Immich vs IDrive

Immich9.0Visit IDrive8.7Visit

Higher score Immich #3 in Photo Backup Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 4 features Visit Immich

vs

IDrive #4 in Photo Backup Software 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 1 of 4 features Visit IDrive

• Immich fits best

  Self-hosted photo backup with rich organization

• IDrive fits best

  Photo backup plus comprehensive computer protection

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Side by side

Feature	Immich 9.0/10 Visit ↗	IDrive 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.7
Ranking	#3 in Photo Backup Software	#4 in Photo Backup Software
Best for	Self-hosted photo backup with rich organization	Photo backup plus comprehensive computer protection
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Free plan	—
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Web, iOS, Android	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Community, Docs	Email, Live chat, Phone · 24/7
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Immich 0/4 · IDrive 1/4
Mobile photo backup	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
External drive backup	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
NAS backup	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
RAW photo support	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Version history	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Storage model	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Included storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Automatic mobile backup with original and RAW photo viewing Facial recognition, advanced search, and duplicate detection Open-source deployment with API and Prometheus integrations	Supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android Combines continuous backup, versioning, snapshots, and restore options Offers AES-256 encryption and an optional user-defined private key
Cons	Requires running and maintaining the server yourself Storage capacity depends on the operator’s infrastructure Docker-based setup requires a supported self-hosted environment	Its broad backup scope may exceed photo-only needs The 100 GB Mini plan limits larger photo libraries Server backup is listed as an add-on for some plans
Our verdict	Immich is an open-source, self-hosted application for backing up, browsing, organizing, searching, and sharing personal photos and videos. Official Android and iOS apps provide automatic mobile backup, while the web interface supports… Read the review →	IDrive is a cloud backup and storage service for individuals, teams, businesses, and organizations. For photo backup, it covers computers and mobile devices alongside external drives, NAS devices, servers, and selected cloud applications.… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Immich — where it wins

  • Automatic mobile backup with original and RAW photo viewing
  • Facial recognition, advanced search, and duplicate detection
  • Open-source deployment with API and Prometheus integrations

  Where it doesn't

  • Requires running and maintaining the server yourself
  • Storage capacity depends on the operator’s infrastructure
  • Docker-based setup requires a supported self-hosted environment

• IDrive — where it wins

  • Supports web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android
  • Combines continuous backup, versioning, snapshots, and restore options
  • Offers AES-256 encryption and an optional user-defined private key

  Where it doesn't

  • Its broad backup scope may exceed photo-only needs
  • The 100 GB Mini plan limits larger photo libraries
  • Server backup is listed as an add-on for some plans

• Immich9.0/10 · Free plan

  A feature-rich self-hosted library for backing up, organizing, and sharing personal media.

  Visit ImmichFull verdict →
• IDrive8.7/10 · Free plan

  A low-cost, broad backup service for photo protection plus full-device recovery.

  Visit IDriveFull verdict →