings (NAS guide for homelabs)
Home Assistant (optional but recommended) — full setup guide here

FAQ

Is Frigate NVR free?

Yes, Frigate is completely free and open source. There are no licensing fees, no subscriptions, and no cloud dependency. You run it on your own hardware and keep all your footage locally.

Does Blue Iris work with Reolink cameras?

Yes. Blue Iris has native profiles for Reolink cameras and works with all Reolink PoE and WiFi cameras via RTSP. It also integrates with the Reolink NVR series.

Do I need a Coral TPU for Frigate?

No, but it helps significantly. Frigate runs in CPU-only mode, which works fine for 1–3 cameras on decent hardware. For 4+ cameras with real-time AI detection, a Coral USB Accelerator (around £50) is strongly recommended to reduce CPU load and detection latency.

Can I use software NVR alongside a hardware NVR?

Yes. Many users run a hardware NVR for continuous 24/7 recording and a software NVR like Frigate in parallel for AI detection events. Cameras can stream to both simultaneously via RTSP.

What's the best NVR software for Home Assistant?

Frigate is the clear winner for Home Assistant users. It has a native MQTT integration, an official Home Assistant add-on, and fires structured events (person detected, car detected) directly into HA automations. Blue Iris works via a community add-on, and Agent DVR has limited HA support.

Is Blue Iris worth paying for?

If you're on Windows and want the most polished, feature-rich NVR experience, yes. The ~£60 one-off licence is reasonable for what you get — no recurring costs, better GUI than free alternatives, and excellent camera support.

Final Verdict

For most UK home users already in the Home Assistant ecosystem: Frigate is the answer. Free, powerful, local AI, and native HA integration — it's purpose-built for exactly this use case.

For Windows users who want something that just works with minimal tinkering: Blue Iris is worth the licence fee.

For complete beginners who want cameras recording tonight without reading YAML docs: Agent DVR gets you there fastest.

Whatever software you choose, pair it with solid hardware: good PoE cameras, a reliable PoE switch, and enough local storage to keep 30 days of footage. The software is secondary — the foundation matters more.