Immich alternative

Looking for an Immich alternative?

Immich is an excellent open-source photo server. Some households want something smaller: no Docker, nothing leaving the house, uploads that never restart. That's where Filamama fits.

Why people look past Immich

  • Docker ComposeImmich runs with Docker and the Compose plugin [2]. If you'd rather not maintain containers on the family computer, that's a real cost.
  • Calls out by defaultImmich checks for new versions and loads map tiles from tiles.immich.cloud unless you turn them off [3].
  • Uploads restartResumable uploads are an open pull request, not yet in a release [4]. A long video cut off mid-way starts again.

Filamama fits if

  • You want a home media server for the family's photos and videos, installed natively on a Mac mini, a Linux box or a Spark.
  • Nothing should leave the house: the server makes no outbound calls and answers on your home network only.
  • Your phones run Android: Piktures backs them up, checks for duplicates before any bytes move and resumes at the exact byte.
  • You want a private link to the server: HTTPS on port 5400, with a self-signed certificate each paired phone pins.
  • You'll reach it from outside through Tailscale, not an open port.

Stay with Immich if

  • You rely on face recognition, the map, smart search or shared albums [5]. Even Umbrel points people to Immich for those [7].
  • Your family uses iPhones. Filamama's iPhone app is planned, not ready.
  • You want a published open-source licence today: Immich is AGPL-3.0 [5] and free, with an optional key [6]. Filamama will be source-available with its first release.
  • You run a Synology NAS. Filamama on Synology comes later.

What's coming

Content provenance is in development: content type tags, the AI prompt behind generated images, and C2PA credentials, so you know where each image came from. Read about provenance. Sharing, search, people, a map and the iPhone app are planned.

Try both

You don't have to choose today. Run Filamama next to Immich, pair an Android phone and see which one your family opens. For every difference, row by row, read Filamama vs Immich.

Install Filamama Full comparison Help center

Questions.

Is Filamama a drop-in replacement for Immich?

Not yet. Immich recognises faces, shows a map, has smart search, shared albums and an iPhone app today. Filamama has none of those yet: search, people, map, sharing and the iPhone app are planned. It fits if you mostly want your Android phones backed up to a box at home, without Docker.

Does Filamama need Docker?

No. It installs natively on a Mac or a Linux machine, including the Spark: one program and one SQLite file. Synology and Umbrel come later. See the install guides.

Does Filamama call home?

No. The server makes no outbound calls: no version check, no map tiles, no account with us. It answers on your home network only, over HTTPS on port 5400 with a self-signed certificate that paired phones pin.

Can I reach my photos away from home?

Not out of the box, by design. Put Tailscale in front of it and your own devices reach it from anywhere, with no port opened on your router. Read the remote access guide.

Can I move my Immich library to Filamama?

There's no importer yet. Run Filamama next to Immich and let your Android phone back up to it. Photos that live only in Immich stay there for now.

Small numbers point to the sources below. Filamama's side comes from its own specification and code (source 1). Immich facts checked on 17 October 2026.

Sources

  1. Filamama: its own specification and source code (SPEC.md, README, the server and Piktures code).
  2. Immich docs, Requirements: Docker with the Compose plugin docs.immich.app/install/requirements
  3. Immich docs, Config File: newVersionCheck enabled, map tiles from tiles.immich.cloud by default docs.immich.app/install/config-file
  4. Immich pull request #22385 "resumable uploads", still open on 17 Oct 2026 github.com/immich-app/immich/pull/22385
  5. Immich README and licence (AGPL-3.0): features table github.com/immich-app/immich
  6. Immich purchase page: optional $25 or $100 product key, no paywalled features buy.immich.app
  7. Umbrel, Moving from Immich: keep Immich for face recognition, a map, smart search, shared albums and Android backup umbrel.com/support/photos/moving-from-immich