What it does
RF-DETR is an object-detection model from Roboflow. It looks at an image or video frame and finds things like people, cars or products, drawing boxes or exact outlines around them. It can also find key points (preview).
It comes in several sizes, from very small and quick to large and more accurate. Its makers say it achieves top results on standard tests and is designed to be fine-tuned, meaning retrained on your own images.
It's used from Python code, so it's a building block for developers rather than an app.
Who it's for
Developers and researchers building computer-vision features, such as counting, tracking or quality checks.
Can I use it without coding?
Developers only. It's a Python package you use in code. New to this? Start here.
Can I run it?
- Cost
- FreeNothing to pay or sign up for.
- Privacy
- Runs on your own device: your data stays with you
- API key
- Not needed
Try it
Using Claude Code, Cursor or another AI coding assistant? Paste the prompt and it will walk you through the setup.New to this?
Before you install
- Only download from the official GitHub page. Copies with similar names exist for many popular projects.
- License (Apache-2.0): Permissive: free to use, change and share, including for business.
- More on staying safe
Where people are talking about it
- RF-DETR paperResearch paper · Nov 2025