Immich
High performance self-hosted photo and video management solution.
118k GitHub stars · AGPL-3.0 · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Open-source and self-hosted alternatives to Google Photos
Self-hosted photo libraries with phone backup and search. Immich is the closest to the Google Photos experience; all of these need your own server and storage.
Category: Photos & media · GitHub data as of Oct 29, 2026 · FAQ · Cost & self-hosting
| Project | What it is | License | GitHub stars | Last release | Runs as | Hosted plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immich Active AGPL-3.0 | High performance self-hosted photo and video management solution. | AGPL-3.0 | 118k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| PhotoPrism Active Mixed or custom | A self-hosted photo library with automatic tagging, face recognition, maps and search. | Mixed or custom | 40.4k | Oct 29, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
| LibrePhotos Active MIT | A self-hosted open source photo management service. | MIT | 8.1k | Oct 28, 2026 | Self-hosted web app | Not confirmed |
Are they still maintained?
3 of 3 Google Photos alternatives here had a code push or release in the last 180 days (checked Oct 29, 2026).
- Immich: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- PhotoPrism: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
- LibrePhotos: active, last activity Oct 29, 2026 (0 days ago)
See every project in the "Is it still maintained?" tracker →
What switching from Google Photos costs
Google Photos: current plans and prices are on Google Photos's pricing page.
| Alternative | How you run it | Software cost | What you pay for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immich | Your server | $0 (AGPL-3.0) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| PhotoPrism | Your server | $0 (Mixed or custom, check terms) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
| LibrePhotos | Your server | $0 (MIT) | A server you rent or own, plus your time for updates and backups. |
Self-hosting basics: Immich, PhotoPrism and LibrePhotos need a server, which can be a small cloud server or a spare machine at home. For a sense of scale, DigitalOcean's price list shows a 1 GiB server at $6/month and 2 GiB at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size, and budget time for updates and backups.
License check: PhotoPrism does not use a single standard open-source license that GitHub can detect. Read the license before using it in a business.
The options in more detail
PhotoPrism
A self-hosted photo library with automatic tagging, face recognition, maps and search.
40.4k GitHub stars · Mixed or custom · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
LibrePhotos
A self-hosted open source photo management service.
8.1k GitHub stars · MIT · last code push Oct 29, 2026 · GitHub · Website
Google Photos alternatives: common questions
What is the best open-source alternative to Google Photos?
It depends on how you use Google Photos. Of the 3 options here, Immich is the most followed on GitHub (118k stars) and is actively maintained, with its latest release on Oct 29, 2026.
Is there a self-hosted Google Photos alternative?
Yes. Immich, PhotoPrism and LibrePhotos run on a server you control, so your data stays with you. We have not confirmed an official hosted plan for these, so plan on running them yourself or using a third-party host.
Is there a free alternative to Google Photos?
Yes. Every project on this page can be downloaded and used at no cost from its public repository. Server apps are free software, but you pay for the server they run on. Check the license of PhotoPrism before using it in a business.
Are these Google Photos alternatives still maintained?
As of Oct 29, 2026, 3 of 3 had a code push or release in the last 180 days. None are flagged as inactive or archived. We re-check every project weekly.
How much does it cost to switch from Google Photos?
The software itself is free. For server apps, the main cost is hosting: as a reference point, DigitalOcean lists a 1 GiB server at $6/month and a 2 GiB server at $12/month (checked Oct 29, 2026). Check each project's documented requirements before choosing a size. The hidden cost is time: moving your data and, for self-hosted apps, keeping up with updates and backups.
Are all of these really open source?
Not all under a standard license. PhotoPrism: GitHub could not identify a single standard license for this repository (often a mix of open-source and commercial parts). Read the LICENSE file before using it. The others use OSI-approved open-source licenses.
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