Immich vs PhotoPrism
Self-host pick — both replace Google Photos (Photo backup / library / face search).
Both Immich and PhotoPrism self-host as a replacement for Google Photos (Photo backup / library / face search). Pick Immich if you want anyone wanting a near-feature-for-feature Google Photos clone — auto-backup, face search, shared albums, fast timeline; pick PhotoPrism if you want power users who want a strong web UI, AI tagging, and a rich filter language; less mobile-first than Immich. Both are AGPL-family licensed and similar to set up.
| Immichopen-source | PhotoPrismopen-source | |
|---|---|---|
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Setup time | 15min docker-compose | 20min docker-compose (PhotoPrism + MariaDB) |
| Monthly cost | $5-10 VPS for the app; storage cost dominates — a 1TB block-storage volume runs $5-10/mo on Hetzner or DO. | $5-10 VPS + storage; a TensorFlow model bundles in for tag/face inference (CPU is fine for personal use). |
| GitHub | immich-app/immich | photoprism/photoprism |
| Replaces | Google Photos | Google Photos |
Good fit for
Immich
Anyone wanting a near-feature-for-feature Google Photos clone — auto-backup, face search, shared albums, fast timeline.
Weak at:AGPL spooks some employers; the project is moving fast and minor versions occasionally need re-deploys with breaking schema changes.
PhotoPrism
Power users who want a strong web UI, AI tagging, and a rich filter language; less mobile-first than Immich.
Weak at:Mobile app exists but is thinner than Immich's auto-backup; faces feature is in the paid tier of the cloud project (self-host is fine).
In a terminal? npx -y github:SolvoHQ/os-alt-cli google-photos prints Google Photos's self-host options including both —
how the CLI works →
FAQ
Which is easier to self-host, Immich or PhotoPrism?
Immich: 15min docker-compose. PhotoPrism: 20min docker-compose (PhotoPrism + MariaDB).
What does each cost to run?
Immich: $5-10 VPS for the app; storage cost dominates — a 1TB block-storage volume runs $5-10/mo on Hetzner or DO.. PhotoPrism: $5-10 VPS + storage; a TensorFlow model bundles in for tag/face inference (CPU is fine for personal use).. Both projects are free and open source.
Do Immich and PhotoPrism replace the same SaaS?
Yes — both are open-source alternatives to Google Photos.