Immich hosting for your photo and video library
Back up photos and videos from every phone in the family automatically, then browse, search and share them on a server you control. Immich brings a timeline, face recognition, smart search and shared albums. Run it on a HyperDC server with the memory it asks for, preinstalled as an app option or installed with our guide.
- Automatic backup from iOS and Android
- Face recognition and smart search on your own server
- Shared albums, partner sharing and public links
- Sized to Immich’s own requirements
- Install
- Docker Compose
- Stack
- TypeScript · PostgreSQL with VectorChord · Valkey
- Default portImmich publishes only port 2283. Its docs advise against exposing it directly: put a reverse proxy with a certificate in front.
- 2283, behind an HTTPS reverse proxy
- MinimumImmich can run with 4 GB of RAM when machine learning is turned off, without face recognition and smart search.
- 6 GB RAM and 2 cores; 8 GB and 4 cores recommended
- Current release
- v3.3 (October 2026)
- Your dataThumbnails and transcoded videos add about 10–20% to the size of your library.
- Your originals plus 10–20% for thumbnails
Features
- iOS app
- Android app
- Face recognition
- Smart search
- Shared albums
- Partner sharing
- Map view
- Memories
- External libraries
- CLI upload
Facts from the project’s official website, documentation and repository, checked in October 2026.
Immich plans are being prepared
Tell us how many phones you back up and how big your library is, and our team will reply with the right server. Or start today on a Linux VPS and install Immich with our guide.
How big a server does Immich need?
Immich asks for more memory than most self-hosted apps because face recognition and smart search run on the server. Your library sets the disk.
| Feature |
Personal
One or two phones
|
Recommended Family
Several phones backing up every day
|
Large library
Years of photos and 4K video
|
|---|---|---|---|
| vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server. | 2 | 4 | 6–8 |
| MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system. | 6 GB | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups. | Library plus 20% | Library plus 20% | Library plus 20% |
| Machine learningFace recognition and smart search run on the CPU. The first scan of a large library takes a while; new uploads are processed as they arrive. | On, at Immich’s minimum | On, as Immich recommends | On, with room for larger models |
-
Personal
One or two phones
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 2
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 6 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 20%
- Machine learningFace recognition and smart search run on the CPU. The first scan of a large library takes a while; new uploads are processed as they arrive.
- On, at Immich’s minimum
-
Recommended
Family
Several phones backing up every day
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 4
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 8 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 20%
- Machine learningFace recognition and smart search run on the CPU. The first scan of a large library takes a while; new uploads are processed as they arrive.
- On, as Immich recommends
-
Large library
Years of photos and 4K video
- vCPUVirtual processor cores of the server.
- 6–8
- MemoryMemory for the app, its database and the operating system.
- 16 GB
- DiskNVMe or SSD storage for the app, its data and local backups.
- Library plus 20%
- Machine learningFace recognition and smart search run on the CPU. The first scan of a large library takes a while; new uploads are processed as they arrive.
- On, with room for larger models
Immich asks for at least 6 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores and recommends 8 GB and 4 cores. Plan the disk as your library plus about 20% for thumbnails and transcodes, on SSD storage for the database.
Your photo library, without the cloud subscription
Immich feels like the photo apps you know, while every photo, face and search index stays on your server.
Automatic phone backup
The iOS and Android apps upload new photos and videos in the background, for every person with an account.
Search that understands photos
Find people by face, things by description, places on the map and moments by date, processed on your own server.
Sharing for families
Shared albums, partner sharing between accounts and public links with passwords and expiry dates.
Bring your existing library
Upload folders with the Immich CLI, or add existing folders as read-only external libraries.
Root access, your rules
Every Linux VPS, VDS and dedicated server comes with full root access: you choose the versions, the add-ons and the security settings.
Backups included
Free weekly and monthly backups come with every VPS and VDS plan. For data that changes every day, keep copies of your own as well.
Room to grow
Start on a VPS and move to a bigger plan, a VDS with NVMe storage or a dedicated server when your data and users grow.
GPU acceleration where available
On servers with a supported GPU, video transcoding and machine learning can use hardware acceleration. Our GPU servers page lists the current options.
Set up Immich in four steps
Order the app preinstalled on your server, or install it yourself with our guide.
-
Choose your server
Pick a VPS, VDS or dedicated server in the size from the table above and the location closest to your users.
-
Install Immich
Choose Immich as an app option, or download docker-compose.yml and example.env from the latest release and start them with Docker Compose using our guide.
-
Add your domain and TLS
Point a subdomain such as photos.example.com at the server and put a reverse proxy with a free Let’s Encrypt certificate in front of port 2283.
-
Connect the phones
Create the admin account in the browser, invite your family, then sign in to the mobile app with your server address and turn on backup.
Step-by-step setup guides
Install, secure and update the app with our guides, written for current Ubuntu and Debian releases.
-
How to install Docker Engine on Ubuntu 24.04 and 26.04
Install Docker Engine, Buildx and Compose from Docker's official apt repository on Ubuntu LTS, run it without sudo, rotate logs and keep published ports private.
15 min Beginner -
Docker Compose basics: run multi-container apps on a Linux server
Write a compose.yaml with services, volumes and networks, keep secrets in .env, start services in the right order with healthchecks, then update, back up and run several stacks side by side.
35 min Beginner -
How to set up Caddy as a reverse proxy with automatic HTTPS
Install Caddy from the official repository, point your domains at the server and serve every self-hosted app over HTTPS with a two-line site block, plus headers, password protection, logs and backups.
30 min Beginner
Related solutions
Self-Hosted App Hosting
Nextcloud, Immich, Jellyfin, Vaultwarden and more on your server.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions
How much RAM does Immich need?
Immich asks for at least 6 GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores and recommends 8 GB and 4 cores. With machine learning turned off it can run in 4 GB, but you lose face recognition and smart search.
Does Immich need a GPU?
No. Face recognition, smart search and video transcoding all run on the CPU. On servers with a supported GPU, Immich can use hardware acceleration for them; without one, the first scan of a large library simply takes longer, and new uploads are processed as they arrive.
How do I import my existing photos?
Upload whole folders with the Immich command-line tool, or copy them to the server and add them as a read-only external library. Photos exported from other services keep their dates when the files carry their metadata.
Is the face recognition private?
Yes. The machine-learning container runs on your server and downloads its models once; your photos and the faces found in them are not sent to an outside service.
Why does Immich need HTTPS?
The mobile apps connect over the internet and send your photos and your login, so the connection must be encrypted. Immich’s docs recommend a reverse proxy with a certificate instead of opening port 2283, or a VPN if only your family should reach the server.
How do I back up Immich?
Back up two things: the upload folder with your originals, and the database, which Immich dumps automatically into its backups folder. Keep a copy off the server; treat Immich as your library, not as the only copy of your photos.
Can I share albums with people who have no account?
Yes. Create a public link to an album, optionally with a password, an expiry date and permission to upload. People with an account on your server can also share albums and their whole library with a partner.
Can I use my own PostgreSQL server?
Yes, if it has the VectorChord extension that Immich needs for search. The Compose file brings Immich’s own PostgreSQL image with everything included, which is the simpler choice for most installations.
Ready to bring your photos home?
Tell us what you want to run and for how many people, and we will help you pick the right server.