Why Immich Is Better Than Google Photos

Google Photos and Immich both aim to organize and store your photos and videos, but their philosophies could not be more different.

Centralized vs Open Source

Google Photos is a closed, proprietary service. Immich, on the other hand, is fully open source. This means its code is publicly available, auditable and transparent.

• No hidden data processing
• No vendor lock-in
• Community-driven development

Privacy and Data Ownership

With Google Photos, your data is stored, analyzed and indexed by Google. Even if content is not shared publicly, it remains part of a broader data ecosystem.

Immich stores your data on infrastructure you control or explicitly trust. AI features like face recognition and maps are processed locally on the server, not by third-party providers.

Features Without Compromise

Immich offers nearly all features users expect from a modern photo platform:

• Automatic mobile uploads
• Timeline and calendar views
• Face recognition
• Location and metadata search
• Album and link sharing

The difference is not functionality, but who controls the data.

Costs and Long-Term Stability

Google Photos pricing and storage limits have changed multiple times. Users depend on Google's future business decisions.

Immich itself is free software. Costs are transparent and based on storage and infrastructure, not hidden monetization models.

Conclusion

Immich is better than Google Photos for users who value privacy, transparency and long-term control over their digital memories.