nanogallery2 vs thumbsup
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | nanogallery2 | thumbsup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 12 · At risk | 56 · Fair |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 64 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal, source | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 791 | ★ 865 |
| First released | 2017 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Flickr, SmugMug | Google Photos, Flickr |
What are nanogallery2 and thumbsup?
nanogallery2
nanogallery2 is an open-source JavaScript photo and video gallery library that builds responsive, touch-enabled galleries from images stored on your own server. It runs fully client-side and is self-hosted on any static web host.
- Responsive image galleries
- Touch and swipe support
- Lightbox display
- Multiple data sources
thumbsup
thumbsup is a tool that builds a static HTML gallery from your photos and videos, requiring no server-side runtime. The generated site can be hosted anywhere and includes thumbnails, albums, and metadata.
- Static gallery generation
- No server runtime needed
- Thumbnails and albums
- Host anywhere
nanogallery2 vs thumbsup: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-3.0 for nanogallery2 versus MIT for thumbsup. Nanogallery2 is the lighter option, starting around 64 MB of RAM against 256 MB for thumbsup.
Why pick each one
Choose nanogallery2 if…
- Fully client-side
- Easy to embed
Watch out for
- Library, not a full app
- No upload management
Choose thumbsup if…
- Extremely portable output
- No database
Watch out for
- No live uploads
- Regenerate to update
Frequently asked questions
Is nanogallery2 or thumbsup better?
Neither is universally better. thumbsup has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are nanogallery2 and thumbsup free and open-source?
Yes. nanogallery2 is licensed under GPL-3.0 and thumbsup under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run nanogallery2 and thumbsup with Docker?
nanogallery2: check the project docs for container support. thumbsup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, nanogallery2 or thumbsup?
nanogallery2 has the smaller minimum footprint at 64 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for thumbsup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.