I finally reached the point where paying monthly for photo storage felt unnecessary. With terabytes of unused local space sitting idle, the idea of owning my photos again became too tempting to ignore. That curiosity pushed me to test whether a self-hosted setup could truly replace Google Photos — and the results surprised me.
Why Leaving Google Photos Isn’t Easy
- Google Photos remains one of the most polished photo platforms available
- Automatic backups, smart search, and easy sharing are hard to replace
- Subscription storage costs and privacy concerns are the main drawbacks
- For users with personal servers or NAS setups, cloud storage can feel redundant
Immich: A Self-Hosted Alternative That Finally Clicks
- Immich is a self-hosted photo library designed to feel familiar
- Its interface closely resembles Google Photos
- The platform recently reached a stable release, making it reliable for daily use
- It focuses on both photo organization and multi-user management
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How Immich Is Hosted and Used
- Immich can be installed on:
- A NAS
- A home server
- A mini-PC
- Cloud hosting via VPS is also possible, though more expensive
- Installation options include Docker and guided setup tools
Once running, users can access their library through:
- A web interface
- Android and iOS mobile apps
The mobile apps handle automatic photo backups and make browsing fast and intuitive.
Multi-User Support Makes a Big Difference
- Each user gets a private photo library
- Locked folders add extra privacy
- Albums can be shared across accounts
- Entire libraries can be shared with trusted users
This setup makes Immich especially appealing for families.
How It Compares With Google Photos
- Map-based photo browsing is supported
- Machine-learning memories help resurface old moments
- Search works across people, places, and objects
- Editing tools are basic compared to Google’s cloud-powered suite
Despite these limitations, the feature set is impressive for a self-hosted platform.
Final Take
- Immich delivers roughly 90% of the Google Photos experience
- It offers stronger privacy and full data ownership
- Setup requires some technical effort
- For users willing to self-host, it’s one of the best alternatives available today
