# Pixel Gallery vs Simple Gallery

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

Last updated: November 9, 2026

**Verdict:** Pick Pixel Gallery if you left Simple Gallery over ads and want a smarter gallery that still keeps photos on the phone. Pick Fossify Gallery if you want the open-source continuation of the original app.

Simple Gallery was a favorite open-source gallery until its 2023 sale. The free app now shows ads and the current code is closed. Pixel Gallery is ad-free and adds on-device AI.

## Feature comparison

| Capability | Pixel Gallery | Simple Gallery |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photos stay on the phone | Yes (Pixel Gallery never uploads your photos or videos.) | Yes (Policy says photos are processed on device; Play data safety lists shared crash logs, diagnostics and device IDs) |
| Works without an account | Yes | Yes |
| On-device smart search | Yes (SigLIP2 model, ~375 MB optional download.) | No (Not advertised) |
| Face grouping | Yes (Runs on the phone.) | No (Not advertised) |
| Duplicate and similar cleanup | Yes | No (Not advertised) |
| Encrypted metadata database | Yes | Not documented |
| No ads | Yes | No (Play listing marked "Contains ads"; privacy policy names ad networks such as AdMob and AppLovin) |
| No subscription | Yes (Free, plus an optional one-time Premium purchase.) | Not documented (Free with ads and in-app purchases; whether purchases include subscriptions is not documented) |
| Cloud backup | No (Pixel Gallery has no cloud. Backup is up to you.) | No |
| Open source | No | No (Pre-sale code remains on GitHub (GPL-3.0, last release Oct 2023); current builds are not published) |
| Analytics off until you consent | Yes | No (Data safety label: crash logs, diagnostics and device IDs shared.) |
| Hidden folders and per-item locks | Partly (Biometric app and collection locks, plus a vault that blurs sensitive media.) | Yes |
| Map and places | Yes | No |
| Stories and memories | Yes | No |

## Is Pixel Gallery a good Simple Gallery alternative?

Yes. Many people chose Simple Gallery because it was clean, local and ad-free. Since the 2023 sale the free app carries ads and shares diagnostics and device IDs, according to its Play data safety section. Pixel Gallery keeps the local, ad-free part and adds an on-device AI pipeline on top.

## What does Simple Gallery do better?

- **Hiding and locking.** Hidden galleries and per-item PIN, pattern or fingerprint locks.
- **Customization.** A very configurable interface and toolbar.
- **Familiarity.** If you used it for years, it still looks and works the same.

## What does Pixel Gallery do better?

- **No ads.** And analytics stay off until you consent.
- **On-device AI.** Face grouping, semantic search, text recognition and captions on supported devices, computed on the phone.
- **Cleanup.** Duplicates, similar shots and low-quality photos with swipe review.
- **Active development.** Regular releases with new features, not only maintenance.

## Who should pick which?

Pick Pixel Gallery if you want an ad-free gallery that also organizes your library for you. Pick Fossify Gallery if you want the original Simple Gallery experience as open source. Simple Gallery itself only makes sense if the ads do not bother you.

## How to switch from Simple Gallery

Install Pixel Gallery and allow photo access. Your folders appear as they are. Folders hidden with a .nomedia file stay hidden from every gallery, so unhide anything you want indexed.

## Questions

**What is a good Simple Gallery alternative without ads?**
Pixel Gallery has no ads and adds face grouping, semantic search and cleanup on the phone. Fossify Gallery is the open-source fork of the original Simple Gallery code and also has no ads.

**What happened to Simple Gallery?**
Simple Mobile Tools was sold in late 2023. The free Simple Gallery now shows ads and in-app purchases, current builds are not published as open source, and the paid Pro listing has not been updated since October 2023.

**Is Simple Gallery still open source?**
The pre-sale code is still on GitHub under GPL-3.0, but current releases are not published. Fossify Gallery continues that code in the open.

## Sources

- [Simple Gallery on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplemobiletools.gallery), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Simple Gallery data safety (Google Play)](https://play.google.com/store/apps/datasafety?id=com.simplemobiletools.gallery), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Simple Gallery privacy policy (amended 2023-12-19)](https://simplemobiletools.com/simplegallery/privacy), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Simple Gallery Pro on Google Play](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.simplemobiletools.gallery.pro), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Android Authority: Simple Mobile Tools acquired by ZipoApps](https://www.androidauthority.com/simple-mobile-tools-acquisition-3391041/), accessed November 8, 2026
- [Simple-Gallery GitHub repository (pre-sale code)](https://github.com/SimpleMobileTools/Simple-Gallery), accessed November 8, 2026