Hydrus Network vs Piwigo
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
Piwigo
Open-source photo gallery for the web
| Feature | Hydrus Network | Piwigo |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | WTFPL | GPL-2.0 |
| Language | Python | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Hard | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, binary, source | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,148 | ★ 3,836 |
| First released | 2011 | 2002 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Eagle | Flickr, Google Photos |
Why pick each one
Frequently asked questions
Is Hydrus Network or Piwigo better?
Piwigo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Hydrus Network if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Hydrus Network and Piwigo free and open-source?
Yes. Hydrus Network is licensed under WTFPL and Piwigo under GPL-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Hydrus Network and Piwigo with Docker?
Hydrus Network: check the project docs for container support. Piwigo: yes.