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Damselfly vs Stingle API 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?
DA Damselfly Server-based photo management for large libraries VS ST Stingle API Server Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
FeatureDamselflyStingle API Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score80 · Excellent57 · Fair
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageC#PHP
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,787★ 15
First released20202020
ReplacesGoogle PhotosGoogle Photos

What are Damselfly and Stingle API Server?

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

Read the full Damselfly guide →

Stingle API Server

Stingle API Server is the self-hostable PHP backend for Stingle Photos, an end-to-end encrypted photo and video backup app. Running your own server lets the Stingle mobile clients back up encrypted media to infrastructure you control.

  • End-to-end encrypted photos
  • Self-hostable API server
  • Stingle mobile clients
  • Private backup

Damselfly vs Stingle API Server: key differences

Damselfly is written in C#, while Stingle API Server is built with PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for Damselfly versus AGPL-3.0 for Stingle API Server. Damselfly has the considerably larger community, at 1,787 GitHub stars versus 15.

Why pick each one

Choose Damselfly if…

  • Handles huge archives
  • Non-destructive indexing
  • Good search

Watch out for

  • Niche tool
  • Smaller community
Damselfly details

Choose Stingle API Server if…

  • Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in PHP

Watch out for

  • Setup is involved
  • Smaller ecosystem
Stingle API Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is Damselfly or Stingle API Server better?

Damselfly is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Stingle API Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Damselfly and Stingle API Server free and open-source?

Yes. Damselfly is licensed under GPL-3.0 and Stingle API Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Damselfly and Stingle API Server with Docker?

Damselfly: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.

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