Hydrus Network vs Nextcloud Photos

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?
FeatureHydrus NetworkNextcloud Photos
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseWTFPLAGPL-3.0
LanguagePythonJavaScript
Setup difficultyHardMedium
Min. RAM1,024 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentbare-metal, binary, sourcedocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 3,148★ 713
First released20112020
ReplacesGoogle Photos, EagleGoogle Photos, iCloud Photos

Why pick each one

Choose Hydrus Network if…

  • Extremely powerful tagging
  • Handles huge collections
Hydrus Network details

Choose Nextcloud Photos if…

  • Leverages existing Nextcloud
  • Official app
Nextcloud Photos details

Frequently asked questions

Is Hydrus Network or Nextcloud Photos better?

Neither is universally better. Hydrus Network has the larger community, while Nextcloud Photos is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Hydrus Network and Nextcloud Photos free and open-source?

Yes. Hydrus Network is licensed under WTFPL and Nextcloud Photos under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Hydrus Network and Nextcloud Photos with Docker?

Hydrus Network: check the project docs for container support. Nextcloud Photos: yes.

Related comparisons