Immich vs LocalSend

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted apps from related categories — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
FeatureImmichLocalSend
CategoryPhoto ManagementFile Sync & Storage
LicenseAGPL-3.0MIT
LanguageTypeScriptDart
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM2,048 MB128 MB
Deploymentdockerbinary
GitHub stars★ 109,945★ 87,025
First released20222022
ReplacesGoogle Photos, iCloud PhotosAirDrop

Why pick each one

Choose Immich if…

  • Excellent mobile apps
  • Fast and feature-rich
  • Very active development
Immich details

Choose LocalSend if…

  • Released under the MIT license
  • Easy to set up — beginner-friendly
  • Mature project with 87k GitHub stars
  • Written in Dart
LocalSend details

Frequently asked questions

Is Immich or LocalSend better?

Neither is universally better. Immich has the larger community, while LocalSend is simpler to set up (easy difficulty). Choose based on the comparison table above and your own setup.

Are Immich and LocalSend free and open-source?

Yes. Immich is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and LocalSend under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Immich and LocalSend with Docker?

Immich: yes. LocalSend: check the project docs for container support.

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