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Google Photos Takeout Helper vs Lychee

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?
GO Google Photos Takeout Helper Organizes Google Photos Takeout exports into a clean library VS LY Lychee Self-hosted photo management made easy
FeatureGoogle Photos Takeout HelperLychee
Deploy effortRead-the-docs projectUnder-an-hour setup
Health score22 · At risk89 · Excellent
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseApache-2.0MIT
LanguageDartPHP
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB512 MB
Deploymentbinary, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 5,915★ 4,303
First released20192012
ReplacesGoogle PhotosGoogle Photos, Flickr

What are Google Photos Takeout Helper and Lychee?

Google Photos Takeout Helper

Google Photos Takeout Helper is a command-line tool that processes a Google Photos Takeout archive and reconstructs a properly organized, metadata-correct photo library. It is widely used when migrating from Google Photos to self-hosted services like Immich.

  • Processes Google Takeout archives
  • Restores correct EXIF dates
  • Organizes into albums
  • Migration aid for self-hosting

Read the full Google Photos Takeout Helper guide →

Lychee

Lychee is a self-hosted photo management tool focused on simple, attractive galleries with quick uploads and sharing. It targets users who want a straightforward photo gallery. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.

  • Clean photo galleries
  • Quick upload and sharing
  • Albums and tags
  • EXIF metadata display

Read the full Lychee guide →

Google Photos Takeout Helper vs Lychee: key differences

Google Photos Takeout Helper is written in Dart, while Lychee is built with PHP. Licensing differs — Apache-2.0 for Google Photos Takeout Helper versus MIT for Lychee. Google Photos Takeout Helper is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Lychee. Lychee is the more established project (first released 2012), while Google Photos Takeout Helper arrived in 2019. Lychee lists first-class Docker deployment; Google Photos Takeout Helper does not.

Why pick each one

Choose Google Photos Takeout Helper if…

  • Essential for migration
  • Actively maintained

Watch out for

  • One-time use tool
  • Command-line oriented
Google Photos Takeout Helper details

Choose Lychee if…

  • Simple and attractive
  • Easy to host
  • Lightweight

Watch out for

  • No AI features
  • Basic search
Lychee details

Frequently asked questions

Is Google Photos Takeout Helper or Lychee better?

Neither is universally better. Google Photos Takeout Helper has the larger community, while Lychee is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Google Photos Takeout Helper and Lychee free and open-source?

Yes. Google Photos Takeout Helper is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Lychee under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Google Photos Takeout Helper and Lychee with Docker?

Google Photos Takeout Helper: check the project docs for container support. Lychee: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, Google Photos Takeout Helper or Lychee?

Google Photos Takeout Helper has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Lychee. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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