Hydrus Network vs Photonix
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
Photonix
Self-hosted photo gallery with face and location detection
| Feature | Hydrus Network | Photonix |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | WTFPL | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | Python | Python |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Medium |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 2,048 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,148 | ★ 1,954 |
| First released | 2011 | 2019 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Eagle | Google Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrus Network or Photonix better?
Neither is universally better. Hydrus Network has the larger community, while Photonix is simpler to set up (medium difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.
Are Hydrus Network and Photonix free and open-source?
Yes. Hydrus Network is licensed under WTFPL and Photonix under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hydrus Network and Photonix with Docker?
Hydrus Network: check the project docs for container support. Photonix: yes.