Damselfly vs PiGallery2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PiGallery2
Fast directory-based photo gallery with search and maps
| Feature | Damselfly | PiGallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 80 · Excellent | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | C# | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,787 | ★ 2,283 |
| First released | 2020 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Photos | Google Photos |
What are Damselfly and PiGallery2?
Damselfly
Damselfly is a server-based digital asset manager designed to index and search very large photo collections quickly. It targets photographers with huge archives. It is deployed via Docker.
- Fast search of large libraries
- Face and object recognition
- Keyword tagging and export
- Works with existing folders
PiGallery2
PiGallery2 is a fast, directory-driven photo gallery server that does not move or modify your files. It supports faces, geolocation maps, and a powerful search syntax with a lightweight footprint.
- Directory-based galleries
- Geolocation maps
- Powerful search syntax
- Read-only on your files
Damselfly vs PiGallery2: key differences
Damselfly is written in C#, while PiGallery2 is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Damselfly versus MIT for PiGallery2. PiGallery2 is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Damselfly. PiGallery2 is the more established project (first released 2016), while Damselfly arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose Damselfly if…
- Handles huge archives
- Non-destructive indexing
- Good search
Watch out for
- Niche tool
- Smaller community
Choose PiGallery2 if…
- Does not touch your files
- Runs well on a Raspberry Pi
Watch out for
- No editing features
- Limited multi-user support
Frequently asked questions
Is Damselfly or PiGallery2 better?
PiGallery2 is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Damselfly if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Damselfly and PiGallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. Damselfly is licensed under GPL-3.0 and PiGallery2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Damselfly and PiGallery2 with Docker?
Damselfly: yes. PiGallery2: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Damselfly or PiGallery2?
PiGallery2 has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Damselfly. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.