Pho review
An open-source mobile backup app for original-quality transfers to your storage.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Pho is an open-source mobile photo backup and gallery app for iPhone and Android. It automatically syncs camera-roll originals to storage you provide, including NAS shares, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, and S3-compatible services. Files remain in ordinary date-based folders, while the app combines local and remote photos in one gallery. It is designed for people who want mobile backup without a companion server or hosted photo library, especially those managing a NAS or other bring-your-own-storage destination.
The pricing structure is straightforward. The Free plan costs $0 and includes a local gallery and basic cloud sync. Pro Monthly costs $1.99 per month, while Pro Annual costs $19.99 per year. Both paid plans add AES encryption, custom sync filters, multi-threaded or parallel sync, and priority support. Pro Lifetime costs $39.99 one time and includes all Pro features plus lifetime access. The paid tiers are most relevant when encryption, selective uploads, faster parallel transfers, or ongoing support matter more than basic backup.
Pho’s main strength is its storage flexibility. It supports direct sync to SMB, WebDAV, and NFS, along with Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk, AWS S3, Backblaze B2, Cloudflare R2, and MinIO. Background camera-roll backup, original-quality transfers, RAW support, a camera-only album, and a release-space tool cover practical mobile workflows. Choose Pho if you want an open-source app that connects directly to storage you control across iOS, macOS, and Android. It is a weaker fit if you want a fully hosted photo library or do not want to configure and maintain a storage destination.
Pho pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Backs up originals, RAW files, HEIC, HEVC, Live Photos, and video
- Supports SMB, WebDAV, NFS, Google Drive, and S3-compatible storage
- Adds filters, parallel uploads, encryption, and local-space management
- Where it doesn't
- The free plan is limited to a local gallery and basic cloud sync
- Requires users to provide and manage compatible storage destinations
- Some advanced features require a Pro subscription or lifetime purchase
Pho fact sheet, pricing and score →
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