Google Photos has long been considered the gold standard of photo management. Its seamless backups, intelligent search, facial recognition, and polished mobile experience have set expectations so high that abandoning it often feels impractical, if not reckless. Yet, in a world increasingly shaped by subscription fatigue, data monetization, and opaque cloud policies, the appeal of self-hosting has never been stronger.
As someone deeply invested in self-hosted infrastructure, I’ve spent years migrating away from recurring cloud services in favor of local alternatives powered by my own hardware. Streaming, file storage, media libraries, and backups have all found new homes on my DIY NAS. But Google Photos remained stubbornly irreplaceable—until recently.
With the maturation of Immich, a self-hosted photo management platform inspired heavily by Google Photos, I finally reached a point where cutting the cord felt realistic. After months of testing, importing, configuring, and living with Immich as my primary photo library, I can confidently say this transition is no longer just for hobbyists—it’s viable for real households.
This is not a romanticized success story nor a blind endorsement. It’s an honest account of what works, what doesn’t, and who should seriously consider making the jump.
Why Leaving Google Photos Is So Hard
Google Photos succeeds because it solves several complex problems exceptionally well. It is effortless, deeply integrated into Android, fast across devices, and powered by some of the most advanced machine-learning models ever deployed at consumer scale. Search works even when you don’t remember filenames or dates. Sharing albums requires no technical explanation. Edits sync instantly. Memories resurface moments you forgot existed.
However, that convenience comes with trade-offs. Storage caps now enforce monthly fees. Image analysis happens in the cloud. Long-term access depends on account standing and policy changes outside your control. And while Google’s privacy policies are among the most transparent in Big Tech, the reality remains: your personal photo history exists on someone else’s servers.
For users with terabytes of local storage sitting idle, that imbalance becomes increasingly difficult to justify.
The Rise of Self-Hosted Photo Libraries
Self-hosted photo platforms are not new, but they have traditionally struggled with usability. Tools like PhotoPrism, Lychee, and Piwigo offer excellent archival control but often lack intuitive multi-user handling, polished mobile apps, or intelligent features that casual users expect.
Immich changes that equation.
Rather than positioning itself as a minimalist archive, Immich aims to recreate the Google Photos experience—locally. Its interface, interaction patterns, and feature priorities feel instantly familiar. Yet under the hood, it embraces a radically different philosophy: you own the data, the storage, the metadata, and the access rules.
Understanding Immich’s Architecture and Hosting Options
Immich is fundamentally a server-based application. Unlike desktop photo managers, it operates as a centralized service that multiple devices connect to. This design enables user separation, shared libraries, and synchronized backups—features often missing from simpler tools.
You can host Immich in several ways. A dedicated NAS is the most common choice, but a mini-PC, old laptop, or even a home server will work just as well. For those unwilling or unable to maintain local hardware, a VPS remains an option, though it reintroduces recurring costs and external exposure.
The project provides official deployment guides for Docker Compose, making installation surprisingly approachable for anyone familiar with containerized services. Prebuilt installers for popular NAS platforms further lower the barrier to entry.
Once deployed, Immich lives entirely on your network, operating independently of external cloud services.
Mobile Apps: The Deal-Breaker That Finally Works
Historically, mobile apps have been the Achilles’ heel of self-hosted photo solutions. Immich’s Android and iOS apps are where it truly distinguishes itself.
Automatic photo backups work reliably. Folder selection mirrors Google Photos. Data usage settings are respected. Sync resumes gracefully after network interruptions. And most importantly, the experience feels native rather than experimental.
Even when the server is offline, the app caches content and syncs once connectivity is restored. This makes offline-first usage entirely practical, particularly for users who choose not to expose their server to the public internet.
Multi-User Management Done Right
One of Immich’s most compelling strengths is its approach to multi-user households. Each user receives a fully isolated library by default, complete with individual quotas, locked folders, and privacy controls.
Yet isolation doesn’t mean fragmentation. Albums can be shared internally, entire libraries can be mirrored between trusted accounts, and collaborative uploads are supported. This model closely resembles Google’s partner-sharing system but offers far greater transparency and control.
From a system administration perspective, Immich’s dashboard provides clear insight into storage usage, media breakdowns, and growth trends. This is invaluable when managing finite disk capacity.
Search, Memories, and Machine Learning—Locally
Perhaps the most impressive achievement of Immich is its local machine-learning stack. Facial recognition, object detection, geolocation mapping, and memory generation all run on your hardware.
Search functionality extends beyond filenames and dates, allowing queries based on people, places, and general object categories. While not yet as refined as Google’s cloud-scale AI, the results are remarkably usable—and improving rapidly with each release.
Critically, this intelligence never leaves your server. There is no data upload, no third-party analysis, and no subscription tier unlocking “advanced” features.
What Immich Still Can’t Replace
Despite its strengths, Immich is not a complete Google Photos replacement. The most noticeable gap is photo editing. Basic tools exist on mobile, but advanced edits, AI enhancements, and desktop-based adjustments are currently absent.
For many users, this is a minor inconvenience—especially when phone-native editors or desktop tools already exist. But if Magic Editor-style workflows are central to your routine, Immich will feel incomplete.
Performance is another consideration. Initial imports and thumbnail generation are computationally intensive. On low-power NAS hardware, indexing large libraries can take days. This is not a flaw so much as a reality of local processing.
File Structure and Workflow Trade-Offs
Immich manages its own internal storage structure, separating originals, thumbnails, transcodes, and metadata. This approach simplifies user isolation but complicates external file manipulation.
Unlike archive-centric tools that monitor folders passively, Immich expects all changes to flow through its interface. Manual file edits outside the system are discouraged and can lead to inconsistencies.
For users accustomed to hybrid workflows—mixing camera imports, manual edits, and automated scans—this requires adjustment. While import tools and templates exist, Immich prioritizes internal consistency over filesystem flexibility.
Security, Privacy, and Exposure Considerations
Self-hosting always introduces responsibility. Opening Immich to the internet enables sharing and remote access but requires proper reverse proxies, SSL certificates, and update discipline.
For users unwilling to take on that risk, Immich functions perfectly well as a local-only service. In many ways, this reinforces its philosophy: convenience is optional; control is not.
So, Is Immich Worth It?
After extensive real-world use, the answer is yes—with caveats.
Immich successfully replaces the core experience of Google Photos for users who value ownership, privacy, and long-term control. It handles backups, browsing, sharing, and memories with a level of polish that was unthinkable for self-hosted tools just a few years ago.
It does not eliminate complexity, nor should it. Instead, it offers a sliding scale—from “set and forget” simplicity for family members to deep customization for administrators.
For anyone already running a NAS or home server, Immich is no longer an experiment. It’s a legitimate platform.
FAQs
- Is Immich safe for family use?
Yes, with proper user permissions and updates, it’s very safe. - Does Immich require internet access?
No, it works fully offline on local networks. - Can Immich fully replace Google Photos?
For storage and organization, yes. Editing features are still limited. - Is Immich free?
Yes, it’s open-source with optional support donations. - Does Immich support Android and iOS?
Yes, both platforms are officially supported. - How much hardware does Immich need?
A basic NAS works, but faster CPUs speed up indexing. - Can multiple users share albums?
Yes, with granular permissions. - Does Immich analyze photos in the cloud?
No, all AI processing is local. - Is it beginner-friendly?
Basic usage is simple; advanced setup requires learning. - Is Immich actively developed?
Yes, development is rapid and community-driven.