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HomeGallery 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?
HO HomeGallery Self-hosted browsable photo and video gallery with similarity search VS ST Stingle API Server Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
FeatureHomeGalleryStingle API Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score72 · Good57 · Fair
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguageJavaScriptPHP
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 1,185★ 15
First released20202020
ReplacesGoogle PhotosGoogle Photos

What are HomeGallery and Stingle API Server?

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

Read the full HomeGallery 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

HomeGallery vs Stingle API Server: key differences

HomeGallery is written in JavaScript, while Stingle API Server is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for HomeGallery versus AGPL-3.0 for Stingle API Server. HomeGallery has the considerably larger community, at 1,185 GitHub stars versus 15.

Why pick each one

Choose HomeGallery if…

  • Fast browsing
  • Reads existing folders

Watch out for

  • Indexing can be slow
  • No upload from app
HomeGallery 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 HomeGallery or Stingle API Server better?

HomeGallery is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Stingle API Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are HomeGallery and Stingle API Server free and open-source?

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

Can I run HomeGallery and Stingle API Server with Docker?

HomeGallery: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.

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