# Immich vs Ente

> Pick Immich for server-side AI search and a rich self-hosted gallery; pick Ente if end-to-end encryption matters most and you are fine with on-device machine learning.

## Verdict

Immich is the most feature-rich self-hosted Google Photos replacement, but your server can see your photos, because it processes them for faces and search. Ente encrypts everything on your devices before upload, so even the server operator cannot read your library; it is the better pick for privacy-focused users or for hosting photos for family on a server you do not fully trust.

- Best for Immich: A feature-rich private gallery on hardware you fully control
- Best for Ente: End-to-end encrypted photo backup for privacy-focused users

## Key differences

| Aspect | Immich | Ente |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0. | AGPL-3.0 for the server and apps; the same code runs Ente's paid cloud service. |
| Encryption | Photos are stored unencrypted on your server so it can generate thumbnails and run ML. | End-to-end encrypted: files are encrypted on the device before they reach the server. |
| Machine learning | Runs on the server in a dedicated container for faces and smart search. | Runs on your devices, since the server cannot read the photos. |
| Architecture | TypeScript server with PostgreSQL, Valkey/Redis and a Python ML service. | Go server (Museum) with PostgreSQL and S3-compatible object storage; Flutter mobile apps. |
| Mobile apps | Official iOS and Android apps with background backup. | Official iOS and Android apps that can point to a self-hosted server. |
| Hosting cost | Needs more RAM: docs list 6 GB minimum with ML enabled. | Docs list 1 GB RAM and 1 CPU core for the quickstart, plus object storage space. |

## GitHub numbers

| Metric | Immich | Ente |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | 115,648 | 29,252 |
| Forks | 7,143 | 1,842 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 2,638 | 16,902 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v3.2.4 | photos-v1.3.64 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| License type | Open source | Open source |
| Language | TypeScript | Dart |
| Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | https://github.com/immich-app/immich | https://github.com/ente/ente |

App pages: [Immich](https://appsgit.com/apps/immich), [Ente](https://appsgit.com/apps/ente)

## FAQ

### Is Ente end-to-end encrypted when self-hosted?

Yes. Encryption happens in the Ente apps on your devices, so a self-hosted server stores only encrypted files, exactly like Ente's own cloud.

### Does Immich encrypt my photos?

No. Immich stores originals as regular files so it can process them; protect them with disk encryption and access controls on your server.

### Can Ente's official apps connect to my own server?

Yes. Ente documents how to point its mobile and desktop apps at a self-hosted server instead of the default cloud endpoint.

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Canonical page: https://appsgit.com/compare/immich-vs-ente
Source: appsgit (https://appsgit.com), the app store for github. Data from the GitHub API, refreshed nightly.
Machine access: JSON API https://appsgit.com/api/v1/apps (OpenAPI: https://appsgit.com/openapi.json), MCP server https://mcp.appsgit.com/mcp, full index https://appsgit.com/llms-full.txt.