Immich self-hosted photo backup (99k stars): Google Photos alternative with AI face recognition. Requires 16 GB VPS plus storage add-on on Liquid Web.
Immich is a self-hosted photo and video backup tool with AI face recognition, positioned as a Google Photos alternative. These guides cover its hardware needs and Docker deployment on a Liquid Web VPS.
Owning your photo library means privacy and no storage subscription, at the cost of running the server. Below you will find Immich setup and sizing guides.
Google Photos compresses originals on free plans, shares your data with Google's ad systems, and can revoke access or change terms at any time. Self-hosting your photo library keeps originals untouched on hardware you control — no compression, no data harvesting, and no per-photo storage fees beyond your VPS and attached storage.
TL;DR
docker-compose.yml: Immich (server + ML) + pgvecto-rs PostgreSQL + Redis + optional Authentik SSO + CaddyGoogle Photos removed its unlimited free tier in 2021, and iCloud keeps your photos locked inside Apple's ecosystem. Immich is a self-hosted photo and video library with a mobile app, automatic backup, face recognition, and a UI that genuinely resembles Google Photos. This guide deploys Immich on a Liquid Web 8 GB Managed VPS, with optional Authentik SSO for teams or families that want centralized login.
Immich is a self-hosted photo and video backup platform with 99k+ GitHub stars — the leading Google Photos alternative. It includes AI face recognition, search, and a mobile app for automatic upload. For family-scale use, a Liquid Web 16 GB Managed VPS plus a storage add-on is the recommended setup.
A typical family library of 50,000 photos at 5 MB average takes ~250 GB. For 4K video, budget 10–50 GB per hour of footage. Liquid Web offers storage add-ons on managed VPS. A 500 GB SSD add-on typically costs extra — verify current pricing on liquidweb.com.