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LibrePhotos 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.

Not the right match-up?
LibrePhotos Self-hosted smart photo management VS ST Stingle API Server Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
FeatureLibrePhotosStingle API Server
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score92 · Excellent57 · Fair
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseMITAGPL-3.0
LanguagePythonPHP
Setup difficultyMediumHard
Min. RAM2,048 MB1,024 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker, bare-metal
GitHub stars★ 8,083★ 15
First released20202020
ReplacesGoogle PhotosGoogle Photos

What are LibrePhotos and Stingle API Server?

LibrePhotos

LibrePhotos is a self-hosted photo management service with face recognition, object detection, and automatic albums. It targets users wanting an open Google Photos alternative. It is deployed via Docker.

  • Face and object recognition
  • Automatic event albums
  • Map of photo locations
  • Multi-user support

Read the full LibrePhotos guide →

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

LibrePhotos vs Stingle API Server: key differences

LibrePhotos is written in Python, while Stingle API Server is built with PHP. Licensing differs — MIT for LibrePhotos versus AGPL-3.0 for Stingle API Server. Stingle API Server is the lighter option, starting around 1,024 MB of RAM against 2,048 MB for LibrePhotos. LibrePhotos has the considerably larger community, at 8,083 GitHub stars versus 15.

Why pick each one

Choose LibrePhotos if…

  • Smart organization features
  • Permissive license
  • Privacy-friendly

Watch out for

  • Heavy on resources
  • Setup can be fiddly
LibrePhotos details

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
Stingle API Server details

Frequently asked questions

Is LibrePhotos or Stingle API Server better?

LibrePhotos 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 LibrePhotos and Stingle API Server free and open-source?

Yes. LibrePhotos is licensed under MIT and Stingle API Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run LibrePhotos and Stingle API Server with Docker?

LibrePhotos: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.

Which is lighter on resources, LibrePhotos 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 LibrePhotos. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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