Hydrus Network vs Immich
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
Immich
High-performance self-hosted photo and video backup
| Feature | Hydrus Network | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | ≈5-minute setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 100 · Excellent |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | WTFPL | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,211 | ★ 114,920 |
| First released | 2011 | 2022 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Eagle | Google Photos, iCloud Photos |
What are Hydrus Network and Immich?
Hydrus Network
Hydrus Network is a personal media management application that lets you import images and files, tag them, and search a private collection with a powerful tag system. It includes a client-server architecture so the database can be self-hosted and accessed remotely.
- Powerful tag-based search
- Client-server architecture
- Local-first media database
- Duplicate detection
Immich
Immich is a high-performance, self-hosted photo and video backup solution with mobile apps, AI search, and face recognition. It targets users wanting a private Google Photos alternative. It is deployed via Docker Compose.
- Automatic phone backup
- AI-powered search and face recognition
- Timeline and album views
- Multi-user with sharing
Hydrus Network vs Immich: key differences
Hydrus Network is written in Python, while Immich is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — WTFPL for Hydrus Network versus AGPL-3.0 for Immich. Hydrus Network is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Immich. Hydrus Network is the more established project (first released 2011), while Immich arrived in 2022. Immich has the considerably larger community, at 114,920 GitHub stars versus 3,211. Immich lists first-class Docker deployment; Hydrus Network does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Hydrus Network if…
- Extremely powerful tagging
- Handles huge collections
Watch out for
- Steep learning curve
- Complex interface
Choose Immich if…
- Excellent mobile apps
- Fast and feature-rich
- Very active development
Watch out for
- Resource intensive
- Breaking changes still occur
Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrus Network or Immich better?
Immich is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Hydrus Network if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Hydrus Network and Immich free and open-source?
Yes. Hydrus Network is licensed under WTFPL and Immich under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hydrus Network and Immich with Docker?
Hydrus Network: check the project docs for container support. Immich: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Hydrus Network or Immich?
Hydrus Network has the smaller minimum footprint at 1,024 MB of RAM, compared to about 2,048 MB for Immich. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.