Lychee vs Shotwell Server
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Lychee | Shotwell Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | MIT | LGPL-2.1 |
| Language | PHP | Vala |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 4,303 | ★ 400 |
| First released | 2012 | 2009 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, Flickr | Google Photos, Apple Photos |
What are Lychee and Shotwell Server?
Lychee
Lychee is a self-hosted photo management tool focused on simple, attractive galleries with quick uploads and sharing. It targets users who want a straightforward photo gallery. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Clean photo galleries
- Quick upload and sharing
- Albums and tags
- EXIF metadata display
Shotwell Server
Shotwell is a digital photo organizer that imports, tags, rates, and lightly edits photos, grouping them automatically by event. While desktop-focused, its library folders can be shared and backed up centrally.
- Event-based grouping
- Tagging and ratings
- Basic editing tools
- Direct import from cameras
Lychee vs Shotwell Server: key differences
Lychee is written in PHP, while Shotwell Server is built with Vala. Licensing differs — MIT for Lychee versus LGPL-2.1 for Shotwell Server. Shotwell Server is the lighter option, starting around 256 MB of RAM against 512 MB for Lychee. Shotwell Server is the more established project (first released 2009), while Lychee arrived in 2012. Lychee has the considerably larger community, at 4,303 GitHub stars versus 400. Lychee lists first-class Docker deployment; Shotwell Server does not.
Why pick each one
Choose Lychee if…
- Simple and attractive
- Easy to host
- Lightweight
Watch out for
- No AI features
- Basic search
Choose Shotwell Server if…
- Fast and stable
- No accounts
Watch out for
- Desktop only
- No web interface
Frequently asked questions
Is Lychee or Shotwell Server better?
Neither is universally better. Lychee has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Lychee and Shotwell Server free and open-source?
Yes. Lychee is licensed under MIT and Shotwell Server under LGPL-2.1. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Lychee and Shotwell Server with Docker?
Lychee: yes. Shotwell Server: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Lychee or Shotwell Server?
Shotwell Server has the smaller minimum footprint at 256 MB of RAM, compared to about 512 MB for Lychee. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.