6 self-hosted options
Open-source alternatives to Imgur
The best open-source alternative to Imgur is Lychee (MIT, 4,314 GitHub stars, Docker image). Zipline stands out for a permissive MIT license, and Chibisafe stands out for the longest track record (since 2017).
About Imgur: A popular image hosting and sharing site.
Updated · data from GitHub, refreshed daily
Top picks
- Rank 1:
Lychee
LycheeOrg/Lychee
Grid and album based photo-management-system.
Active · last commit Oct 24, 2026
Photo GalleriesPHPDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars.
- Rank 2:
Zipline
diced/zipline
A lightweight, fast and reliable file sharing server that is commonly used with ShareX, offering a react-based Web UI and fast API.
Active · last commit Oct 25, 2026
File SharingTypeScriptDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license.
- Rank 3:
Chibisafe
chibisafe/chibisafe
File uploader service that aims to to be easy to use and set up. It accepts files, photos, documents, anything you imagine and gives you back a shareable link for you to send to others.
Active · last commit Oct 22, 2026
File SharingTypeScriptDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2017).
At a glance
Imgur alternatives compared
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.
| App | Stands out for | License | GitHub stars | Commits (12 mo) | Last commit | Docker image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lychee | the most GitHub stars | MIT | 4,314 | 837 | Oct 24, 2026 | Yes |
| Zipline | a permissive MIT license | MIT | 3,468 | 352 | Oct 25, 2026 | Yes |
| Chibisafe | the longest track record (since 2017) | MIT | 2,800 | 35 | Oct 22, 2026 | Yes |
| XBackBone | a permissive Apache-2.0 license | Apache-2.0 | 1,169 | 95 | Oct 19, 2026 | Yes |
| Chevereto | the newest codebase (created November 2022) | AGPL-3.0 | 1,002 | 17 | Oct 24, 2026 | Yes |
| PictShare | – | Apache-2.0 | 951 | 108 | Oct 22, 2026 | Yes |
Full list
All 6 Imgur alternatives
Open any app for live stats, license details and a deploy option.
- 1
Lychee
Grid and album based photo-management-system.
Photo GalleriesDockerStands out for the most GitHub stars. Lychee has 4,314 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 837 commits in the last year.
- 2
Zipline
A lightweight, fast and reliable file sharing server that is commonly used with ShareX, offering a react-based Web UI and fast API.
File SharingDockerStands out for a permissive MIT license. Zipline has 3,468 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 352 commits in the last year.
- 3
Chibisafe
File uploader service that aims to to be easy to use and set up. It accepts files, photos, documents, anything you imagine and gives you back a shareable link for you to send to others.
File SharingDockerStands out for the longest track record (since 2017). Chibisafe has 2,800 GitHub stars, uses the MIT license, ships a Docker image and had 35 commits in the last year.
- 4
XBackBone
Simple, fast and lightweight file manager with instant sharing tools integration, like ShareX.
File SharingDockerStands out for a permissive Apache-2.0 license. XBackBone has 1,169 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 95 commits in the last year.
- 5
Chevereto
Ultimate image sharing software. Create your very own personal image hosting website in just minutes.
Photo GalleriesDockerStands out for the newest codebase (created November 2022). Chevereto has 1,002 GitHub stars, uses the AGPL-3.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 17 commits in the last year.
- 6
PictShare
Multi lingual image hosting service with a simple resizing and upload API.
File SharingDockerPictShare has 951 GitHub stars, uses the Apache-2.0 license, ships a Docker image and had 108 commits in the last year.
Is there a free alternative to Imgur?
Yes. All 6 apps on this page are open source and free to self-host, so you can replace Imgur without per-user fees. You pay only for the server.
Can I self-host an alternative to Imgur with Docker?
Yes. All 6 apps here publish a Docker image, including Lychee, Zipline and Chibisafe, so you can run them on a home server or VPS with Docker Compose.
Which Imgur alternative is the most actively developed?
Lychee (MIT), with 837 commits in the last 12 months. Activity is a good sign that bugs and security issues get fixed.
How is this list ranked?
Open-source apps come first, then source-available ones and apps whose license appsgit could not verify; within each group, projects with at least 12 commits in the last 12 months come before less active or archived ones, then by GitHub stars.