Self-Hosted Photo Backup: Immich vs PhotoPrism Complete Guide

Your Photos Deserve Privacy

Google Photos scans every image with AI, building a detailed profile of your life - your face, your family, places you visit. Self-hosted photo backup keeps your memories private while providing the same convenient features.

Immich (Recommended)

Immich is the closest Google Photos replacement. Fast, feature-rich, and actively developed.

# Clone Immich
git clone https://github.com/immich-app/immich.git
cd immich/docker

# Configure
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your settings

# Start
docker compose up -d

• Mobile apps with auto-backup
• Face recognition and object detection
• Map view with location data
• Shared albums and links
• Fast and responsive UI

PhotoPrism

services:
  photoprism:
    image: photoprism/photoprism:latest
    environment:
      - PHOTOPRISM_ADMIN_PASSWORD=your_password
      - PHOTOPRISM_ORIGINALS_LIMIT=5000
      - PHOTOPRISM_DETECT_NSFW=true
    volumes:
      - ./photos:/photoprism/originals
      - ./storage:/photoprism/storage
    ports:
      - "2342:2342"

• Excellent search and indexing
• RAW file support
• WebDAV integration

Comparison

Choose Immich if: You want a Google Photos-like experience with mobile apps
Choose PhotoPrism if: You're a photographer who needs RAW support