HomeGallery 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 | HomeGallery | PiGallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 72 · Good | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 1,185 | ★ 2,283 |
| First released | 2020 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Photos | Google Photos |
What are HomeGallery and PiGallery2?
HomeGallery
HomeGallery is a self-hosted web gallery that indexes photos and videos and offers fast browsing, similarity search, and face detection. It builds an offline-capable database from your existing media folders.
- Similarity search
- Face detection
- Video support
- Offline-capable database
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
HomeGallery vs PiGallery2: key differences
HomeGallery is written in JavaScript, while PiGallery2 is built with TypeScript. PiGallery2 is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for HomeGallery. PiGallery2 is the more established project (first released 2016), while HomeGallery arrived in 2020.
Why pick each one
Choose HomeGallery if…
- Fast browsing
- Reads existing folders
Watch out for
- Indexing can be slow
- No upload from app
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 HomeGallery or PiGallery2 better?
PiGallery2 is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider HomeGallery if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are HomeGallery and PiGallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. HomeGallery is licensed under MIT and PiGallery2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run HomeGallery and PiGallery2 with Docker?
HomeGallery: yes. PiGallery2: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, HomeGallery or PiGallery2?
PiGallery2 has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for HomeGallery. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.