digiKam vs PiGallery2
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?
digiKam
Professional photo management with advanced metadata tools
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PiGallery2
Fast directory-based photo gallery with search and maps
| Feature | digiKam | PiGallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-2.0 | MIT |
| Language | C++ | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,200 | ★ 2,251 |
| First released | 2002 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Adobe Lightroom, Google Photos | Google Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is digiKam or PiGallery2 better?
PiGallery2 is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider digiKam if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are digiKam and PiGallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. digiKam is licensed under GPL-2.0 and PiGallery2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run digiKam and PiGallery2 with Docker?
digiKam: check the project docs for container support. PiGallery2: yes.