Since Google Photos introduced storage limits, many users have been searching for alternative services. In this article, we’ve carefully selected five free software options that can replace Google Photos, along with a breakdown of their key features and ease of setup.
Immich
Features:
✅ Open-source photo management tool that stores images on your own server
✅ AI-powered face recognition and auto-tagging
✅ Automatic backup via mobile app
Setup Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Requires Docker knowledge)
Official Site: https://immich.app/
Immich brings cloud-like photo management—similar to Google Photos—under your control. It’s easy to deploy using Docker, but basic server administration skills are recommended.
PhotoPrism
Features:
✅ AI-powered smart photo search
✅ Auto-tagging, geolocation, and face recognition
✅ Supports RAW image files
Setup Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Uses Docker)
Official Site: https://photoprism.app/
PhotoPrism is a privacy-focused photo management app and an excellent alternative to Google Photos. It allows you to store photos either locally or in the cloud, making photo organization intuitive and secure.
Piwigo
Features:
✅ Web-based photo management system
✅ Highly customizable with plugins and themes
✅ Mobile app available for upload and browsing
Setup Difficulty: ★★★☆☆ (Requires server setup)
Official Site: https://piwigo.org/
Piwigo is an open-source photo management tool supported by a strong community. With extensive plugin support and customization options, it’s a popular self-hosted alternative to Google Photos, even used in corporate environments.
DigiKam
Features:
✅ Supports AI-based face recognition
✅ Advanced metadata management
✅ Allows RAW image editing
✅ All AI processing is done locally, ensuring privacy protection
✅ Fully usable offline
Setup Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (Requires only installation)
Official Site: https://www.digikam.org/
DigiKam is a powerful photo management application for organizing and editing photos in a local environment. In addition to categorizing and managing your images like Google Photos, it also includes AI-driven face recognition and tagging features. All processing is done locally, so your user data remains private.
Memories
特徴Features:
✅ Supports timeline view and album creation
✅ Equipped with face and object recognition
✅ Integrates with Nextcloud for Google Photos–like management
Setup Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Requires a Nextcloud environment)
Official Site: https://memories.gallery/
Memories brings Google Photos–like functionality to your self-hosted Nextcloud instance. With smart recognition features and seamless integration, it’s a great choice for those already using or planning to use Nextcloud.
Summary: Comparison of Free Google Photos Alternatives (2025 Edition)
| Software | AI Features | Cloud Support | Setup Difficulty | Official Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Immich | ✅ Yes | ✅ Self-hosted | ★★★★☆ | Link |
| PhotoPrism | ✅ Yes | ✅ Self-hosted | ★★★★☆ | Link |
| Piwigo | ❌ No | ✅ Self-hosted | ★★★☆☆ | Link |
| DigiKam | ✅ Yes | ❌ Local only | ★★☆☆☆ | Link |
| Memories | ✅ Yes | ✅ Nextcloud required | ★★★★☆ | Link |
There are plenty of excellent free alternatives to Google Photos. In particular, Immich, PhotoPrism, and DigiKam come equipped with AI features, offering an experience similar to Google Photos. Choose the tool that best fits your environment and needs to enjoy smooth and secure photo management.
In upcoming articles, we’ll provide detailed setup guides for each app—stay tuned!
コメント
Why are you saying digiKam doesn’t have AI features? digiKam has AI face detection and tagging, AI object detection and tagging, and AI red-eye detection and correction.
AND digiKam respects your privacy so all the models run locally so your data is always local and aways yours.
Thank you very much for your important feedback.
You are absolutely right — digiKam does offer powerful AI-based features, including face detection and tagging, object recognition, and red-eye correction, all of which run locally to protect your privacy.
We sincerely apologize for the previous oversight. We’ve updated the article to clearly reflect these capabilities and highlight how digiKam performs all AI processing locally, ensuring that user data always stays private and secure.
We truly appreciate your input, as it helps us maintain the accuracy and value of our content for all readers. Thank you again!