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Self-host Immich

Photo backup & gallery
prices checked · Jul 2026

Blazing-fast self-hosted photo and video backup with ML search, faces, and a great mobile app. The Google Photos killer.

Key facts

CategoryPhoto backup & gallery
LicenseAGPL-3.0
StackTypeScript, Node.js
Min RAM4096 MB
Dockeryes
Difficulty
Our recommendation

Choose Immich if you want a genuine Google Photos replacement — fast mobile backup, face and object search, a real timeline — and you can give it a box with proper RAM (ideally a GPU for the machine-learning features). It moves fast: pin a version and read the release notes before every update.

What you need

  • Any VPS with at least 4096 MB of RAM
  • A domain you control — most self-hosted setups need HTTPS in front of them
  • About an afternoon — budget time for troubleshooting

Install with Docker Compose

Save this as compose.yml and run docker compose up -d:

# Immich — official compose + env template
wget -O docker-compose.yml https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/docker-compose.yml
wget -O .env https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/example.env
# set UPLOAD_LOCATION and DB_PASSWORD in .env, then:
docker compose up -d  #  →  http://SERVER_IP:2283
vps picksBest VPS for Immichbenchmarked quarterly · re-priced monthly

What you take on

Immich is superb, but it's pre-1.0 software holding your only copy of irreplaceable photos:

non-negotiableIt is still beta. Breaking changes ship regularly — pin an exact image tag, never latest, and read the release notes before you upgrade.
non-negotiableIt is not your backup. Immich manages your library, it doesn't protect it — keep a separate, off-box copy of the originals so a bad migration can never lose a photo.
non-negotiableMachine learning is hungry. Face and smart search want several GB of RAM and are far happier with a GPU; on a small VPS, expect to throttle or disable them.

An alternative to

Google Photos →

Head-to-head

PhotosJun 2026
Immich
vs
PhotoPrism

Phone-first backup vs. mature library organizer.

Read the verdict →

More in Photo backup & gallery

Photo backup & galleryPhotoPrism
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Common questions

How much RAM does Immich need?

Immich's listed minimum is 4 GB of RAM — the machine-learning features (face recognition, smart search, object detection) are the main driver of that requirement, more than the file storage itself.

Can I self-host Immich with Docker?

Yes — download the official docker-compose.yml and .env template, set UPLOAD_LOCATION and DB_PASSWORD, then run docker compose up -d to reach it on port 2283.

Is Immich a good Google Photos alternative?

Immich is built specifically to replace Google Photos: automatic mobile backup, a timeline view, and ML-powered search, while keeping every photo on hardware you own under the AGPL-3.0 license.

Is Immich stable enough for daily use?

Immich is still under active, fast-moving development (it's rated mid-difficulty to deploy), so expect frequent updates; back up your library before major version bumps as the project recommends.