gallery-dl vs SPIS
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?
gallery-dl
Command-line tool to download image galleries from websites
VS
SPIS
A simple, lightweight and fast media server with decent mobile support
| Feature | gallery-dl | SPIS |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-2.0 | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Rust |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 19,143 | ★ 210 |
| First released | 2015 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Manual downloads | — |
Why pick each one
Choose SPIS if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in Rust
- Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
Frequently asked questions
Is gallery-dl or SPIS better?
gallery-dl is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SPIS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are gallery-dl and SPIS free and open-source?
Yes. gallery-dl is licensed under GPL-2.0 and SPIS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run gallery-dl and SPIS with Docker?
gallery-dl: check the project docs for container support. SPIS: yes.