# Alternatives to Google Photos: The Full De-Googling Round-Up > Tired of Google Photos? Here are the real alternatives: Ente, Proton Photos, self-hosted Immich, iCloud, Amazon Photos, Flickr, and plain object storage, compared by privacy, storage, price, and features, plus how to move your library out. ## Google Photos Is Not the Only Option, and Not the Private One Google Photos is convenient, but it has costs people increasingly want to avoid: 15 GB of free storage shared with Gmail and Drive, a default compression mode that downsizes originals, an inactivity policy that can delete your content, and a company that analyzes your photos and has folded Gemini AI into the product[\[1\]](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791 "Source: support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791"). The r/degoogle community is full of people asking for a way out, like the post "Alternatives to Google Photos?"[\[2\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/ "Source: www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/"). There are five realistic categories of alternatives, and the right one depends on how much you value privacy, whether you are willing to self-host, and whether you want a photo-specific app or just encrypted storage. The thread's consensus: for a managed privacy-first service, Ente Photos; for self-hosting, Immich; for a photo surface tied to a broader encrypted cloud, Proton Photos. This round-up compares them all with current, sourced numbers, and links to the migration guides at the end. ## The Alternatives, Compared | Alternative | Type | Privacy model | Free tier | Price (paid) | Best for | | --------------------- | ------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------ | | **Ente Photos** | Managed, E2E encrypted | End-to-end encryption, open source, self-hostable | 10 GB free forever | From $2.49/mo[\[3\]](https://ente.io/pricing "Source: ente.io/pricing") | Privacy-first with a Google-Photos-like app | | **Proton Photos** | Inside Proton Drive | End-to-end, zero-access, Swiss | 5 GB free | From $4.99/mo (200 GB)[\[4\]](https://proton.me/drive/pricing "Source: proton.me/drive/pricing") | Privacy plus a broader encrypted cloud | | **Immich** | Self-hosted, open source | Your server, your keys | Free software; you pay for hardware | No subscription | Full control, face recognition, no monthly fee | | **iCloud Photos** | Apple ecosystem | Encrypted in transit/at rest; Apple holds keys | 5 GB shared iCloud | Paid iCloud tiers[\[5\]](https://www.apple.com/icloud/ "Source: www.apple.com/icloud/") | People already in the Apple ecosystem | | **Amazon Photos** | Managed | Encrypted; Amazon holds keys | 5 GB, or unlimited photos with Prime | Plans from $1.99/mo[\[6\]](https://www.amazon.com/photos "Source: www.amazon.com/photos") | Prime members with big photo libraries | | **Flickr** | Photography community | Photos are public/private by setting; no E2E | Free tier with upload limits | Pro subscription[\[7\]](https://www.flickr.com/account/upgrade/pro "Source: www.flickr.com/account/upgrade/pro") | Photographers who want a community and portfolio | | **Backblaze B2 / S3** | Object storage | Standard cloud encryption | None | About $6/TB/mo[\[8\]](https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/pricing "Source: www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/pricing") | Cold archival, not daily photo browsing | ## The Privacy-First Options ### Ente Photos: the closest Google Photos drop-in that is actually private Ente is the most common recommendation in the de-Googling community, and the top comment on that thread recommends it for anyone who does not want to self-host[\[9\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/ "Source: www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/"). It offers end-to-end encrypted backups, on-device face recognition, a zero-knowledge AI search, shared albums, memories, and a family plan, all open source with apps for Android, iOS, web, macOS, Linux, and Windows[\[10\]](https://ente.io "Source: ente.io"). The free tier is 10 GB forever, and paid plans start at a few dollars a month[\[11\]](https://ente.io/pricing "Source: ente.io/pricing"). ### Proton Photos: private photos inside a private cloud Proton Photos is the photo surface of Proton Drive: the same end-to-end encryption, automatic mobile backup, albums, favorites, and filters, with a free 5 GB plan and paid Drive Plus tiers[\[12\]](https://proton.me/drive/pricing "Source: proton.me/drive/pricing"). It is the strongest choice if you also want an encrypted cloud for files, Docs, and Sheets, not just photos. It is younger than Google Photos: no face recognition and no AI search yet, which the community has loudly requested[\[13\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProtonDrive/comments/1vc7jlq/make_proton_photos_more_like_a_real_alternative/ "Source: www.reddit.com/r/ProtonDrive/comments/1vc7jlq/make_proton_photos_more_like_a_real_alternative/"). See the full comparison in [Proton Photos vs Google Photos](/kb/articles/proton-photos-vs-google-photos/). ## The Self-Hosted Option ### Immich: run your own Google Photos If you do not want to rent storage from anyone, Immich is the leading open-source, self-hosted photo manager. It offers automatic mobile backup, facial recognition, shared albums, and search, running on your own server[\[14\]](https://immich.app "Source: immich.app"). The trade-off is exactly what self-hosting always costs: you provide the hardware, keep it updated, and own the failure domain. For a few gigabytes of phone photos it may be overkill; for a large family archive it gives you total control. ## The Big-Tech Alternatives (De-Googling by Switching Silos) These replace Google Photos without really solving the privacy problem; they just move your photos into a different company's cloud: * **iCloud Photos:** the natural choice inside the Apple ecosystem, with 5 GB of shared free iCloud storage and paid tiers[\[15\]](https://www.apple.com/icloud/ "Source: www.apple.com/icloud/"). * **Amazon Photos:** "Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5 GB for video," with 5 GB for everyone else and paid storage from $1.99/mo[\[16\]](https://www.amazon.com/photos "Source: www.amazon.com/photos"). * **OneDrive:** Microsoft's storage, with photo backup built into the mobile app; storage is shared with the free OneDrive tier and Microsoft 365 plans[\[17\]](https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/cloud-storage "Source: www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/onedrive/cloud-storage"). These are fine if your goal is simply to leave Google, but they do not change the underlying deal: your photos live with a company that holds the keys. ## Photography and Archival Options * **Flickr:** the photography community and portfolio option, with a free tier and a Pro subscription for unlimited uploads[\[18\]](https://www.flickr.com/account/upgrade/pro "Source: www.flickr.com/account/upgrade/pro"). Great for photographers who want visibility, not a private family archive. * **Backblaze B2 and S3-compatible storage:** for the 3-2-1 backup mindset, object storage at around $6/TB/mo is the cheap way to keep an independent, cold copy of your library[\[19\]](https://www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/pricing "Source: www.backblaze.com/cloud-storage/pricing"). It is storage, not a photo app: you pair it with a tool to browse or transfer. Blober supports B2 and the whole S3 family, so this is a natural pairing if you want a private archive you fully control. See [How to Backup Google Photos Without Google Takeout](/kb/articles/how-to-backup-google-photos-without-takeout/) for the workflow. ## The Hard Part: Getting Your Photos Out of Google None of this matters until your library is out of Google Photos, and that is the step every alternative expects you to handle yourself: * **Google Takeout** is the official export, but it is slow, splits into 2 GB zips, and flattens albums (Proton's own import guide even warns about scattered folders)[\[20\]](https://proton.me/support/how-to-import-from-google-photos "Source: proton.me/support/how-to-import-from-google-photos"). * **Blober** connects to Google Photos directly and transfers the library to any supported destination, including Proton Drive, pCloud, Backblaze B2, or a local drive, without Takeout. See [How to Move Google Photos to Proton Drive](/kb/articles/move-google-photos-to-proton-drive/) and [How to Backup Google Photos to pCloud](/kb/articles/backup-google-photos-to-pcloud/). * Whichever destination you pick, keep the originals until the transfer finishes and verify a sample before deleting anything from Google. ## Which Should You Pick? * **Privacy + a managed app, no self-hosting:** Ente Photos or Proton Photos. * **Total control, no subscription:** self-host Immich (or a NAS). * **Already on Apple or Prime:** iCloud Photos or Amazon Photos are the least-effort swaps. * **Photography portfolio:** Flickr. * **Cheap independent archive:** Backblaze B2 / S3 storage. * **Also want an encrypted file cloud, Docs, and Sheets:** Proton Photos via Proton Drive. ## Frequently Asked Questions **What is the best private alternative to Google Photos?** For a managed service, Ente Photos is the community favorite: end-to-end encrypted, open source, 10 GB free, with face recognition and shared albums[\[21\]](https://ente.io "Source: ente.io")[\[22\]](https://www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/ "Source: www.reddit.com/r/degoogle/comments/1usbx5o/alternatives_to_google_photos/"). For a photo surface inside a broader encrypted cloud, Proton Photos. **Is there a free self-hosted Google Photos alternative?** Yes. Immich is open source and free; you only pay for the hardware it runs on[\[23\]](https://immich.app "Source: immich.app"). It includes facial recognition and automatic mobile backup. **Does Amazon Photos give you unlimited storage?** For Prime members, unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB for video. Non-Prime customers get 5 GB total, with paid plans from $1.99/mo[\[24\]](https://www.amazon.com/photos "Source: www.amazon.com/photos"). **How do I move my Google Photos library to another service?** You can use Google Takeout (slow, zip-based) or a direct transfer tool. Blober connects to Google Photos and transfers to Proton Drive, pCloud, B2, or a local drive without Takeout. See [How to Backup Google Photos Without Google Takeout](/kb/articles/how-to-backup-google-photos-without-takeout/) and [How to Move Google Photos to Proton Drive](/kb/articles/move-google-photos-to-proton-drive/). **Will Google delete my photos if I stop using Google Photos?** Google's policy states that if you are inactive in Google Photos for 2 years or more, your content may be deleted[\[25\]](https://support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791 "Source: support.google.com/photos/answer/6220791"). This is one of the strongest reasons to hold an independent copy. **What about Proton Photos specifically?** It is the photo surface inside Proton Drive: end-to-end encrypted, 5 GB free, paid tiers start with 200 GB on Drive Plus, with albums and automatic backup but no face recognition yet. See [Proton Photos vs Google Photos](/kb/articles/proton-photos-vs-google-photos/). ## Related Guides * [Proton Photos vs Google Photos](/kb/articles/proton-photos-vs-google-photos/) * [How is Proton Drive different to Proton Photos?](/kb/articles/proton-drive-vs-proton-photos/) * [How to Move Google Photos to Proton Drive](/kb/articles/move-google-photos-to-proton-drive/) * [How to Backup Google Photos Without Google Takeout](/kb/articles/how-to-backup-google-photos-without-takeout/) * [How to Backup Google Photos to pCloud](/kb/articles/backup-google-photos-to-pcloud/) * [Migrating To or From Proton Drive](/kb/articles/migrate-to-or-from-proton-drive/)