Pho vs Recallio

Pho is a photo backup and gallery app that syncs mobile camera-roll images to storage chosen by the user. It uploads original-quality photos in the background and displays local and remote images together in a timeline with pinch-to-zoom and full-screen viewing. Listed storage includes SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, and S3-compatible services such as AWS S3, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, and MinIO. The sync engine is built into the app, so Pho says no separate Docker container, database, or reverse proxy is needed. Photos go directly to user-controlled storage rather than through Pho’s servers; the maker also says it has no central database, analytics pipeline, or ads. Files use a date-based directory structure that can be browsed with a file manager. The free tier provides a local gallery and basic cloud sync for personal use. Pro adds AES-256 encryption, custom sync filters, multi-threaded sync, multiple directory structures, theme colors, a Release Space tool, and priority support. The annual Pro plan is $19.99 a year.

Recallio is a self-hosted photo and video backup for phones, available on Android, Linux, web, and self-hosted deployments. After setup, its Android app backs up the phone’s library automatically. Media is stored on hardware the user controls, including a local disk, NAS, or USB drive. The server installer targets an Ubuntu home server and installs FFmpeg and Tailscale; encrypted device access uses Tailscale’s WireGuard mesh. The web library supports search, favorites, albums, grid browsing, lightbox previews, and full-resolution originals. Existing folders on internal or external drives can be added, with subfolders becoming albums. Deleted photos move to a configurable Bin, set to 10 days by default. The maker says there is no telemetry, advertising SDK, or content scanning, and media travels directly between devices. A 2 GB RAM server is stated as sufficient, with storage sized to the library. Nightly release checks and automatic updates run during a chosen window.