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Ente Photos

ente.com

From $2.49/mo Free plan Open source WebWindowsmacOSLinuxiOSAndroid
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Spec score 9.4 #1 of 37 in Photo Management Software

What it is

Ente Photos is an end-to-end encrypted photo service for backing up and accessing images across devices. Its apps encrypt photos and metadata on the device before upload, and can back up new photos in the background. On-device AI recognizes faces and photo elements to support natural-language search. Users can revisit curated memories and share encrypted albums or browser links, with password and expiry options for links. Album owners can allow others to contribute photos, including people without an Ente account. Ente documents imports from Google Photos, Apple Photos, Amazon Photos, and local storage; its desktop app supports incremental export. The Free plan includes 10 GB and one replica. Paid plans start with Starter at $2.49 a month, which includes 50 GB. Paid subscribers can share storage with up to five family members, each with a private space. Ente says it stores three encrypted copies across providers and EU locations. It also says it cannot recover an account or data if a user loses both the password and recovery key while logged out of all devices.

Spec sheet

What it does
Ente Photos is an end-to-end encrypted cloud photo storage and sharing alternative to Google Photos and Apple Photos.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Purpose
Ente Photos is an end-to-end encrypted alternative to Google Photos and Apple Photos for backing up and accessing photos across devices.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Support
Ente says it offers human support through [email protected].Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Headquarters
United States of AmericaRead 23 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Founded
Ente says it began building as an open-source company in 2020.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Company
Ente says it began building an open-source company in 2020, funded by customer subscriptions; the About page does not state a headquarters.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Account recovery limit
If a user loses both their password and recovery key while logged out of all devices, Ente says it cannot recover the account or data.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
API availability
Ente says it does not currently provide a public API for third-party integrations.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Audits
Ente says Photos has undergone multiple security audits, including assessments by Cure53 with Symbolic Software and an audit on behalf of CERN.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Automatic backup
The apps back up new photos in the background after encrypting them on the device.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
CLI
The open-source CLI supports incremental exports, cron automation and NAS backups, but not two-way synchronization.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Collaboration
Album owners can let others add photos, including through a browser link for people without an Ente account.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Company size and headquarters
LinkedIn lists Ente as a privately held company headquartered in Dover, Delaware, with a stated size of 2–10 employees.Read 15 Oct 2026 · linkedin.com
Documentation and support
Help is offered through documentation, Discord, email support and GitHub issue reporting.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Encryption
Photos and metadata are encrypted on the user's device before upload, and Ente says it cannot view them.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Encryption algorithms
The security FAQ lists XChaCha20 and XSalsa20 encryption, Poly1305 authentication and Argon2id key derivation.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
End-to-end encryption
Photos, videos and metadata are encrypted on the device before upload so Ente says it cannot read them.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Export
The desktop app supports incremental export of a user's data.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Face recognition
Face detection and grouping run on the device.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Face recognition and search
On-device AI recognizes faces and key elements in photos to support natural-language search.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Family plans
A paid subscription can include up to five additional family members without an extra subscription charge, while each person keeps a private library.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Funding
Crunchbase lists one pre-seed funding round for Ente Technologies, Inc., with the amount obscured on the public page.Read 15 Oct 2026 · crunchbase.com
Guest view
Guest view lets someone browse selected photos or albums without access to the rest of the account or destructive actions.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Import and export
The desktop app imports libraries from Google Photos and Apple Photos, and exports can resume after interruption.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Imports
Ente documents importing libraries from Google Photos, Apple Photos, Amazon Photos, and local storage.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
Legal name
Google Play identifies the developer as Ente Technologies, Inc., with a Wilmington, Delaware address.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Licence
The main Ente repository is released under the GNU Affero General Public License version 3.0.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Limit: ecosystem size
MacSources noted that Ente has a smaller user base and ecosystem than Apple and Google services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macsources.com
Limit: HDR viewing
A Reddit user reported that the mobile app displayed HDR photos in SDR while the desktop and web apps handled HDR viewing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Limit: mobile editing
MacSources found the mobile editing tools less capable than the desktop and web editors.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macsources.com
Limit: pricing tiers
A Reddit user considered Ente pricier than Google Photos and wanted an intermediate 100 GB tier between 50 GB and 200 GB.Read 15 Oct 2026 · reddit.com
Memories
The service creates curated memories from trips, celebrations and everyday photos.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Natural-language search
On-device machine learning recognizes faces and photo elements for natural-language search.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Notable news: grant
Ente announced a $25,000 FLOSS/fund grant on December 5, 2025.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Original quality
Backups retain original photo and video quality and metadata without compression or resizing.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Praise: privacy and platforms
MacSources praised default end-to-end encryption, open source, automatic backup, family sharing and support across six operating-system categories plus web.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macsources.com
Praise: usability and pricing
MacSources rated the product 92% excellent and described its design, pricing and cross-platform experience favorably.Read 15 Oct 2026 · macsources.com
Rating on Apple App Store
4.7 out of 5 from 278 ratings.Read 15 Oct 2026 · apps.apple.com
Rating on Google Play
4.7 out of 5 from 2.78K reviews.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
Replication
Encrypted backups are stored in three locations, including an underground facility.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Security audits
Ente reports audits by Cure53, Symbolic Software and Fallible, including a CERN-sponsored Cure53 audit.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Self-hosting
The server and apps can be self-hosted with Docker; the quickstart runs API, web, PostgreSQL and MinIO services.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Sharing
Users can share end-to-end encrypted albums, invite collaborators and collect uploads through public links.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Storage redundancy
Ente says it stores three encrypted copies across three providers and three locations in the EU.Read 28 Sep 2026 · ente.com
System requirement
The macOS desktop app requires macOS 13.3 or newer.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Two-factor authentication
Supported account protections include TOTP, WebAuthn/FIDO2 security keys and passkeys.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Widgets
Widgets can show memories, albums and people.Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com

Plans and prices

Free Free free forever 10 GB · end-to-end encryption · automatic backups · on-device AI · album sharing · public links · 1 replica · 100 Locker items · community support Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Starter $2.49 a month $2.49/mo or $29.88/yr 50 GB · everything in free · family plan · human support · 3 replicas · 1000 Locker items Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Popular $4.99 a month $4.99/mo or $59.88/yr 200 GB · everything in free · family plan · human support · 3 replicas · 1000 Locker items Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Pro $9.99 a month $9.99/mo or $119.88/yr 1000 GB · everything in free · family plan · human support · 3 replicas · 1000 Locker items Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com
Pro+ $19.99 a month $19.99/mo or $239.88/yr 2000 GB · everything in free · family plan · human support · 3 replicas · 1000 Locker items Read 15 Oct 2026 · ente.com

Every Ente Photos plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Photos and metadata are encrypted before upload
  • On-device face recognition and natural-language search
  • Imports from Google Photos, Apple Photos, and Amazon Photos
  • Paid storage can be shared with up to five family members
  • Desktop app supports incremental export

Limits

  • Free plan includes 10 GB and one replica
  • Account recovery is not possible without password and recovery key
  • Three replicas are listed for paid plans

Who it suits

Ente Photos suits people who want encrypted photo backup across Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. Its sharing, family storage, imports, and desktop export options may suit households moving photo libraries between services.

Ente Photos in depth

Read the full write-up

Ente Photos is a cross-device photo library and backup service built around end-to-end encryption. It suits people who want searchable photos and sharing without giving the provider access to their library. Its strongest case is the combination of private backup and practical library tools; the trade-off is that account recovery depends on keeping your recovery key.

Overview

Photos and metadata are encrypted on your device before upload, and Ente says it cannot view them. New photos can back up automatically in the background, so the service is designed to keep a library current without a manual upload routine. Original-quality storage, RAW photo support, video backup, and cloud sync make it useful for more than a compressed photo archive.

Ente says it has undergone multiple security audits, including assessments by Cure53 with Symbolic Software and an audit on behalf of CERN. It also says it keeps three encrypted copies across three providers and three locations in the EU. These safeguards may appeal to privacy-conscious users, but they do not solve the service's strict recovery constraint: if you lose both your password and recovery key while logged out on all devices, Ente says your account and data cannot be recovered.

Key features

Search and discovery: On-device AI recognizes faces and key elements in photos, enabling face search and natural-language queries. That makes a large library easier to browse without sending the analysis off-device.

Memories: Ente curates stories from previous years for revisiting or sharing, adding a discovery feature to what could otherwise be a straightforward backup utility.

Sharing and collaboration: Users can share encrypted albums or browser links, with optional passwords and expiry. Album owners can also let others add photos, including people without Ente accounts through a browser link.

Library migration and export: Ente documents imports from Google Photos, Apple Photos, Amazon Photos, and local storage. Its desktop app supports incremental export, which is useful for moving an existing archive in and keeping a separate copy current.

Family storage: Paid subscribers can share storage with up to five family members, each with a separate private space. This provides shared capacity without merging everyone into one visible library.

Pricing

The free plan costs nothing and includes 10 GB, one replica, and 100 Locker items. It is a sensible way to try the service or back up a modest library, but the storage cap and single replica make it a limited long-term home for a growing collection.

Paid plans add three replicas, a family plan, human support, and 1,000 Locker items. Starter costs $2.49 a month, billed $2.49/mo or $29.88/yr, for 50 GB. Popular costs $4.99 a month, billed $4.99/mo or $59.88/yr, for 200 GB. Pro costs $9.99 a month, billed $9.99/mo or $119.88/yr, for 1000 GB. Pro+ costs $19.99 a month, billed $19.99/mo or $239.88/yr, for 2000 GB. Starter is the lower-cost fit for a small household library; Popular gives more room for a larger collection, while Pro and Pro+ are aimed at users whose original-quality photos and videos need substantially more space.

For the lowest paid price, Starter sacrifices capacity rather than the family and support features included in the higher tiers. The main decision is therefore how much storage your library needs: all paid tiers share the same stated replica count and Locker allowance.

Platforms

Ente Photos runs on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, the web, and Windows. That breadth makes it a practical option for a mixed-device household, with desktop access also supporting incremental exports.

Who it's for

Choose Ente if you want encrypted, original-quality photo and video backup across devices, but still value search, memories, shared albums, and a documented route for importing and exporting a library. Families can share paid storage while retaining separate private spaces. It is less suitable if you need an account provider to recover a lost password and recovery key, or if the free 10 GB allowance is too small and you do not want a paid plan.

Pros and cons

Pros: On-device encryption protects photos and metadata from provider access; face and natural-language search add useful discovery to a private archive; imports, incremental desktop export, and collaborative sharing cover important library tasks.

Cons: Losing both password and recovery key while logged out everywhere makes the account and data unrecoverable; the free plan has only 10 GB and one replica; families needing more than 50 GB must choose a higher paid tier.

Alternatives

Pick Lomorage if you want free software and are prepared to provide external storage; its free offering has no rate limit or account-number limitation. Piwigo is another option for readers who want a self-hosted service with all features, themes, and plugins on its free plan.

Amazon Photos offers 5 GB of shared photo and video storage for free, or an unlimited full-resolution photos benefit with Amazon Prime. PhotoStructure may suit users prioritizing portable libraries, duplicate grouping, metadata reading, and date recovery on its free Lite tier. Tonfotos offers a free lifetime license with full functionality but limits the number of people on photos.

Flickr is a different fit if 1,000 public photo and video uploads with ads are acceptable, or if you want its annual-billed Pro plan with unlimited uploads. Choose Google Photos if you prefer Google's photo service. Showfoto is a free, open-source alternative, but it has no database or image versioning.

The broader Photo Management Software, Photo Storage Services, Photo Backup Software, and Secure Cloud Storage directories can help compare options by category.

Verdict

Ente Photos is the right choice for people who want private, searchable photo backup across a mix of devices and can manage their own recovery credentials. Its strongest reason to choose it is that encryption is paired with import, export, search, and sharing rather than treated as the whole product. Look elsewhere if you need password-and-key recovery or want a free archive larger than 10 GB.

Verdict

Ente Photos pairs encrypted backup with search, sharing, and library import and export tools. The free plan includes 10 GB; users should keep their recovery key because losing it with their password can make data unrecoverable.

Where Specifiction places it

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