# Pixel Gallery vs Immich

Canonical: https://pixel-gallery.app/android/compare/immich

Last updated: November 9, 2026

**Verdict:** Pick Immich if you want backup to hardware you own and are happy to run a server. Pick Pixel Gallery if you want faces, smart search and cleanup with zero setup. Both can run side by side.

Immich is a self-hosted photo platform: you run the server, and AI features run there. Pixel Gallery needs no server; faces, search and cleanup run on the phone.

## Feature comparison

| Capability | Pixel Gallery | Immich |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photos stay on the phone | Yes (Pixel Gallery never uploads your photos or videos.) | Partly (Uploads to a server you run yourself, not a third-party cloud; backup is chosen per album) |
| Works without an account | Yes | No (The app needs a self-hosted Immich server and a login on it) |
| On-device smart search | Yes (SigLIP2 model, ~375 MB optional download.) | No (CLIP smart search exists but runs on your self-hosted server, not on the phone.) |
| Face grouping | Yes (Runs on the phone.) | Yes (Facial recognition and clustering run on your self-hosted server) |
| Duplicate and similar cleanup | Yes | Yes (ML duplicate detection with a review-duplicates tool, on the server) |
| Encrypted metadata database | Yes | Not documented |
| No ads | Yes | Yes (Play listing shows no ads) |
| No subscription | Yes (Free, plus an optional one-time Premium purchase.) | Yes (Free; optional one-time supporter key that unlocks nothing; you pay for your own server hardware) |
| Cloud backup | No (Pixel Gallery has no cloud. Backup is up to you.) | Yes (Automatic and background backup to your own server) |
| Open source | No | Yes (AGPL-3.0) |
| Works without a server or setup | Yes | No |
| AI runs on the phone | Yes | No (Machine learning runs on your server.) |
| iOS and web apps | No | Yes |
| Multi-user, partner sharing and shared albums | No | Yes |
| Photo and video editor | Yes | Not documented |

## Is Pixel Gallery a good Immich alternative?

If you want Immich's smart features but not the server, yes. Immich is a superb self-hosted platform, but it does nothing without a server you install and maintain, and its AI runs there. Pixel Gallery puts face grouping, semantic search and cleanup on the phone itself.

## What does Immich do better?

- **Backup to your own hardware.** Automatic background backup, with a server you control.
- **Sharing and users.** Multi-user, partner sharing, shared albums and public links.
- **Every platform and open source.** iOS and web clients, AGPL-3.0, very active development.

## What does Pixel Gallery do better?

- **Zero setup.** Install the app and it starts indexing. No server, no account.
- **Works anywhere.** Search and faces do not depend on reaching your server.
- **Gallery features.** Photo and video editor, stories, statistics and collages.
- **An encrypted index.** The metadata database on the phone is encrypted.

## Who should pick which?

Pick Immich if you already self-host or want a household photo server. Pick Pixel Gallery if you want a smart gallery today without running anything. Together they cover gallery and backup.

## Using Immich and Pixel Gallery together

Keep the Immich app for background backup and set Pixel Gallery as the default gallery. Both read the same local files.

## Questions

**Can I use the Immich app without a server?**
No. The Immich app needs a self-hosted Immich server and a login on it. Pixel Gallery needs no server and no account.

**Does Immich do face recognition on the phone?**
No. Immich runs face recognition, smart search and duplicate detection on your server. Pixel Gallery runs them on the phone.

**Can I use Immich and Pixel Gallery together?**
Yes. Let Immich back up your camera folder to your server and use Pixel Gallery as the gallery on the phone.

## Sources

- [Immich on GitHub](https://github.com/immich-app/immich), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Immich on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.alextran.immich), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Immich docs: Duplicates utility](https://docs.immich.app/features/duplicates-utility/), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Immich blog: product keys](https://immich.app/blog/immich-product-keys), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Immich GitHub discussion #2266: view local photos](https://github.com/immich-app/immich/discussions/2266), accessed November 8, 2026