Immich
pCloud
| Feature | Immich | pCloud |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $0/mo | Free / from $49.99/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.4 / 5 |
| Best For | self-hosters, families, privacy-focused-users, photographers | privacy-conscious-users, photographers, long-term-storage, individuals |
| Founded | 2022 | 2013 |
| Photo Backup | ✓ | ✗ |
| Facial Recognition | ✓ | ✗ |
| Smart Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Shared Albums | ✓ | ✗ |
| Memories | ✓ | ✗ |
| Map View | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile Apps | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cloud Storage | ✗ | ✓ |
| Virtual Drive | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Sharing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Encryption | ✗ | ✓ |
| Media Player | ✗ | ✓ |
| Auto Upload | ✗ | ✓ |
| File Versioning | ✗ | ✓ |
| Branded Links | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ 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)
✓ pCloud Pros
- Lifetime plan eliminates recurring subscription costs
- pCloud Drive streams files without local storage
- Optional client-side encryption (pCloud Crypto)
- European-based with strong privacy (Swiss servers available)
✗ pCloud Cons
- Crypto encryption is a paid add-on
- Sharing features less polished than Dropbox/Google
- Sync speed can be inconsistent
The Verdict
Immich is built for self hosters and families, with a focus on photo-backup and facial-recognition. pCloud targets privacy conscious users and photographers and leads with cloud-storage and virtual-drive.
On pricing, Immich is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $0/mo compared to $49.99/mo for pCloud. That $49.99/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, pCloud offers broader built-in capabilities (8 features vs 7), while Immich takes a more focused approach — which can mean a simpler, faster onboarding experience.
Both tools are a solid fit for photographers — 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 lifetime plan eliminates recurring subscription costs matters most to you, pCloud may still be the right call.