Google Photos vs PhotoPrism
Google Photos
google.com
PhotoPrism
photoprism.appSide by side
| Figure | Google Photos | PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 7 |
| Spec score · Photo Storage Services | 9.3 (#4) | 8.3 (#16) |
| Spec score · Photo Management Software | 9.3 (#3) | 8.4 (#9) |
| AI organization | Google Photos automatically groups similar images with Photo Stacks and sorts documents such as screenshots, receipts and notes into albums. | It automatically classifies pictures by content and location and recognizes faces. |
| Integrations | Google Photos lists camera and digitization partners including Canon and Photomyne, print partners including Walgreens and Shutterfly, and TV platforms including Google TV and Samsung. | PhotoSync can back up iOS and Android phones, while WebDAV clients such as Windows Explorer and Finder can connect to PhotoPrism. |
| Privacy | Google says Photos does not sell users’ photos, videos, or personal information and does not use their photos and videos for advertising. | PhotoPrism says it will not sell user data or share it with Google, Amazon, Microsoft, or Apple unless users intentionally upload files to those services. |
| Product | Google Photos provides tools to edit, organize, search, back up, and share photos and videos. | PhotoPrism is an AI-powered app for browsing, organizing, and sharing photos and videos, available self-hosted or in the cloud. |
| Security | Google says Photos data is protected with HTTPS encryption in transit and encryption at rest. | The editions comparison lists two-factor login, app passwords, client credentials, session monitoring, and hardened security for Plus. |
| Sharing | Users can share photos, videos and albums with contacts who do not use Google Photos, including through WhatsApp, Snapchat and shareable links. | Users can share albums with secret links that can optionally expire, without recipients installing an app or registering. |
Plans
Google Photos
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google AI Pro$19.99 a month
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google One Basic (100 GB)¥290 a month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)¥1,450 a month
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)¥2,900 a month
PhotoPrism
- CommunityFree
- Essentials€2 a year
- Plus€6 a year
- PikaPods$6.50 a month
- Starter€79 a month
- Business€219 a month
- Enterprise€1,499 a month
In their own words
Google Photos
Google Photos is a service for editing, organizing, searching, backing up, and sharing photos and videos. It runs on Android, iOS, and the web. A Google Account includes 15 GB shared among Photos, Gmail, and Drive at no cost; Original quality backups use that storage. Users can back up media automatically or manually, and share photos, videos, and albums with people who do not use Google Photos. The app lists AI editing tools including Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. It supports full-resolution RAW image backup and cloud storage for 4K video. Google lists paid monthly plans including Basic at $1.99 a month for 100 GB, Google AI Plus at $9.99 a month for 2 TB, and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month for 5 TB; each allows up to five additional people. The natural-language search example is limited to eligible US users aged 18 or older who meet specified language and settings requirements. Google says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and users can delete or export their content.
PhotoPrism
PhotoPrism is a photo and video manager for browsing, organizing, and sharing collections, available in the cloud or self-hosted. It classifies images by content and location and recognizes faces; combined search filters and six high-resolution world maps help users explore them. The app indexes, displays, and converts common image, video, and RAW formats, including JPEG, PNG, HEIF, HEIC, MP4, MOV, WebP, and WebM. It also combines Exif, XMP, and other metadata, including Google Photos JSON. Albums can be shared through secret links that may expire, without recipients needing an account or app. PhotoSync can back up phones, and WebDAV clients such as Finder and Windows Explorer can connect. The Community Edition runs on Mac, Linux, and Windows via Docker, with other listed options including Raspberry Pi and NAS devices. Platforms include Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, Windows, web, and self-hosting. Community is free; Essentials is €2/mo billed annually. PhotoPrism is based in Berlin, Germany.