Immich
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if you already run a home server and want Google Photos features without Google.
Comparison
Immich vs PhotoPrism
Immich and PhotoPrism both land on Depends.
PhotoPrism
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you're technical, privacy-focused, and want your library on your own hardware.
| Compare | Immich | PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Depends |
| Best for | Homelabbers comfortable with Docker | Privacy-focused self-hosters |
| Who it's not for | Non-technical users without a server | Non-technical users wanting one-click setup |
| Privacy | Multiple CVEs disclosed in 2025-2026 (auth bypass, XSS, privilege escalation, OAuth account hijacking); keep patched and limit internet exposure.10 | Two 2026 auth-bypass CVEs found; update to the latest build before any public exposure. |
| Support quality | Community-driven; managed hosting via Elestio exists | Community support free; dedicated support paid |
| Public sentiment | Self-hosters love it once running, but report setup friction, family-sharing headaches, and occasional reliability doubts.⁶ | Users praise PhotoPrism's AI organization and maturity but commonly gripe about mobile app support and the paid membership model. |
| Biggest gotcha | Exposing Immich to the internet without VPN or firewall is the top attack vector users get burned on12 | Run the latest build: two 2026 auth-bypass CVEs hit older versions; never expose unpatched instances publicly. |
Pick Immich when
- Homelabbers comfortable with Docker
- Privacy-focused families leaving Google Photos
- Photo hoarders with local storage
- Self-hosting communities and resellers
When Immich is not a fit
- Non-technical users without a server
- Anyone wanting zero-maintenance backup
- Buyers needing vendor SLAs or support contracts
- Families who resent fiddling with permissions
Pick PhotoPrism when
- Privacy-focused self-hosters
- Large libraries (tens of thousands of photos)
- Google Photos refugees
- Homelab and NAS owners
When PhotoPrism is not a fit
- Non-technical users wanting one-click setup
- Phone-first users needing an official mobile backup app
- Buyers expecting everything free . key features are paid
- Anyone unwilling to run and patch a server
Sources
- Immich official siteimmich.appofficial
- Immich purchase pagebuy.immich.appofficial
official
- Immich joins FUTOimmich.appnews
review
- Immich great...until it isn'treddit.comreview
review
review
- CVE-2026-59258: Immich Auth Bypass Vulnerabilitysentinelone.comsecurity
- PhotoPrism Pricing & Editionsphotoprism.appofficial
- PhotoPrism Featuresphotoprism.appofficial
- PhotoPrism Membership FAQphotoprism.appofficial
- PhotoPrism on G2g2.comreview