Sigal 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 | Sigal | thumbsup |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 78 · Good | 56 · Fair |
| Category | Photo Management | Photo Management |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Language | JavaScript | JavaScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 128 MB | 256 MB |
| Deployment | bare-metal | bare-metal, binary |
| GitHub stars | ★ 945 | ★ 865 |
| First released | 2012 | 2016 |
| Replaces | Flickr | Google Photos, Flickr |
What are Sigal and thumbsup?
Sigal
Sigal is a simple static gallery generator that builds a browsable photo and video website from a folder of images. The output is plain HTML and works with several themes.
- Static gallery generation
- Multiple themes
- Plugin system
- Video thumbnail support
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
Sigal vs thumbsup: key differences
Both projects are written in JavaScript. Sigal is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for thumbsup. Sigal is the more established project (first released 2012), while thumbsup arrived in 2016.
Why pick each one
Choose Sigal if…
- Very lightweight
- Easy to host
Watch out for
- No uploads or editing
- Static output only
Choose thumbsup if…
- Extremely portable output
- No database
Watch out for
- No live uploads
- Regenerate to update
Frequently asked questions
Is Sigal or thumbsup better?
Neither is universally better. Sigal has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Sigal and thumbsup free and open-source?
Yes. Sigal is licensed under MIT and thumbsup under MIT. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Sigal and thumbsup with Docker?
Sigal: check the project docs for container support. thumbsup: check the project docs for container support.
Which is lighter on resources, Sigal or thumbsup?
Sigal has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for thumbsup. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.