Photo and video backup solution directly from your mobile phone (alternative to Google Photos).
- AGPL-3.0
- TypeScript
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Photo Galleries comparison
Immich vs PhotoPrism: which should you self-host in 2026?
Pick Immich for a Google Photos-style experience with official mobile apps and automatic phone backup; pick PhotoPrism to browse and tag a large existing photo library.
Both are open source and run on your own server. Below: a side-by-side of license, stack and features, live GitHub activity, and our verdict on who should pick which.
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.
- AGPL-3.0
- Go
- Docker
- Actively maintained
Head-to-head
Immich vs PhotoPrism, side by side
Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.
| Aspect |  Immich |  PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0. | AGPL-3.0; some extra features require a paid PhotoPrism membership. |
| Language/stack | TypeScript (NestJS) server, PostgreSQL, Valkey/Redis and a separate Python machine-learning container. | Go with TensorFlow, using MariaDB or SQLite. |
| Mobile apps | Official iOS and Android apps with automatic background backup. | Progressive web app; native apps such as PhotoSync come from third parties. |
| Hardware needs | Docs set 6 GB RAM minimum and 8 GB recommended, with 2 to 4 CPU cores. | Docs recommend at least 2 cores and 3 GB of memory, plus swap and SSD storage. |
| Library model | Upload-first: photos arrive from apps or the web, with external libraries supported for existing folders. | Index-first: scans existing originals folders in place without moving files. |
| GitHub stars | 115,648 | 40,272 |
| Commits, last 12 months | 2,638 | 2,819 |
| Last commit | Oct 6, 2026 | Oct 6, 2026 |
| Latest release | v3.2.4Sep 28, 2026 | 260919-28c46a116Sep 19, 2026 |
| Main language | TypeScript | Go |
| Official Docker image | Yes | Yes |
| Repository | immich-app/immich | photoprism/photoprism |
Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.
Verdict
Immich is the better replacement for Google Photos or iCloud: its official iOS and Android apps back up your camera roll automatically, and it adds face recognition, smart search and shared albums. PhotoPrism shines when you already have years of photos in folders and want a fast, searchable web library that indexes them in place, with mobile access through its PWA or third-party apps.
Best for
Choose Immich for
Replacing Google Photos with automatic phone backup.
Best for
Choose PhotoPrism for
Indexing and browsing an existing photo archive in folders.
Deploy either in minutes
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Is Immich better than PhotoPrism?
For phone backup and a Google Photos-like experience, Immich is the stronger choice thanks to its official mobile apps. PhotoPrism is better at organizing an existing folder-based archive through a web interface.
Can Immich use my existing photo folders?
Yes. Immich supports external libraries, which index photos stored in folders on your server without importing or copying them.
Does PhotoPrism have a mobile app?
PhotoPrism offers a progressive web app that you can install from the browser. Native apps such as PhotoSync and Gallery for PhotoPrism are maintained by third parties.
Which is more popular on GitHub, Immich or PhotoPrism?
Immich has 115,648 GitHub stars against 40,272 for PhotoPrism. Over the last twelve months Immich received 2,638 commits and PhotoPrism received 2,819, so PhotoPrism is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.
Keep comparing
Other comparisons
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.
PhotoPrism vs LibrePhotos
Pick PhotoPrism for a polished, mature web library that indexes folders in place; pick LibrePhotos if you want a fully MIT-licensed, Django-based app with AI search and no paid tier.
