Photonix vs PhotoPrism

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.

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.