6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Google Photos
The best open-source alternatives to Google Photos are Immich, PhotoPrism and Ente.
About Google Photos: Google's cloud photo and video backup service with search and sharing.
Every option below is free to self-host and ranked by GitHub stars, so you can move off Google Photos without giving up the features you rely on.
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Immich
immich-app/immich
Photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone (alternative to Google Photos).
FeaturedPhoto GalleriesTypeScriptDocker - Rank 2:
PhotoPrism
photoprism/photoprism
Personal photo management powered by Go and Google TensorFlow. Browse, organize, and share your personal photo collection, using the latest technologies to automatically tag and find pictures.
Photo GalleriesGoDocker - Rank 3:
Ente
ente/ente
An end-to-end encrypted photo-sharing platform (alternative to Google Photos, Apple Photos).
Photo GalleriesDartDocker
Why switch
Why teams move off Google Photos
Self-hosting is not only about saving money. These are the reasons people make the switch.
Own your data
Your data lives on a server you control, not on Google Photos's infrastructure. No surprise policy changes and no lock-in.
No per-seat pricing
Open-source alternatives to Google Photos are free to run for as many users as your server can handle. A small VPS often costs less than a single subscription.
Customize and extend
Read the code, add plugins, connect it to your own tools and automate it through open APIs. When you need a feature, you can build it or fund it.
Full ranking
All 6 Google Photos alternatives
Ranked by GitHub stars. Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
ImmichFeatured
Photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone (alternative to Google Photos).
Photo GalleriesDocker - 2
PhotoPrism
Personal photo management powered by Go and Google TensorFlow. Browse, organize, and share your personal photo collection, using the latest technologies to automatically tag and find pictures.
Photo GalleriesDocker - 3
Ente
An end-to-end encrypted photo-sharing platform (alternative to Google Photos, Apple Photos).
Photo GalleriesDocker - 4
LibrePhotos
Photo management service with a slight focus on cool graphs (alternative to Google Photos).
Photo GalleriesDocker - 5
Photoview
Simple and user-friendly photo gallery for personal servers. It is made for photographers and aims to provide an easy and fast way to navigate directories, with thousands of high resolution photos.
Photo GalleriesDocker - 6
Lychee
Grid and album based photo-management-system.
Photo GalleriesDocker
What is the best open-source alternative to Google Photos?
Immich is the most popular open-source alternative to Google Photos, with 115,648 GitHub stars. PhotoPrism and Ente are also strong choices. Compare features, license and recent activity to find the best fit for your team.
Is there a free alternative to Google Photos?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can run a Google Photos replacement without per-user fees. You only pay for the server, and a small VPS is usually enough for personal use or a small team.
Can I self-host an alternative to Google Photos?
Yes. Immich, PhotoPrism and Ente ship a Docker image, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose in a few minutes. Your data then stays on hardware you control.
How do I migrate from Google Photos?
Start by exporting your data from Google Photos, then check the import options of the app you pick, since many projects ship importers for popular formats. Run both side by side for a week before you switch so nothing is lost.