Chevereto vs Damselfly Web
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Chevereto
Self-hosted image hosting and sharing platform
VS
Damselfly Web
Server-based digital asset manager for large photo libraries
| Feature | Chevereto | Damselfly Web |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | Proprietary | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 995 | ★ 700 |
| First released | 2013 | 2011 |
| Replaces | Imgur, Flickr | Flickr, YouTube |
What are Chevereto and Damselfly Web?
Chevereto
Chevereto is a self-hosted image hosting platform for uploading, organizing, and sharing images with the public or privately. It targets users who want their own image-sharing site. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Image upload and sharing
- User accounts and albums
- API for integrations
- Moderation tools
Damselfly Web
MediaGoblin is a free software media publishing platform for hosting photos, video, audio, and more on your own server. It is decentralized, federated, and designed as an alternative to centralized media silos.
- Multi-media publishing
- Decentralized and federated
- Photo, video, and audio support
- Plugin system
Chevereto vs Damselfly Web: key differences
Chevereto is written in PHP, while Damselfly Web is built with Python. Licensing differs — Proprietary for Chevereto versus AGPL-3.0 for Damselfly Web. Chevereto is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Damselfly Web is the more established project (first released 2011), while Chevereto arrived in 2013.
Why pick each one
Choose Chevereto if…
- Good Imgur-style site
- Multi-user
- API available
Watch out for
- Paid for full version
- Not open source
Choose Damselfly Web if…
- Handles many media types
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Complex setup
- Slower development
Frequently asked questions
Is Chevereto or Damselfly Web better?
Chevereto is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Damselfly Web if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Chevereto and Damselfly Web free and open-source?
Yes. Chevereto is licensed under Proprietary and Damselfly Web under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Chevereto and Damselfly Web with Docker?
Chevereto: yes. Damselfly Web: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Chevereto or Damselfly Web?
Chevereto has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.