SHSelfHostIndex

Photoview vs SPIS

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?
PH Photoview Simple photo gallery for personal servers VS SP SPIS A simple, lightweight and fast media server with decent mobile support
FeaturePhotoviewSPIS
CategoryPhoto ManagementPhoto Management
LicenseAGPL-3.0GPL-3.0
LanguageGoRust
Setup difficultyEasyMedium
Min. RAM512 MB512 MB
Deploymentdockerdocker
GitHub stars★ 6,496★ 210
First released20192026
ReplacesGoogle Photos—

Why pick each one

Choose Photoview if…

  • Uses your folder structure
  • Lightweight
  • Easy setup
Photoview details

Choose SPIS if…

  • Released under the GPL-3.0 license
  • First-class Docker support for quick deployment
  • Written in Rust
  • Lightweight — runs in 512 MB RAM
SPIS details

Frequently asked questions

Is Photoview or SPIS better?

Photoview is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider SPIS if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Photoview and SPIS free and open-source?

Yes. Photoview is licensed under AGPL-3.0 and SPIS under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Photoview and SPIS with Docker?

Photoview: yes. SPIS: yes.

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