PiGallery2 vs Synology Photos
PiGallery2
bpatrik.github.io
Synology Photos
synology.comSide by side
| Figure | PiGallery2 | Synology Photos |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Photo Management Software | 8.0 (#19) | 8.3 (#12) |
| Formats | The documented formats include JPG, WebP, PNG, GIF, SVG, selected camera RAW formats depending on the Docker image, and MP4, OGG, OGV, and WebM video. | RAW files are supported, while HEIC/HEVC previews or compressed videos require Synology Image Assistant. |
| Integrations | The gallery supports OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, custom map tile providers, and OpenID Connect with Authentik. | Synology Photos works with Synology Image Assistant, whose desktop app and browser extension generate previews for formats including HEIC and HEVC media. |
| Purpose | PiGallery2 is a directory-first photo gallery website designed for low-resource servers, including Raspberry Pi. | Synology Photos provides photo and video browsing, management, sharing, search, album grouping, upload, and preview workflows in DSM. |
| Sharing | Users can share photo folders through links that may be password protected. | Users can share individual photos, videos, or albums using links with access passwords or expiration dates. |
Plans
In their own words
PiGallery2
PiGallery2 has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Synology Photos
Synology Photos is a photo and video management service in DSM for browsing, organizing, searching, sharing, uploading, and previewing media. It requires a Synology NAS for private photo storage, and its mobile app can back up photos and videos to that NAS automatically. Users can share individual items or albums through links with passwords or expiration dates. Shared Space lets selected users collaborate, with access and editing rights assigned by folder. Organization tools include custom and conditional albums, automatic grouping, and facial and object recognition on supported NAS models. RAW files are supported; previews for HEIC/HEVC files and compressed videos require Synology Image Assistant. Mobile apps require iOS 16 or later or Android 11 or later; TV apps support Apple TV and Android TV. Chrome and Safari are recommended for web use. Synology Photos is free, with no paid premium tiers listed.