Immich vs Stingle API Server
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
VS
Stingle API Server
Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
| Feature | Immich | Stingle API Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 2,048 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 114,920 | ★ 15 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, iCloud Photos | Google Photos |
What are Immich and Stingle API Server?
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
Stingle API Server
Stingle API Server is the self-hostable PHP backend for Stingle Photos, an end-to-end encrypted photo and video backup app. Running your own server lets the Stingle mobile clients back up encrypted media to infrastructure you control.
- End-to-end encrypted photos
- Self-hostable API server
- Stingle mobile clients
- Private backup
Immich vs Stingle API Server: key differences
Immich is written in TypeScript, while Stingle API Server is built with PHP. Stingle API Server is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for Immich. Stingle API Server is the more established project (first released 2020), while Immich arrived in 2022. Immich has the considerably larger community, at 114,920 GitHub stars versus 15.
Why pick each one
Choose Immich if…
- Excellent mobile apps
- Fast and feature-rich
- Very active development
Watch out for
- Resource intensive
- Breaking changes still occur
Choose Stingle API Server if…
- Released under the AGPL-3.0 license
- First-class Docker support for quick deployment
- Written in PHP
Watch out for
- Setup is involved
- Smaller ecosystem
Frequently asked questions
Is Immich or Stingle API Server better?
Immich is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler medium setup. Consider Stingle API Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Immich and Stingle API Server free and open-source?
Yes. Immich is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and Stingle API Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Immich and Stingle API Server with Docker?
Immich: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Immich or Stingle API Server?
Stingle API Server 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.