Hi community, I am in the search of a Google Photos replacement. I want to self host it.

Been testing some options like PhotoStructure which looks promisiing but as it is developed by a single person its progress is very slow and its still missing a lot of basic requirements.

I was looking into Immich, its looking very good and being developed fast due to its Open-Source nature, but its pretty unstable still and I think it will require some time until we can find a usable product with certain stability.

I built the below list of requirements in the hopes that someone already found a reliable solution that could tick most of the boxes. Please feel free to share your thoughts and alternatives ;)

Requirements for a reliable self-hosted Google Photos replacement

  • Web-Based Application: Accessible through a web browser, ensuring cross-platform and mobile compatibility.
  • Dedicated mobile app: This is desirable, but if the Web-Based application is well designed it could be fine without a dedicated app as we can always use PhotoSync to sync pictures to our servers.
  • Import and Deduplication: Ability to import from various sources (mobile devices, GoPro, Insta 360 X3 camera, drones) and an efficient deduplication system to manage duplicates.
  • High-Resolution Support and Previews: Display images and videos in original resolution with the option to create previews for fast browsing.
  • EXIF Data Management: Tools to edit EXIF information, with changes saved directly to the original file or a standardized sidecar file for compatibility with other systems.
  • Album Creation Without Duplicating Files: Create thematic or person-based albums without duplicating the files.
  • Advanced Search and Organization Features:
    • Face Recognition: Identify and tag individuals for easy searching.
    • Chronological Ordering: Timeline view for navigating through photos and videos.
    • Geotagging and Map Views: Display photos on a map based on location metadata.
    • User-Friendly Media Consumption: An interface that is intuitive and enjoyable for viewing and interacting with media.
  • Sharing and Collaboration:
    • Album and Gallery Sharing: Share with others, with customizable permissions.
    • Contribution Options: Allow others to contribute to shared galleries without the ability to delete.
    • Upload Functionality for Shared Users: Integration with apps like PhotoSync for user contributions.
  • Storage Management:
    • Per-User Storage Limits: Set storage quotas for different users.
    • Flexible Storage Options: Support for local storage (computer/NAS), as well as the ability to deploy in a Docker container or VM.
  • Privacy and Security:
    • Data Privacy: Ensure data is stored privately and securely.
    • User Access Control: Fine-grained access control for different users and groups.
  • Scalability and Performance:
    • Handle Large Collections: Efficiently manage large volumes of photos and videos.
    • Performance Optimization: Fast loading and processing times, especially for high-resolution media.
  • Backup and Recovery:
    • Data Backup Solutions: Options for backing up the photo library in an easy way.
    • Disaster Recovery Plan: Ability to recover data in case of hardware failure or other issues.
    • Integration with Other Systems: Ability to integrate or export data to/from other popular systems like Google Photos or Apple Photos for seamless transition.
  • Customization and Extensibility:
    • Customizable Interface: Options to customize the UI according to user preferences.
    • Plugin/Extension Support: Ability to extend functionality through plugins or extensions.
    • Technical Support and Documentation: Access to reliable support and comprehensive documentation for setup and troubleshooting.
  • Regular Updates and Maintenance: Ongoing software updates for new features, security patches, and performance improvements.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Evaluate the total cost of ownership, including setup, maintenance, and potential subscription fees.