Piwigo 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.
Piwigo
Open-source photo gallery for the web
VS
Stingle API Server
Self-hostable backend for the Stingle encrypted photo apps
| Feature | Piwigo | Stingle API Server |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Under-an-hour setup | Under-an-hour setup |
| Health score | 87 · Excellent | 57 · Fair |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | GPL-2.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Language | PHP | PHP |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Hard |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 1,024 MB |
| Deployment | docker, bare-metal | docker, bare-metal |
| GitHub stars | ★ 3,862 | ★ 15 |
| First released | 2002 | 2020 |
| Replaces | Flickr, Google Photos | Google Photos |
What are Piwigo and Stingle API Server?
Piwigo
Piwigo is a mature open-source photo gallery application for organizing, sharing, and showcasing photo collections. It targets photographers and organizations managing large galleries. It is deployed via Docker or a PHP stack.
- Large gallery management
- Plugin and theme ecosystem
- Granular access control
- Upload from desktop and mobile
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
Piwigo vs Stingle API Server: key differences
Both projects are written in PHP. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Piwigo versus AGPL-3.0 for Stingle API Server. Piwigo is the lighter option, starting around 512 MB of RAM against 1,024 MB for Stingle API Server. Piwigo is the more established project (first released 2002), while Stingle API Server arrived in 2020. Piwigo has the considerably larger community, at 3,862 GitHub stars versus 15.
Why pick each one
Choose Piwigo if…
- Very mature and stable
- Extensible
- Good for big collections
Watch out for
- Interface feels classic
- No modern AI search
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 Piwigo or Stingle API Server better?
Piwigo is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Stingle API Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.
Are Piwigo and Stingle API Server free and open-source?
Yes. Piwigo is licensed under GPL-2.0 and Stingle API Server under AGPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Piwigo and Stingle API Server with Docker?
Piwigo: yes. Stingle API Server: yes.
Which is lighter on resources, Piwigo or Stingle API Server?
Piwigo has the smaller minimum footprint at 512 MB of RAM, compared to about 1,024 MB for Stingle API Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.