fgallery vs PiGallery2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PiGallery2
Fast directory-based photo gallery with search and maps
| Feature | fgallery | PiGallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 9 · At risk | 82 · Excellent |
| Status | Archived | Actively maintained |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 248 | ★ 2,283 |
| First released | 2013 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Flickr, Google Photos | Google Photos |
What are fgallery and PiGallery2?
fgallery
fgallery is a static photo gallery generator that produces a minimalist, self-contained HTML gallery from a folder of images. The generated gallery is fully static, privacy-respecting, and can be hosted on any web server.
- Minimalist static galleries
- Self-contained output
- Mobile friendly
- No tracking
PiGallery2
PiGallery2 is a fast, directory-driven photo gallery server that does not move or modify your files. It supports faces, geolocation maps, and a powerful search syntax with a lightweight footprint.
- Directory-based galleries
- Geolocation maps
- Powerful search syntax
- Read-only on your files
fgallery vs PiGallery2: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: fgallery's repository is archived and no longer developed, while PiGallery2 is actively maintained. Fgallery is written in JavaScript, while PiGallery2 is built with TypeScript. Fgallery is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 512 MB for PiGallery2. Fgallery is the more established project (first released 2013), while PiGallery2 arrived in 2016. PiGallery2 has the considerably larger community, at 2,283 GitHub stars versus 248. PiGallery2 lists first-class Docker deployment; fgallery does not.
Why pick each one
Choose fgallery if…
- Clean simple design
- Privacy respecting
Watch out for
- Command-line only
- Minimal features
Choose PiGallery2 if…
- Does not touch your files
- Runs well on a Raspberry Pi
Watch out for
- No editing features
- Limited multi-user support
Frequently asked questions
Is fgallery or PiGallery2 better?
Neither is universally better. PiGallery2 has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are fgallery and PiGallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. fgallery is licensed under MIT and PiGallery2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run fgallery and PiGallery2 with Docker?
fgallery: check the project docs for container support. PiGallery2: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, fgallery or PiGallery2?
fgallery has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for PiGallery2. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.