Immich
Memos
| Feature | Immich | Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $0/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers | self-hosters, quick-note-takers, journaling, privacy-focused-users |
| Founded | 2022 | 2022 |
| Photo Backup | ✓ | ✗ |
| Facial Recognition | ✓ | ✗ |
| Smart Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Albums | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Map View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Markdown | ✗ | ✓ |
| Tags | ✗ | ✓ |
| Search | ✗ | ✓ |
| Api | ✗ | ✓ |
| Docker Deployment | ✗ | ✓ |
| Embed Resources | ✗ | ✓ |
| Timeline View | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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)
✓ Memos Pros
- Completely free and open-source
- Lightweight and fast (single binary deployment)
- Twitter-like quick note interface
- Full data ownership with self-hosting
✗ Memos Cons
- No real-time collaboration features
- Limited organizational tools (no folders/hierarchy)
- Self-hosting required (no managed cloud option)
The Verdict
Immich is built for self hosters and families, with a focus on photo-backup and facial-recognition. Memos targets self hosters and quick note takers and leads with markdown and tags.
Both tools come in at similar price points ($0/mo for Immich, $0/mo for Memos), so pricing won't make the decision for you.
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, privacy focused users — 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 completely free and open-source matters most to you, Memos may still be the right call.