Self-hosted photo gallery apps compared
Immich, PhotoPrism, LibrePhotos and Lychee compared: which replaces Google Photos backup, which indexes an existing archive, and which is a gallery for sharing.
A self-hosted photo app can do three different jobs: back up the photos on your phone, make sense of an archive you already have, or present albums to other people. Few apps do all three equally well. Knowing which job matters most narrows the choice quickly.
We checked each project’s license and recent releases on October 5, 2026.
Quick comparison
| App | Best at | License | Mobile backup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immich | Replacing Google Photos | AGPL-3.0 | Yes, official apps |
| PhotoPrism | Indexing an existing photo archive | AGPL-3.0 | Through third-party sync apps |
| LibrePhotos | A fully open, feature-rich library | MIT | Through third-party sync apps |
| Lychee | Albums and galleries to share | MIT | No |
Immich: the Google Photos replacement
Immich has official iOS and Android apps that back up your camera roll in the background, a timeline that feels familiar, face recognition, maps, and shared albums. It is the most actively developed project in this space.
Keep a separate backup of your original files. A photo server is a library, not a backup of itself.
PhotoPrism: for the archive you already have
PhotoPrism is strong at indexing existing folders without moving them. It reads metadata, detects places, labels, and faces, and makes a large archive searchable. It is AGPL-3.0; some features need a paid membership.
Choose it when you have years of photos in folders and want to browse and search them, rather than replace your phone’s backup app.
LibrePhotos: fully open and full-featured
LibrePhotos is an MIT-licensed photo library with face recognition, event albums, maps, and timeline views. It suits people who want every feature open and are comfortable running a few services. Its machine-learning features need a reasonably capable server.
Lychee: a gallery for sharing
Lychee is a clean, fast web gallery. Upload photos into albums, then share them publicly or with a link. It is a good fit for photographers publishing portfolios or families sharing event albums, and it is MIT-licensed.
It is not designed to back up a phone’s camera roll.
How to choose
- You want to stop paying for Google Photos or iCloud storage: Immich.
- You have a large folder archive to search and browse: PhotoPrism.
- You want a fully open library with face and event grouping: LibrePhotos.
- You want to publish albums for other people to view: Lychee.
Start with a copy of a few thousand photos rather than your whole library. Check how long indexing takes, whether faces and dates come out right, and how the app handles videos and RAW files. If you also want to sync documents, see our self-hosted Google Drive alternatives, or browse the directory.
In the directory
AGPL-3.0Immich on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Give your photo library a home of its own. Back up, organize, and browse photos and videos on your server.
Good to know +
Good for: A personal photo library with mobile backup.
Keep a separate backup of your original media.
AGPL-3.0PhotoPrism on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Browse, search, and organize a photo library with automatic tagging, places, and faces.
Good to know +
Good for: Indexing an existing folder of photos without moving it.
Some features need a paid membership.
MITLibrePhotos on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Self-host a photo library with face recognition, maps, event albums, and timeline views.
Good to know +
Good for: Tinkerers who want a fully open photo service.
Machine-learning features need a reasonably capable server.
MITLychee on GitHub (opens in a new tab)
Upload photos into albums and share galleries from a clean, fast web interface.
Good to know +
Good for: Photographers publishing portfolios and shared albums.
It is a gallery, not a phone backup app.