Shotwell Server vs Ente Photos
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Not the right match-up?
Shotwell Server
Digital photo organizer with tagging and event grouping
VS
Ente Photos
End-to-end encrypted photo storage and backup
| Feature | Shotwell Server | Ente Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | LGPL-2.1 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Vala | Dart |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 256 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 400 | ★ 28,201 |
| First released | 2009 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Apple Photos | Google Photos, iCloud Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Shotwell Server or Ente Photos better?
Neither is universally better. Ente Photos has the larger community, while Shotwell Server is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Shotwell Server and Ente Photos free and open-source?
Yes. Shotwell Server is licensed under LGPL-2.1 and Ente Photos under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Shotwell Server and Ente Photos with Docker?
Shotwell Server: check the project docs for container support. Ente Photos: yes.