Danbooru vs Photonix
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?
Danbooru
Self-hostable tag-based image board and gallery
VS
Photonix
Self-hosted photo gallery with face and location detection
| Feature | Danbooru | Photonix |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | MIT | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Ruby | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | docker, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 2,776 | ★ 1,954 |
| First released | 2005 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Pinterest, Eagle | Google Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Danbooru or Photonix better?
Neither is universally better. Danbooru has the larger community, while Photonix is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Danbooru and Photonix free and open-source?
Yes. Danbooru is licensed under MIT and Photonix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Danbooru and Photonix with Docker?
Danbooru: yes. Photonix: yes.