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Ente Photos 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?
Ente Photos End-to-end encrypted photo storage and backup VS ST Stingle API Server Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
FeatureEnte PhotosStingle API Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score98 · Excellent57 · Fair
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseAGPL-3.0AGPL-3.0
LanguageDartPHP
Setup difficultyHardHard
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 29,050★ 15
First released20222020
ReplacesGoogle Photos, iCloud PhotosGoogle Photos

What are Ente Photos and Stingle API Server?

Ente Photos

Ente is an end-to-end encrypted photo storage and backup service with apps across platforms and a self-hostable server. It targets privacy-focused users wanting encrypted photo backup. It is deployed via Docker.

  • End-to-end encryption
  • Apps for all platforms
  • Self-hostable server
  • Family sharing

Read the full Ente Photos 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

Ente Photos vs Stingle API Server: key differences

Ente Photos is written in Dart, while Stingle API Server is built with PHP. Stingle API Server is the more established project (first released 2020), while Ente Photos arrived in 2022. Ente Photos has the considerably larger community, at 29,050 GitHub stars versus 15.

Why pick each one

Choose Ente Photos if…

  • Strong encryption
  • Polished apps
  • Privacy-first

Watch out for

  • Self-hosting is advanced
  • Server setup nontrivial
Ente Photos 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 Ente Photos or Stingle API Server better?

Neither is universally better. Ente Photos has the larger community; both share a hard setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.

Are Ente Photos and Stingle API Server free and open-source?

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

Can I run Ente Photos and Stingle API Server with Docker?

Ente Photos: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.

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