# Fregata > Fregata is a native macOS port of the [Frigate](https://docs.frigate.video/) > open-source NVR, with hardware-accelerated object detection on the > **Apple Neural Engine** (CoreML) and **VideoToolbox** for H.264 / > HEVC decode and encode. It is the only NVR that runs Frigate's > engine natively on Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, M4) without Docker. > One signed `.app` — drag to Applications. Local-first by design: > camera streams and recordings stay on your Mac and your network. Fregata exists because running Frigate in Docker on a Mac forces every frame through a Linux VM that has no access to the Apple Neural Engine or VideoToolbox — detection ends up on the CPU at >50 ms / frame and the dedicated media engine sits idle. Fregata is a native re-shell of Frigate that adds a `coreml` detector running on the ANE (~1–4 ms / frame on M-series chips), uses VideoToolbox for hardware decode/encode, and adds Fregata-exclusive bandwidth-adaptive HLS transcoding for recordings and live view — all on the Apple Silicon Media Engine at zero CPU cost, making cameras watchable on weak LTE or 5G connections where a high-bitrate stream would never load. Same Frigate engine, same `config.yml`, same Home Assistant / Frigate+ / MQTT integrations — just packaged as a regular Mac app. **Commercial model.** $10 one-time license for 12 months of updates; versions you install keep working forever. 30-day free trial. No subscription. Signed and notarized by Apple. Distributed direct from [fregata.app](https://fregata.app/), not the Mac App Store (the App Store sandbox forbids spawning the helper processes Fregata relies on). **System requirements.** macOS 13 (Ventura) or later, Apple Silicon (M1 or newer). Intel Macs are not supported because they don't have the Neural Engine. ## Canonical pages - [Homepage](https://fregata.app/): product overview, the comparison table against Frigate / Scrypted / Blue Iris / Synology Surveillance Station, pricing, FAQ. - [Documentation](https://docs.fregata.app/): installation, activation, camera setup, configuration reference, troubleshooting. - [GitHub repository](https://github.com/3rdBitLabs/Fregata): public issue tracker and community discussions. (Source code is in a private companion repo.) - [Running Frigate on Mac](https://fregata.app/frigate-on-mac): why Docker-on-Mac can't use the Apple Neural Engine or VideoToolbox, and how Fregata solves it. - [Privacy policy](https://fregata.app/privacy): exactly what leaves the Mac and how to opt out of telemetry. - [Terms & Conditions](https://fregata.app/terms): license scope, refund policy (14-day no-questions-asked), warranty disclaimer, limitation of liability. ## Getting started - [Installation](https://docs.fregata.app/getting-started/installation/): System requirements, download, and the first launch of Fregata on macOS. - [Activation](https://docs.fregata.app/getting-started/activation/): Enter your license key (or start a 30-day trial) and bind Fregata to this Mac. - [Migrating from Frigate to Fregata](https://docs.fregata.app/getting-started/migrating-from-frigate/): Move a Frigate-on-Docker install on a Mac to a native Fregata install — config, recordings, integrations. - [Add your first camera](https://docs.fregata.app/getting-started/first-camera/): Point Fregata at an RTSP feed and confirm detection is running on the Apple Neural Engine. ## Guides - [The tray menu and Settings](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/settings/): A complete tour of Fregata's menu-bar tray, every Settings option, and where the underlying state lives on disk. - [Recordings & retention](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/recordings-and-retention/): How Fregata records, how long it keeps things, and how to budget disk space. - [Detection tuning](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/detection-tuning/): Masks, zones, per-object thresholds, ANE vs GPU, and using your own ONNX or Frigate+ model. - [Home Assistant](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/home-assistant/): Hook Fregata into Home Assistant via the official Frigate HACS integration. - [MQTT, webhooks, notifications](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/notifications/): How Fregata pushes events out — MQTT topics, webhooks, and the integration patterns that work best on macOS. - [Updates & renewals](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/updates-and-renewals/): How Fregata checks for updates, what your license covers, and how to renew when it expires. - [Performance](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/performance/): Diagnosing CPU spikes, inference time, RAM-disk sizing, and the perf-logging env var. - [Network & remote access](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/network-and-remote-access/): The ports Fregata listens on, exposing the web UI to your LAN, putting it behind a reverse proxy, and TLS. - [Moving & uninstalling](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/moving-and-uninstalling/): Take Fregata to a different Mac (with your data), or remove it cleanly when you're done. - [Troubleshooting](https://docs.fregata.app/guides/troubleshooting/): Common error messages and what to try, indexed by the exact string the app surfaces. ## Reference - [Environment variables](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/environment-variables/): Every FREGATA_* and FRIGATE_* environment variable Fregata respects. - [Recommended cameras & hardware](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/recommended-hardware/): A curated buyer's guide for cameras and Macs that pair well with Fregata. - [Configuration](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/configuration/): Top-level config keys, what's macOS-specific, and where to read more. - [Adaptive transcoding](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/adaptive-transcoding/): Bandwidth-adaptive HLS playback for recordings and live view, powered by VideoToolbox on Apple Silicon. Fregata-exclusive — not in upstream Frigate. - [Default paths](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/default-paths/): Where Fregata stores recordings, logs, the license token, and app state on macOS. - [System requirements](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/system-requirements/): Mac models, macOS versions, RAM and disk guidance — the full breakdown. - [Cameras](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/cameras/): RTSP URL shapes for common camera brands, plus what to do when your camera is one of the awkward ones. - [Fregata vs Frigate](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/fregata-vs-frigate/): What the macOS port adds, what it removes, and what stays the same. - [AI Models for Frigate Enrichments](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/enrichment-models/): Every AI model Frigate uses, grouped by feature, and whether it runs on the Neural Engine, GPU, or CPU — on Fregata versus Docker. - [Privacy & telemetry](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/privacy-and-telemetry/): What leaves the Mac, where it goes, and how to disable it. - [Fregata's CoreML detection on the Apple Neural Engine](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/coreml-detector/): How Fregata uses Apple's Neural Engine for real-time object detection — performance you can expect, how to confirm it's running, and what to do when it isn't. - [Fregata vs Scrypted, Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance Station](https://docs.fregata.app/reference/fregata-vs-other-nvrs/): Honest, source-cited comparison of Fregata against the other NVRs Mac users typically evaluate — Scrypted, Blue Iris, Synology Surveillance Station — including where each one wins. ## Optional - [Full product content](https://fregata.app/llms-full.txt): complete text of this page plus the feature comparison table, FAQ, pricing, system requirements, and integrations — all in one file for AI ingestion. - [Full documentation](https://docs.fregata.app/llms-full.txt): complete text of every page on docs.fregata.app as plain markdown, for AI ingestion. - [Documentation index](https://docs.fregata.app/llms.txt): structured index of every docs page with titles and descriptions. - [Manage License](https://fregata.app/manage-license): self-service page to view license status, release a license from one Mac so it can be activated on another. - [Support](https://github.com/3rdBitLabs/Fregata/discussions/categories/support): GitHub Discussions support category.