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PhotoPrism vs LibrePhotos: which should you self-host in 2026?

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.

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.

PhotoPrism

photoprism/photoprism

40k GitHub starsLast commit Oct 6, 2026

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
PhotoPrism detailsDeploy guide

LibrePhotos

LibrePhotos/librephotos

8.1k GitHub starsLast commit Oct 5, 2026

Photo management service with a slight focus on cool graphs (alternative to Google Photos).

  • MIT
  • Python
  • Docker
  • Actively maintained
LibrePhotos details

Head-to-head

PhotoPrism vs LibrePhotos, side by side

Hand-checked differences first, then live numbers from GitHub, refreshed with every catalog update.

PhotoPrism compared with LibrePhotos
AspectPhotoPrismLibrePhotos
LicenseAGPL-3.0; some features are reserved for paid members.MIT, with no paid feature tier.
Language/stackGo with TensorFlow; MariaDB or SQLite.Python (Django) backend with PostgreSQL and a React/TypeScript frontend.
Standout featuresFast indexing of existing folders, maps, RAW and video support, PWA.Face recognition, object and scene detection, semantic search and reverse geocoding.
Mobile appsPWA plus third-party native apps such as PhotoSync.The repository includes an Expo-based mobile app for Android and iOS.
MaturityLarger user base and extensive documentation.Smaller community; documentation is lighter.
GitHub stars40,2728,089
Commits, last 12 months2,819753
Last commitOct 6, 2026Oct 5, 2026
Latest release260919-28c46a116Sep 19, 20261.2.1Sep 29, 2026
Main languageGoPython
Official Docker imageYesYes
Repositoryphotoprism/photoprismLibrePhotos/librephotos

Swipe the table sideways to see both apps. GitHub figures come from the public API. Highlighted values are the higher of the two.

Verdict

PhotoPrism is the more polished and established option for browsing a large photo archive, with fast search, maps and good RAW support, although some features sit behind a paid membership. LibrePhotos fits users who want everything free under a permissive license and a Python/Django stack they can extend, and who accept a smaller project.

Best for

Choose PhotoPrism for

A polished web library for a large existing photo archive.

Best for

Choose LibrePhotos for

A fully free, permissively licensed photo app with AI search.

Deploy either in minutes

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FAQ

PhotoPrism vs LibrePhotos: FAQ

Still curious? Email info@appsgit.com.

Is LibrePhotos completely free?

Yes. LibrePhotos is released under the MIT license and has no paid tier.

Which handles RAW photos better?

Both import RAW files. PhotoPrism has long-standing RAW conversion support and is the safer choice if RAW is a large part of your library.

Do I need a GPU for either app?

No. Both run their machine-learning features on the CPU, though initial indexing of a large library takes longer on low-power hardware.

Which is more popular on GitHub, PhotoPrism or LibrePhotos?

PhotoPrism has 40,272 GitHub stars against 8,089 for LibrePhotos. Over the last twelve months PhotoPrism received 2,819 commits and LibrePhotos received 753, so PhotoPrism is the more actively developed of the two right now. Stars measure interest, not fit, so weigh them against the differences above.

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