Frigate storage requirements
By Devin Chua · Data checked by Owen Nakamura · Updated Frigate uses far less storage than a continuous NVR because it records a detect window — a few seconds around each event — not 24/7. Storage depends on how often objects trigger recording and your clip retention; a handful of cameras often fits in a few terabytes. The calculator sizes it; below, the detect-vs-record reality that vendor tools miss.
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Size it exactly
Pre-filled for this question — change any input to model your own setup.
4.4 TB of footage over 30 days, +20% overhead = 5.3 TB
Detect stream vs record stream
Frigate runs two streams per camera: a low-resolution detect stream it analyses continuously (cheap on storage — it is not usually kept), and a high-resolution record stream it saves. What you save is configurable: continuous recording (like a normal NVR — use the standard 4K/1080p bitrates in the calculator), or — the usual Frigate setup — only the segments around detections, which is a fraction of 24/7.
So Frigate's storage question is really: how much of the day do your cameras detect a person or car? On a quiet driveway that might be minutes a day per camera; on a busy street, hours. Model it as a motion/detect duty cycle in the calculator — set the schedule to motion-only and estimate the percentage.
Clip retention and the Coral note
Frigate lets you retain event clips and snapshots for a set number of days, separately from any continuous recording. Size it as: (detect duty cycle) × (record bitrate) × cameras × retention. Because the duty cycle is usually low, Frigate setups are storage-light — often a few terabytes for several cameras — but a busy scene erases that advantage, so be honest about your duty cycle.
A Coral TPU does not change storage — it accelerates the object detection, letting Frigate watch more cameras without a beefy CPU. For the hardware side and the best boxes to run it, see the best NAS for Frigate; this page is about the storage the recordings need.
Frequently asked questions
How much storage does Frigate need?
Less than a continuous NVR, because Frigate records detect windows around events, not 24/7. Storage = detect duty cycle × record bitrate × cameras × retention days. A few cameras with modest detection often fit in a few terabytes; a busy scene needs more. The calculator models it.
Does Frigate record continuously or on motion?
Either — it is configurable. Most setups save clips around detections (a fraction of 24/7), but you can enable continuous recording, in which case it uses the same storage as any NVR at that bitrate. Set the schedule accordingly in the calculator.
How do I calculate Frigate clip storage?
Estimate the fraction of the day your cameras detect an object (the duty cycle), multiply by the record-stream bitrate, camera count and retention days, and add overhead. The calculator's motion-only mode does exactly this — set the duty cycle to your scene.
Does a Coral TPU affect Frigate storage?
No — a Coral TPU accelerates object detection so Frigate can handle more cameras on modest hardware, but it does not change how much video is stored. Storage is set by what you record and for how long, not by the detection accelerator.
Read more
Devin Chua works out which drives, RAM and NVMe cache fit which NAS model at nasdrives.ca, and what the RAID choice means for usable capacity, checked against what is in stock on Amazon.ca.
Data checked by Owen Nakamura, Technical editor (data checking)