Immich
Microsoft OneDrive
| Feature | Immich | Microsoft OneDrive |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $1.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.3 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers | microsoft-365-users, businesses, windows-users, enterprise |
| Founded | 2022 | 2007 |
| Photo Backup | ✓ | ✗ |
| Facial Recognition | ✓ | ✗ |
| Smart Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Albums | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Map View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Office Integration | ✗ | ✓ |
| Personal Vault | ✗ | ✓ |
| Version History | ✗ | ✓ |
| Mobile Access | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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)
✓ Microsoft OneDrive Pros
- Office integration
- Generous storage with M365
- Personal Vault
- Sync client
✗ Microsoft OneDrive Cons
- Sync issues sometimes
- Less intuitive sharing
- Limited free storage
The Verdict
Immich is built for self hosters and families, with a focus on photo-backup and facial-recognition. Microsoft OneDrive targets microsoft 365 users and businesses and leads with file-storage and file-sharing.
Pricing is close: Immich starts at $0/mo versus $1.99/mo for Microsoft OneDrive — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Immich edges out on user ratings (4.7 vs 4.3). While both are well-regarded, that gap reflects real differences in user satisfaction worth considering.
Feature-wise, Immich offers broader built-in capabilities (7 features vs 6), while Microsoft OneDrive takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Bottom line: Immich has a slight overall edge — but if office integration matters most to you, Microsoft OneDrive may still be the right call.