Hydrus Network vs Immich Kiosk
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?
Hydrus Network
Self-hosted tag-based media organizer and image database
VS
Immich Kiosk
Lightweight slideshow for running on kiosk devices and browsers that
| Feature | Hydrus Network | Immich Kiosk |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | WTFPL | GPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Go |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,148 | ★ 1,622 |
| First released | 2011 | 2026 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Eagle | — |
Why pick each one
Choose Immich Kiosk if…
- Released under the GPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Active community (1.6k GitHub stars)
- Written in Go
Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrus Network or Immich Kiosk better?
Neither is universally better. Hydrus Network has the larger community, while Immich Kiosk is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hydrus Network and Immich Kiosk free and open-source?
Yes. Hydrus Network is licensed under WTFPL and Immich Kiosk under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hydrus Network and Immich Kiosk with Docker?
Hydrus Network: check the project docs for container support. Immich Kiosk: yes.