Ghost
Immich
| Feature | Ghost | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $9/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.4 / 5 | 4.7 / 5 |
| Best For | bloggers, publishers, newsletter-creators, indie-media | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers |
| Founded | 2013 | 2022 |
| Editor | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memberships | ✓ | ✗ |
| Newsletter | ✓ | ✗ |
| Seo | ✓ | ✗ |
| Themes | ✓ | ✗ |
| Native Analytics | ✓ | ✗ |
| Photo Backup | ✗ | ✓ |
| Facial Recognition | ✗ | ✓ |
| Smart Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Shared Albums | ✗ | ✓ |
| Memories | ✗ | ✓ |
| Map View | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile Apps | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Ghost Pros
- Fast and clean
- Built-in memberships
- Newsletter included
- Open source
✗ Ghost Cons
- Limited themes
- No page builder
- Requires technical knowledge
✓ 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
Ghost is built for bloggers and publishers, with a focus on editor and memberships. Immich targets self hosters and families and leads with photo-backup and facial-recognition.
On pricing, Immich is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $9/mo for Ghost. That $9/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Feature-wise, Immich offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Ghost takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Immich has a slight overall edge — but if fast and clean matters most to you, Ghost may still be the right call.