Damselfly vs PhotoPrism
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
PhotoPrism
AI-powered photo app for the decentralized web
| Feature | Damselfly | PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | C# | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,781 | ★ 40,046 |
| First released | 2020 | 2018 |
| Replaces | Google Photos | Google Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Damselfly or PhotoPrism better?
Neither is universally better. PhotoPrism has the larger community; both share a medium setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Damselfly and PhotoPrism free and open-source?
Yes. Damselfly is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PhotoPrism under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Damselfly and PhotoPrism with Docker?
Damselfly: yes. PhotoPrism: yes.