Damselfly Web vs Sigal
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 | Sigal |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | Python | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 128 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 700 | ★ 945 |
| First released | 2011 | 2012 |
| Replaces | Flickr, YouTube | Flickr |
What are Damselfly Web and Sigal?
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
Sigal
Sigal is a simple static gallery generator that builds a browsable photo and video website from a folder of images. The output is plain HTML and works with several themes.
- Static gallery generation
- Multiple themes
- Plugin system
- Video thumbnail support
Damselfly Web vs Sigal: key differences
Damselfly Web is written in Python, while Sigal is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Damselfly Web versus MIT for Sigal. Sigal is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Damselfly Web lists first-class Docker deployment; Sigal does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Damselfly Web if…
- Handles many media types
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Complex setup
- Slower development
Choose Sigal if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy to host
Watch out for
- No uploads or editing
- Static output only
Frequently asked questions
Is Damselfly Web or Sigal better?
Sigal 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 Sigal free and open-source?
Yes. Damselfly Web is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Sigal under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Damselfly Web and Sigal with Docker?
Damselfly Web: yes. Sigal: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Damselfly Web or Sigal?
Sigal has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Damselfly Web. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.