Immich
Depends
Confidence: Medium
Buy it if you already run a home server and want Google Photos features without Google.
Comparison
Immich vs Google Photos
Immich lands on Depends, and Google Photos lands on Worth it.
Google Photos
Worth it
Confidence: Medium
Buy if you want effortless backup, strong search, and AI editing and accept Google handling your library.
| Compare | Immich | Google Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Depends | Worth it |
| Best for | Homelabbers comfortable with Docker | Everyday phone photographers |
| Who it's not for | Non-technical users without a server | Privacy-conscious users who don't want Google scanning their library |
| Privacy | Multiple CVEs disclosed in 2025-2026 (auth bypass, XSS, privilege escalation, OAuth account hijacking); keep patched and limit internet exposure.10 | No vulnerabilities found for Google Photos itself; the CVEs in reviewed sources affect third-party WordPress plugins, not the product. |
| Support quality | Community-driven; managed hosting via Elestio exists | No evidence on support quality |
| Public sentiment | Self-hosters love it once running, but report setup friction, family-sharing headaches, and occasional reliability doubts.⁶ | Users praise the AI editing and search but increasingly complain about storage limits, privacy, and pushed AI features. |
| Biggest gotcha | Exposing Immich to the internet without VPN or firewall is the top attack vector users get burned on12 | Unlimited free storage ended June 1, 2021 . every upload since counts against 15GB shared with Gmail and Drive. |
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 Google Photos when
- Everyday phone photographers
- Android/Google households
- Casual AI photo editors
- Families sharing albums
When Google Photos is not a fit
- Privacy-conscious users who don't want Google scanning their library
- Anyone unwilling to pay once 15GB fills
- Pros needing RAW workflows or local archives
- People who want painless bulk export and an easy exit
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
review
- Google Photos . Apps on Google Play (4.4, 54M+ ratings)play.google.comreview