CapRover
Immich
| Feature | CapRover | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free only | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | indie-developers, self-hosters, startups, budget-conscious-teams | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers |
| Founded | 2017 | 2022 |
| One Click Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Docker Deployment | ✓ | ✗ |
| Auto Ssl | ✓ | ✗ |
| Load Balancing | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cluster Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Webhooks | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Domains | ✓ | ✗ |
| Photo Backup | ✗ | ✓ |
| Facial Recognition | ✗ | ✓ |
| Smart Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Albums | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memories | ✗ | ✓ |
| Map View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ CapRover Pros
- Free and open-source Heroku alternative
- One-click deployment for 100+ apps
- Automatic SSL certificate management
- Full Docker and Docker Compose support
- Run on any VPS provider
✗ CapRover Cons
- Requires your own server to host
- Community support only (no paid support option)
- Less polished UI than commercial alternatives
✓ Immich Pros
- Full Google Photos replacement (self-hosted)
- AI face recognition and smart search
- Mobile apps with automatic background backup
- Shared albums and partner sharing
✗ Immich Cons
- Self-hosting only (no managed cloud option)
- Resource-intensive (especially ML features)
- Still in active development (breaking changes possible)
The Verdict
CapRover is built for indie developers and self hosters, with a focus on one-click-apps and docker-deployment. Immich targets self hosters and families and leads with photo-backup and facial-recognition.
CapRover uses custom enterprise pricing, while Immich starts at $0/mo — a tangible advantage for teams with a fixed budget.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for self hosters — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
Bottom line: Immich has a slight overall edge — but if free and open-source heroku alternative matters most to you, CapRover may still be the right call.