Nextcloud Photos vs PiGallery2
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted photo management options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
PiGallery2
Fast directory-based photo gallery with search and maps
| Feature | Nextcloud Photos | PiGallery2 |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 76 · Good | 82 · Excellent |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Medium | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 1,024 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 721 | ★ 2,283 |
| First released | 2020 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Google Photos, iCloud Photos | Google Photos |
What are Nextcloud Photos and PiGallery2?
Nextcloud Photos
Nextcloud Photos is the official photo management app for Nextcloud, offering a timeline view, albums, and tagging of images stored in your Nextcloud. It works alongside file sync to provide a self-hosted photo experience.
- Timeline photo view
- Albums and tagging
- Nextcloud integration
- Mobile auto-upload
PiGallery2
PiGallery2 is a fast, directory-driven photo gallery server that does not move or modify your files. It supports faces, geolocation maps, and a powerful search syntax with a lightweight footprint.
- Directory-based galleries
- Geolocation maps
- Powerful search syntax
- Read-only on your files
Nextcloud Photos vs PiGallery2: key differences
Nextcloud Photos is written in JavaScript, while PiGallery2 is built with TypeScript. Licensing differs — AGPL-3.0 for Nextcloud Photos versus MIT for PiGallery2. PiGallery2 is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Nextcloud Photos. PiGallery2 is the more established project (first released 2016), while Nextcloud Photos arrived in 2020. PiGallery2 has the considerably larger community, at 2,283 GitHub stars versus 721.
Why pick each one
Choose Nextcloud Photos if…
- Leverages existing Nextcloud
- Official app
Watch out for
- Requires Nextcloud
- Fewer AI features than Memories
Choose PiGallery2 if…
- Does not touch your files
- Runs well on a Raspberry Pi
Watch out for
- No editing features
- Limited multi-user support
Frequently asked questions
Is Nextcloud Photos or PiGallery2 better?
PiGallery2 is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Nextcloud Photos if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Nextcloud Photos and PiGallery2 free and open-source?
Yes. Nextcloud Photos is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and PiGallery2 under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Nextcloud Photos and PiGallery2 with Docker?
Nextcloud Photos: yes. PiGallery2: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Nextcloud Photos or PiGallery2?
PiGallery2 has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Nextcloud Photos. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.