Memories 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.
Memories
Photo management app for Nextcloud with timeline and AI
VS
Stingle API Server
Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
| Feature | Memories | Stingle API Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 88 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,843 | ★ 15 |
| First released | 2022 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, iCloud Photos | Google Photos |
What are Memories and Stingle API Server?
Memories
Memories is a photo and video management application that runs as a Nextcloud app, offering a fast timeline view of your media. It supports face recognition, maps, albums, and metadata-aware search.
- Fast timeline view
- Face recognition and maps
- Albums and tagging
- Nextcloud integration
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
Memories vs Stingle API Server: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Stingle API Server is the more established project (first released 2020), while Memories arrived in 2022. Memories has the considerably larger community, at 3,843 GitHub stars versus 15.
Why pick each one
Choose Memories if…
- Leverages existing Nextcloud
- Polished mobile experience
Watch out for
- Requires Nextcloud
- AI features need extra setup
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 Memories or Stingle API Server better?
Memories 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 Memories and Stingle API Server free and open-source?
Yes. Memories 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 Memories and Stingle API Server with Docker?
Memories: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.