Best VPS for Immich in 2026
Updated Aug 2026 · 8 plans benchmarked
Immich backs up a lifetime of photos and runs machine-learning search and face detection over them — so it wants real RAM, fast NVMe for the library and thumbnails, and generous bandwidth for the initial mobile upload. The goal is a box that ingests tens of thousands of photos without the ML jobs starving everything else.
- 4 GB RAM is the floor — the ML container for search and faces is the memory-hungry part; 8 GB is comfortable for a large library.
- Fast NVMe storage, sized for your whole photo and video library plus generated thumbnails (budget ~20% on top).
- Generous included bandwidth — the first full backup from your phone can move hundreds of GB.
- Snapshots or off-box backups: these are your irreplaceable photos, so the 3-2-1 rule still applies even when self-hosted.
The picks
8 GB and NVMe for $4.95 give Immich's ML and thumbnailing room to breathe at the lowest price in this list.
The price/performance pick: a CX22 (2 vCPU / 4 GB / 40 GB NVMe, 20 TB traffic) under $5 clears Immich's floor, and stepping up to 8 GB stays cheap as your library and ML workload grow.
The 8 GB VPS-2 gives NVMe and headroom for Immich's ML jobs; attach more storage as your library grows.
When your library outgrows a fixed plan, Kamatera lets you add RAM and NVMe independently and pick a region near you for fast uploads — with hourly billing to test the import before you commit.
Easy to stand up and grow storage as your photo library does. For the cheapest large disk, Hetzner still wins on price/perf.
The picks, side by side
Prices verified Aug 2026 · How we benchmark →
Common questions
How much RAM does Immich need?
Plan for at least 4 GB. Immich itself is modest, but its machine-learning service (smart search and facial recognition) is memory-hungry; 8 GB keeps those jobs smooth on a large library.
How much storage do I need for Immich?
Roughly the size of your existing photo and video library plus about 20% for generated thumbnails and previews. Check your current Google Photos or iCloud usage and size the VPS disk above that, with room to grow.
Can I run Immich on a $5 VPS?
Yes for a modest library, on a 4 GB box like Hetzner's CX22. For tens of thousands of photos with face and smart search enabled, step up to 8 GB so the ML jobs don't slow the rest of the app.