photoprism
Self-hosted, AI-powered photo app to index, search, and organize your RAW and image library privately.
Organize, tag, and search RAW photos and videos on your own hardware without cloud lock-in.
PhotoPrism is a self-hosted web app that uses machine learning to automatically tag, map, and organize your photo collection. You can browse high-resolution RAW files, view hover-animated Live Photos, and sync mobile backups directly to your private server.
What it is
It extracts metadata from EXIF and XMP tags, runs facial recognition and object detection locally using TensorFlow, and builds searchable indexes by color, resolution, and location. It connects directly to your file system via WebDAV, letting you edit underlying files in desktop software like Finder or Windows Explorer.
Who it's for
It suits photographers who want complete control over their asset archives and prefer self-hosting on local servers or NAS devices. It does not suit casual users who want a zero-configuration cloud service without managing Docker containers.
Key features
Automatic AI Object Tagging
Labels images based on content, visual composition, and detected facial features using local machine learning models.
RAW and Live Support
Parses camera RAW files and renders animated previews for Live Photos when hovering over thumbnails.
Granular Search Filtering
Combines queries across color palettes, image quality scores, camera resolution, locations, and EXIF attributes.
WebDAV and App Syncing
Integrates with desktop file managers and tools like PhotoSync for automated background backups from mobile devices.
Up and running in 3 steps
Our honest verdict
What's great
- Parses RAW formats and combines EXIF and XMP metadata automatically.
- Provides WebDAV mounts so you can edit underlying media from desktop file managers.
- Keeps facial recognition and location data private on your own server.
- Includes responsive PWA support for mobile and desktop browser navigation.
Where it falls short
- Requires Docker setup and server maintenance skills to deploy and update.
- High-resolution indexing and AI recognition demand decent CPU and RAM resources on large libraries.
- Certain features like interactive high-resolution world maps require a paid membership tier.
Pricing & license
The core self-hosted Community Edition is completely free under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Optional paid memberships offer expanded perks such as interactive world maps, priority feature requests, and direct team support.
Open remote AI-training roles
870 open remote AI-training roles, updated November 14, 2026; most pay $20–$170 an hour. Zekai lists them free; the application goes to the employer’s platform.
Alternatives
These reviewed AI tools do the same job instantly — from our scored directory.
Use it, or have us set it up
FAQ
Can PhotoPrism read RAW photos directly from my camera?
Yes, PhotoPrism parses RAW formats alongside JPEG and video files, extracting metadata from EXIF and XMP sidecars.
Does PhotoPrism send my photos to external servers for AI processing?
No, AI classification and face recognition run locally on your server without sending media to third-party APIs.
