Immich

Audio & Video

Store mobile photos and videos on your own server and find them by people, places, and content.

Use with conditions

Official website Repository

Last updatedRelease 2026-09-28

Open source licenseAGPL-3.0

PlatformsLinux server (recommended) · Web · Android · iOS

DeploymentContainers / self-hosted

About this project

Immich is a self-hosted photo and video management system with a server, web interface, and mobile applications. Media from phones and other sources is uploaded to the server and organized for browsing. Its official feature matrix includes multiple users, duplicate detection, albums, and sharing, with management centered on stored media and associated metadata.

The mobile application can back up selected albums and upload in the background. Web tools handle uploading, browsing, and administration. Search features include metadata, objects, faces, and CLIP-based retrieval; maps, EXIF information, favorites, archives, and shared albums provide other ways to organize material. The official matrix distinguishes functionality available on mobile from that available on the web.

The Docker quick start requires at least 6 GB of memory and two CPU cores, with separate media and database storage locations. The first registered user becomes administrator, and mobile clients connect to that server. Built-in database backups contain metadata and user information, not the original photos and videos, which require separate backup copies.

Immich official repository README Immich Documentation — Quick start

Decision guide

Why it is worth a look

Automatic mobile-photo backup and shared albums in one application
First-party usage or installation documentation is available
A verifiable formal release record is available

Before you use it

The server requires at least 6 GB RAM; 8 GB is recommended
Version 3 restricts support for some older CPUs
Official guidance requires separate 3-2-1 photo and video backups
Do not place the database on a network share
Windows data volumes have additional restrictions

Manual setupHigh

With an AI agentModerate

DeploymentContainers / self-hosted

Additional requirements3 confirmed; others not verified

Confirm the Linux host, memory, storage, and independent backups; Confirmed requirements: Command line, Docker, An always-on device or service; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.

What it can do

Automatic mobile-photo backup
Shared albums
Face recognition and clustering
Search by content and metadata
Map browsing
Photo and video downloads

Who it fits

Good for

Households with many mobile photos; Users who already have a Linux server or NAS

Not a fit

Unwilling to maintain a self-hosted service and not considering hosting providers; Only accepting a workflow without checking permissions and data backups

Getting started

Confirm the Linux host, memory, storage, and independent backups
Install Docker Compose
Download the official Compose and environment files, then set paths and passwords
Start the service, install the mobile client, and select albums for backup

Alternatives to consider

What it takes

Getting startedModerate

Ongoing maintenanceHigh

Failure impactHigh

Knowledge neededModerate

Not selected for comparison.

Get help from an AI agent

DeploymentContainers / self-hosted

Additional requirements3 confirmed; others not verified

With an AI agentModerate

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  "project": "Immich",
  "decision": "Use with conditions",
  "purpose": "Store mobile photos and videos on your own server and find them by people, places, and content.",
  "repository": "https://github.com/immich-app/immich",
  "official_site": "https://immich.app/",
  "deploy_shape": "Containers / self-hosted",
  "additional_dependencies": "Confirm the Linux host, memory, storage, and independent backups; Confirmed requirements: Command line, Docker, An always-on device or service; Some requirements have not been verified. Check the official setup instructions.",
  "direct_setup": "High",
  "ai_assisted_setup": "Moderate",
  "operational_burden": "High",
  "operational_risk": "High",
  "knowledge_requirement": "Moderate",
  "license": "AGPL-3.0",
  "install_steps": [
    "Confirm the Linux host, memory, storage, and independent backups",
    "Install Docker Compose",
    "Download the official Compose and environment files, then set paths and passwords",
    "Start the service, install the mobile client, and select albums for backup"
  ],
  "good_for": "Households with many mobile photos; Users who already have a Linux server or NAS",
  "avoid_if": "Unwilling to maintain a self-hosted service and not considering hosting providers; Only accepting a workflow without checking permissions and data backups"
}