Damselfly Web vs nanogallery2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Damselfly Web | nanogallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 64 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 791 |
| First released | 2011 | 2017 |
| Replaces | Flickr, YouTube | Flickr, SmugMug |
What are Damselfly Web and nanogallery2?
Damselfly Web
MediaGoblin is a free software media publishing platform for hosting photos, video, audio, and more on your own server. It is decentralized, federated, and designed as an alternative to centralized media silos.
- Multi-media publishing
- Decentralized and federated
- Photo, video, and audio support
- Plugin system
nanogallery2
nanogallery2 is an open-source JavaScript photo and video gallery library that builds responsive, touch-enabled galleries from images stored on your own server. It runs fully client-side and is self-hosted on any static web host.
- Responsive image galleries
- Touch and swipe support
- Lightbox display
- Multiple data sources
Damselfly Web vs nanogallery2: key differences
Damselfly Web is written in Python, while nanogallery2 is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Damselfly Web versus GPL-3.0 for nanogallery2. Nanogallery2 is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Damselfly Web is the more established project (first released 2011), while nanogallery2 arrived in 2017. Damselfly Web lists first-class Docker deployment; nanogallery2 does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Damselfly Web if…
- Handles many media types
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Complex setup
- Slower development
Choose nanogallery2 if…
- Fully client-side
- Easy to embed
Watch out for
- Library, not a full app
- No upload management
Frequently asked questions
Is Damselfly Web or nanogallery2 better?
nanogallery2 is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Damselfly Web if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Damselfly Web and nanogallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. Damselfly Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and nanogallery2 under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Damselfly Web and nanogallery2 with Docker?
Damselfly Web: yes. nanogallery2: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Damselfly Web or nanogallery2?
nanogallery2 has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.