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Photonix

photonix.org

Free plan WebiOSAndroidSelf-hosted
Visit photonix.org
Spec score 7.7 #26 of 37 in Photo Management Software

What it is

Photonix is an open-source photo manager for storing, presenting, searching and rediscovering collections through a web browser. It runs on Android, iOS, the web and a self-hosted server. Classifiers identify faces, objects, image styles, colors and locations so photos can be filtered in several ways. Face recognition groups faces across images, and people can label those groups without training a model. Photonix compares metadata to identify related versions, including RAW files, camera JPEGs and edits, and watches selected folders for changes made in Lightroom, Darktable or Photoshop without plugins. The maker says object detection and photo analysis run on the installed server, while account, metadata and app data remain on installation machines and chosen backups. Major RAW formats include CR2, NEF, DNG, ARW and RWL. Mobile apps require a Photonix server.

Spec sheet

Purpose
Photonix organizes photo collections for storing, presenting, searching and rediscovering photos through a web browser.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Audience
The maker describes Photonix as photo management software for professionals and says it is intended to fit into photographers’ existing editing workflows.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Mobile apps
Android and iPhone apps connect to a Photonix server and do not provide useful functionality without one.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Editing integrations
It watches user-selected folders for edits and says no plugins are needed to work with tools such as Lightroom, Darktable or Photoshop.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Face recognition
Face recognition groups detected faces across photos, and users can label people without training a model.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Local processing and data
The privacy policy says photo analysis runs on the installed server and account, metadata and app data stay on the installation machines and any chosen backups.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
No backup guarantee
The maker says Photonix alone cannot provide a backup when photos remain on the same hard drive, and recommends maintaining separate copies.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Object detection privacy
The maker says object detection runs within Photonix and does not share images externally.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Photo versions
Photonix compares photo metadata to identify related versions, including RAW files, camera JPEGs and edits.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
RAW support
The maker says Photonix reads major camera RAW formats including CR2, NEF, DNG, ARW and RWL.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Self-hosted deployment
The installation guide uses Docker Compose and provides an example for x86/amd64 and ARM32/ARM64, including Raspberry Pi.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Smart tagging
Its classifiers detect faces, objects, image styles, colors and locations for photo filtering.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Support and community
The maker describes Photonix as an open-source community project and points users to GitHub issues, chat discussions and documentation.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org
Video limitation
The FAQ says video support was not yet available and describes limited video support as planned.Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org

Plans and prices

Photonix Free Open-source photo manager; self-hosted server required Read 9 Oct 2026 · photonix.org

Every Photonix plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Open-source and free plan
  • Face, object, color and location filtering
  • Recognizes major camera RAW formats
  • Works with common editing folders
  • Runs analysis on the installed server

Limits

  • Mobile apps require a Photonix server
  • Cloud sync is not available
  • No backup guarantee on one hard drive
  • Video support was not yet available

Who it suits

It suits professionals and photographers who want self-hosted photo management that fits existing editing workflows. It also suits users wanting browser and mobile access with local analysis.

Verdict

Photonix combines self-hosted collection management, classifier-based search, face grouping and RAW version handling across web and mobile clients. Its server requirement, absent cloud sync and limited video support are important fit considerations.

Where Specifiction places it

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