Compare

Filamama vs Umbrel Photos.

Umbrel Photos is the photo app built into umbrelOS 2.0, a system for a home server that also runs an app store of self-hosted apps. It suits people who want one home box for many apps.

FeatureFilamamaUmbrel Photos
PriceFree, no paid tierumbrelOS is a free download [2]
LicencePublished with the downloadPolyForm Noncommercial, source available [2]
InstallAn app on the computer you haveA whole OS on its own machine [2]
Android backup appPiktures"No Android app yet" [3]
iPhone backup appPlannedUmbrel for iPhone, TestFlight beta [3]
Backup at homeStraight over your home networkThrough Tailscale, even at home [4]
Broken uploads resumeAt the exact byteNo. A TODO in the code [5]
Duplicate check before uploadBefore any bytes moveServer hashes after receiving [5]
Outbound calls by defaultNoneUpdate check; app store check every 5 minutes [5]
Faces and searchPlannedSearch, yes. For faces, Umbrel points to Immich [6, 7]
SharingPlannedFor shared albums, Umbrel points to Immich [7]
AI agentsdmsp command line, JSON. No MCPBuilt-in MCP server [6]

Small numbers are sources, listed at the bottom; Filamama's column comes from its own specification and code (source 1). "Not checked" means we didn't find it in Umbrel's own docs, pages or code, so we don't claim either way. Checked on 17 October 2026.

Where Filamama is ahead

  • An Android backup app today. Umbrel says there is no Android app yet.
  • Phones back up straight over your home network. Umbrel's iPhone backup only uploads through Tailscale, even at home.
  • Interrupted uploads resume at the exact byte, and duplicates are caught before sending. In umbrelOS, resume is a TODO in the code and the server hashes files after receiving them.
  • The server makes no outbound calls, and it installs on a computer you already use instead of replacing its system.

Where Umbrel is ahead

  • A built-in MCP server for AI agents. Filamama has the dmsp command line.
  • An iPhone app, in TestFlight.
  • Search in Photos, and an app store for everything else on the same box.
  • Access away from home through Tailscale.

Switching from Umbrel

Filamama doesn't run on umbrelOS yet (see the Umbrel page). If you have an Android phone, you can run Filamama on another machine at home and pair the phone with Piktures.

Sources

  1. Filamama: its own specification and source code (SPEC.md, README, the server and Piktures code).
  2. umbrelOS README and licence (PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0) github.com/getumbrel/umbrel
  3. Umbrel for iPhone: TestFlight, iOS 26.5, Tailscale for Photo Backup, "There is no Android app yet" umbrel.com/support/getting-started/umbrel-for-iphone
  4. Umbrel, Backing up photos from your iPhone: "only uploads through Tailscale, even when your iPhone is at home" umbrel.com/support/photos/backing-up-photos-from-your-iphone
  5. umbrelOS source: upload "TODO: Implement resume support" (files/api.ts), update check to api.umbrel.com (system/update.ts), app store check every 5 minutes (apps/app-store.ts) github.com/getumbrel/umbrel/tree/master/packages/umbreld/source/modules
  6. What's new in umbrelOS 2.0: Photos with albums, favourites and search; built-in MCP server for AI agents umbrel.com/support/getting-started/whats-new-in-umbrelos-2
  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

More comparisons

All of them in one table