# Open-source alternatives to Google Photos

> We track 7 open-source alternatives to Google Photos, but none currently has confirmed commercial use, local running and no paid services together. Immich and Memories (Nextcloud) cover all 4 Google Photos jobs.

Google Photos: Hosted photo and video library with automatic phone backup, search by faces, places and objects, shared albums and a timeline and map view. Free storage is shared with Gmail and Drive; more space is a paid Google One subscription, which is what most people are replacing. Pricing: See pricing page (checked 2026-10-16). Facts checked 2026-10-16.

## Projects

| Project | Jobs | Runs locally | Commercial use | Paid services | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Immich](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/immich) | mobile-photo-backup, photo-face-object-search, shared-albums, photo-timeline-map | Self-hosted with Docker Compose | AGPL code is fine commercially, but the default InsightFace face models are non-commercial; FUTO also sets commercial guidelines | None; optional one-time product key supports development and unlocks nothing | Minimum 6 GB RAM and 2 cores (8 GB, 4 cores recommended); 4 GB works with machine learning disabled |
| [PhotoPrism](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/photoprism) | photo-face-object-search, shared-albums, photo-timeline-map | Self-hosted with Docker Compose or Linux packages; also offered managed via PikaPods and DigitalOcean | Community Edition under AGPL-3.0; the project sells commercial licences for teams | None required; membership adds features such as interactive world maps and a web UI for user management | At least 2 cores, 3 GB RAM, 64-bit OS and 4 GB swap; SSD recommended for large libraries |
| [Nextcloud Server](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/nextcloud-server) | desktop-file-sync, file-share-links, file-version-history, web-file-access, mobile-photo-backup | Self-hosted on your own server, or hosted by a Nextcloud provider | Yes under AGPL-3.0 copyleft terms; modified network deployments must share source | None required; Nextcloud Enterprise (paid support) and hosted providers are optional | At least 128 MB RAM per PHP process, 512 MB recommended |
| [Ente Photos](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/ente-photos) | mobile-photo-backup, photo-face-object-search, shared-albums | Self-hosted server with Docker Compose, or Ente's hosted service | AGPL-3.0; network copyleft applies to modified servers | None when self-hosting; Ente's hosted storage is paid beyond 10 GB free | Self-hosted server needs at least 1 GB RAM and 1 CPU core, plus object storage |
| [LibrePhotos](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/librephotos) | photo-face-object-search, shared-albums, photo-timeline-map | Self-hosted (Docker, Compose, Kubernetes, Unraid) or Windows standalone | MIT code, but the InsightFace face models it relies on are non-commercial | None | Minimum 4 GB RAM, 2 cores, 10 GB storage plus library; 8 GB+ RAM recommended for ML |
| [Lychee](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/lychee) | shared-albums | Self-hosted with Docker Compose or on a PHP web server | Yes, MIT | None required; the Supporter Edition adds user groups, upload quotas, secured links and statistics | Not documented |
| [Memories (Nextcloud)](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/nextcloud-memories) | photo-timeline-map, shared-albums, photo-face-object-search, mobile-photo-backup | Self-hosted as an app inside your Nextcloud server | Yes under AGPL-3.0 copyleft terms; check licences of the AI tagging apps you add | None; needs a (free) Nextcloud server | Not documented beyond Nextcloud's own requirements |

## Common questions

### Is there a free, open-source alternative to Google Photos?

Yes. Immich, Memories (Nextcloud), PhotoPrism, LibrePhotos and Ente Photos are free to download and run on your own computer without paid API keys. Immich and Memories (Nextcloud) cover every job we list for Google Photos; the others cover only part of it, so check which job you need.

### Can I do automatic phone photo and video backup locally without a Google Photos subscription?

Yes, with Nextcloud Server (AGPL-3.0-or-later), Ente Photos (AGPL-3.0-only) and Memories (Nextcloud) (AGPL-3.0-only). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

### Can I do search photos by faces locally without a Google Photos subscription?

Yes, with Ente Photos (AGPL-3.0-only), PhotoPrism (AGPL-3.0-only code, MIT AND Apache-2.0 AND BSD-2-Clause weights) and Memories (Nextcloud) (AGPL-3.0-only). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

### Which Google Photos alternatives can I use commercially?

Confirmed: Lychee. With conditions: Ente Photos, Memories (Nextcloud), Nextcloud Server and PhotoPrism. Not for commercial use: Immich and LibrePhotos, usually because the model weights are non-commercial. This is not legal advice; read each licence.

### Does any open-source project replace all of Google Photos?

Immich and Memories (Nextcloud) cover every job we list for Google Photos.

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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/alternatives/google-photos). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.