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Head-to-head · Photo Storage Services

Synology Photos vs Immich

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 7 checks side by side
Higher score Synology Photos #4 in Photo Storage Services 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 6 of 6 features Try Synology Photos
Immich #8 in Photo Storage Services 8.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 6 features Visit Immich

Synology Photos leads on 1 check, Immich on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 7 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreSynology Photos · 8.9/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresSynology Photos · 6 of 6

Synology Photos scores higher on our rubric for photo storage services: 8.9 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #4 and #8.

Synology Photos offers desktop app; Immich doesn't.

Synology Photos is the better fit for synology NAS owners wanting a private library. Immich is the better fit for open-source self-hosters wanting modern features.

  • Synology Photos fits best

    Synology NAS owners wanting a private library

  • Immich fits best

    Open-source self-hosters wanting modern features

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Synology Photos 8.9/10 Visit ↗ Immich 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.4
Ranking #4 in Photo Storage Services #8 in Photo Storage Services
Best for Synology NAS owners wanting a private library Open-source self-hosters wanting modern features
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted, Desktop, Mobile, Browser extension Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Chrome extension Web, iOS, Android
Support Live chat, Docs Community, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Synology Photos 6/6 · Immich 4/6
Original-quality storage ✓ ✓
Face search ✓ ✓
Shared albums ✓ ✓
Family sharing ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Desktop app ✓ (best) —
Video backup ✓ ✓
Specs
Free storage Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Searches by people, places, tags, metadata, and camera attributes
  • Supports RAW, full-resolution photos, mobile backup, and video backup
  • Adds permissions, protected links, face recognition, and automatic albums
  • Automatic Android and iOS photo and video backup
  • Facial recognition, advanced search, and RAW viewing
  • Sharing, APIs, deduplication, and database backups
Cons
  • Requires a Synology NAS and installed drives
  • Face and object recognition depend on compatible NAS models
  • Synology Image Assistant is a separate desktop utility
  • Requires users to provide and manage their own infrastructure
  • Storage capacity depends on the operator's available infrastructure
  • Docker-based deployment requires a supported server environment
Our verdict

Synology Photos is a self-hosted photo and video management application for Synology NAS devices running DiskStation Manager. It suits individuals and households that want a private media library, as well as groups that need shared folders…

Read the review →

Immich is an open-source, self-hosted application for managing personal photos and videos. It provides a web interface plus official Android and iOS apps for uploading, browsing, organizing, searching, and sharing media. Automatic mobile…

Read the review →
  1. Synology PhotosPhoto Storage Services 8.9Free plan
  2. ImmichPhoto Storage Services 8.4Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Synology Photos — where it wins

    • Searches by people, places, tags, metadata, and camera attributes
    • Supports RAW, full-resolution photos, mobile backup, and video backup
    • Adds permissions, protected links, face recognition, and automatic albums

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires a Synology NAS and installed drives
    • Face and object recognition depend on compatible NAS models
    • Synology Image Assistant is a separate desktop utility

  • Immich — where it wins

    • Automatic Android and iOS photo and video backup
    • Facial recognition, advanced search, and RAW viewing
    • Sharing, APIs, deduplication, and database backups

    Where it doesn't

    • Requires users to provide and manage their own infrastructure
    • Storage capacity depends on the operator's available infrastructure
    • Docker-based deployment requires a supported server environment

More comparisons

All photo storage services comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update