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Head-to-head · Immich Hosting

xCloud Immich Hosting vs DigitalOcean Immich

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 checks side by side
Higher score xCloud Immich Hosting #1 in Immich Hosting 8.9/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit xCloud
DigitalOcean Immich #3 in Immich Hosting 8.2/10 Paid ✓ 1 of 3 features Visit DigitalOcean

xCloud Immich Hosting leads on 3 checks, DigitalOcean Immich on 0, and 3 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scorexCloud Immich Hosting · 8.9/10
  • Lowest starting pricexCloud Immich Hosting · $3/device/mo
  • Free planonly xCloud Immich Hosting
  • Most featuresxCloud Immich Hosting · 2 of 3

xCloud Immich Hosting scores higher on our rubric for immich hosting: 8.9 against 8.2 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

xCloud Immich Hosting offers free plan; DigitalOcean Immich doesn't. xCloud Immich Hosting is cheaper to start at $3/mo against $24/mo. xCloud Immich Hosting offers backups; DigitalOcean Immich doesn't.

xCloud Immich Hosting is the better fit for households wanting managed Immich with broad features. DigitalOcean Immich is the better fit for DIY users wanting a mainstream Immich droplet.

  • xCloud Immich Hosting fits best

    Households wanting managed Immich with broad features

  • DigitalOcean Immich fits best

    DIY users wanting a mainstream Immich droplet

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Side by side

Feature xCloud Immich Hosting 8.9/10 Visit ↗ DigitalOcean Immich 8.2/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.9 8.2
Ranking #1 in Immich Hosting #3 in Immich Hosting
Best for Households wanting managed Immich with broad features DIY users wanting a mainstream Immich droplet
Pricing model Free plan + paid Paid
Starting price $3/device/mo (best) $24/mo
Free plan ✓ (best) —
Free trial Not checked yet —
Deployment Cloud, Mobile Cloud
Platforms Web, iOS, Android Web, Linux
Built for Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business
Features xCloud Immich Hosting 2/3 · DigitalOcean Immich 1/3
Managed updates — —
Backups ✓ (best) —
Custom domain + SSL ✓ ✓
Specs
Included storage Not checked yet 80 GB
Deployment One-click One-click
Scaling Manual Manual
Our review
Pros
  • One-click Immich deployment includes its supporting services
  • Mobile backup, AI search, albums and household accounts are supported
  • Choose xCloud Cloud VPS or bring a VPS from a listed provider
  • Preconfigured one-click image includes Immich and Docker Compose
  • Deploy through the control panel or API, with SSH server access
  • Automatic TLS certificates when a domain points to the server
Cons
  • The free plan is limited to 1 server and 10 sites
  • BYO-server customers supply their own storage; full backup is managed-only
  • Scaling is manual, and managed updates are not included
  • Core Droplet service is unmanaged, so server administration is yours
  • The $24/month base plan does not include backups
  • Updates and scaling require your own administration
Our verdict

For households, creators and small teams building a private photo and video archive, xCloud Immich Hosting combines the open-source Immich library with a control panel for deployment. A one-click setup provisions Immich and its supporting…

Read the review →

DigitalOcean Immich is a cloud Droplet image for people who want to host their own Immich photo and video library rather than use a managed Immich service. The one-click image includes Immich and Docker Compose, while DigitalOcean supplies…

Read the review →
  1. xCloud Immich HostingImmich Hosting 8.9Free plan
  2. DigitalOcean ImmichImmich Hosting 8.2Paid

Strengths and trade-offs

  • xCloud Immich Hosting — where it wins

    • One-click Immich deployment includes its supporting services
    • Mobile backup, AI search, albums and household accounts are supported
    • Choose xCloud Cloud VPS or bring a VPS from a listed provider

    Where it doesn't

    • The free plan is limited to 1 server and 10 sites
    • BYO-server customers supply their own storage; full backup is managed-only
    • Scaling is manual, and managed updates are not included
  • DigitalOcean Immich — where it wins

    • Preconfigured one-click image includes Immich and Docker Compose
    • Deploy through the control panel or API, with SSH server access
    • Automatic TLS certificates when a domain points to the server

    Where it doesn't

    • Core Droplet service is unmanaged, so server administration is yours
    • The $24/month base plan does not include backups
    • Updates and scaling require your own administration

More comparisons

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update