Damselfly vs Shotwell Server
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?
Damselfly
Server-based photo management for large libraries
VS
Shotwell Server
Digital photo organizer with tagging and event grouping
| Feature | Damselfly | Shotwell Server |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | C# | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,781 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2020 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Google Photos | Google Photos, Apple Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Damselfly or Shotwell Server better?
Neither is universally better. Damselfly 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 Damselfly and Shotwell Server free and open-source?
Yes. Damselfly is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Shotwell Server under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Damselfly and Shotwell Server with Docker?
Damselfly: yes. Shotwell Server: check the project docs for container support.