Audio & video
Why I built a separate project library with Immich
A separate home for my work photos and videos, and the awkward bits of building it: empty imports, missing albums, broken source files and a database recovery.
The full storyImmich: self-hosted photo and video management
Immich is a self-hosted photo and video library with mobile backup, timeline browsing and media management on a server under the operator's control.
ACCESS AND VALUE
Free open-source software under the AGPL-3.0 licence
How I use Immich
I run Immich on my own infrastructure for photo and video management, backed by separate storage and recovery checks.
What makes it different?
It brings mobile backup, timeline browsing and media search into a server you operate yourself.
Competitors
- Google Photos: Hosted photo backup and search
- PhotoPrism: Self-hosted photo management
Product source checked 2026-09-22.
Who it is for
A personally operated photo and video library with mobile backup.
Who can claim it?
The server and apps are publicly available. A supported server, storage and installation are required.
What the free software includes, and what costs extra
The operator is responsible for storage, updates and backups. The project states that Immich must not be the only copy of important photos and videos.
Billing and renewal
There is no recurring software charge; server, storage and backup costs remain separate.
- Tax basis
- Not applicable to the free software or plan
- Card required
- Provider’s signup terms
- Expiry
- No fixed availability end date is listed.
- Public research date
- 22 Sept 2026
- Source checked
- 22 Sept 2026