Last updated: September 29, 2026
There are plenty of reasons to look for an Apple Photos alternative such as your storage filling up, you may use devices beyond Apple’s ecosystem, or you may simply want stronger privacy, better search tools, or storage you control yourself.
Why do people leave Apple Photos?
- Storage pressure: iCloud storage is shared across photos, backups, and files, so libraries fill it up fast.
- Outside Apple: Android, Windows, or mixed households don’t get the same smooth experience.
- Privacy defaults: Advanced Data Protection is optional, not on by default. Some people want encryption by default.
- Control: Some people want storage that they can run themselves.
The good news is that there are solid alternatives to Apple Photos. The right one depends on what you want to change.
The quick answer
Alternative | Best for | End-to-end encryption | Self-hosted | Photo specific features | Why choose it ? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ente Photos | Privacy without givingup modern photo features | Yes (default) | Available | High | Open source, on-device ML, audited E2EE |
Immich | Full control on your own hardware | N/A (you host it) | Yes | High | Closest self-hosted Google Photos feel |
Amazon Photos | Amazon Prime members | No | No | Medium | Unlimited full-resolution photos with Prime |
Proton Drive | Existing Proton users | Yes (default) | No | Low | Privacy ecosystem (Mail, VPN, Drive) |
OneDrive | Microsoft 365 users | No (encryption atrest/in transit; notE2EE) | No | Low | Camera backup inside Microsoft 365 |
pCloud | General cloud storage+ photo backup | Optional (Crypto add-on) | No | Low | Lifetime plans; files + photos together |
Ente Photos: Best for privacy and everyday convenience
Ente Photos is a good option if you want end-to-end encryption by default, rather than as an optional iCloud setting. It gives you a modern photo library without tying your photos to Apple devices.
Why choose Ente Photos?
Compared with Apple Photos, Ente encrypts your photos and videos by default. It also offers on-device face recognition and photo search, so private-photo features do not require Ente to scan the contents of your library.
It is open source and available on iPhone, Android, desktop, and web. You can also export your library if you decide to move later.
You can also self-host Ente if you want to run it on infrastructure you control, which means you will be managing your own server, storage, backups, and updates.
Trade-offs
Ente is a strong choice for private photo backup and a well-organized library. Ente also has storage-based plans after its free tier of 10GB; it doesn't offer unlimited storage.
Learn more
- Ente Features
- How Ente's on-device machine learning works
- Ente's security architecture
- Ente open-source code
Immich: Best for self-hosting
Immich is an option if you want your photos to live on hardware you control instead of Apple’s cloud. It is a self-hosted, open-source photo platform with automatic backup, a timeline, albums, sharing, face recognition, and search.
Why choose Immich?
Immich lets you run a photo library on a NAS, home server, or another machine you manage. Its iOS and Android apps can automatically back up photos from your phone. It gives you control over where your photos are stored, how much storage you buy, and how your backups are handled.
Trade-offs
Immich is not a hands-off replacement for Apple Photos. You are responsible for installation, updates, storage capacity, backups, security, and recovery when hardware fails.
Learn more
- Immich official site
- Immich documentation
- Immich Docker Compose installation guide
- Immich backup and restore guidance
Amazon Photos: Best for Amazon Prime members
Amazon Photos works if you already have Amazon Prime and want more photo storage without paying separately for iCloud. Eligible Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage.
Why choose Amazon Photos?
Amazon Photos can be a better value than Apple Photos for large libraries if Prime is already part of what you pay for. It includes automatic backup, albums, sharing, search, and Memories.
Trade-offs
Amazon Photos is not end-to-end encrypted. Video storage is limited separately, and its editing and photo-organisation tools are less developed than Apple Photos.
Learn more
Proton Drive: Best for Proton users
Proton Drive is an option if you already use Proton and want encrypted photo backup inside the same privacy-focused ecosystem.
Why choose Proton Drive ?
Proton Drive offers end-to-end encrypted photo backup and sharing. It is a natural option if you already use Proton Mail, Proton VPN, Proton Pass, or Proton Drive for other files.
Trade-offs
Proton’s photo experience is more basic than dedicated photo apps such as Ente or Immich. It is strong for encrypted backup, not advanced editing or deep photo discovery.
Learn more
OneDrive: Best for Microsoft 365 users
Choose OneDrive if you already use Microsoft 365 and want your phone photos backed up alongside your documents and files.
Why choose OneDrive?
OneDrive can automatically back up camera photos from iPhone and Android. It is convenient for people who already pay for Microsoft 365 and use OneDrive across Windows, Office, and work files.
Trade-offs
OneDrive is a cloud-storage service first, not a dedicated photo app. Its photo organisation and editing tools are less developed than Apple photos. It encrypts data in transit and at rest, but it is not end-to-end encrypted photo storage by default.
Learn more
- OneDrive
- Automatically save photos with OneDrive on iOS
- Automatically save photos with OneDrive on Android
pCloud: Best for general cloud storage and photos
pCloud is good if you want one place for photos, documents, videos, and other files and you prefer lifetime storage pricing.
Why choose pCloud?
pCloud includes automatic camera uploads and a photo gallery, while also functioning as general cloud storage. Its lifetime plans are the main differentiator for people who do not want another recurring subscription.
Trade-offs
pCloud is a general cloud-storage service first, not a dedicated photo app. Its zero-knowledge encryption option, pCloud Crypto, is a paid add-on rather than the default protection for every file.
Learn more
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Apple Photos alternative?
Ente Photos is the best Apple Photos alternative for most people who want more privacy without losing modern photo-app features. It offers end-to-end encryption by default, automatic backup, search, face recognition, sharing, and support across iPhone, Android, desktop, and web.
Can I move my Apple Photos library to another service?
Yes. You can download your photos and videos from iCloud, then upload or import them into another service. Large libraries can take hours to days to download from iCloud and upload to the new service.
Keep your Apple Photos library until you have checked that the new service has imported your photos, videos, dates, albums, and metadata correctly.
Do I need end-to-end encryption for my photos?
You need end-to-end encryption if you do not want the company storing your photos to be able to access them.
Choose Ente or Proton Drive if you want encrypted photo storage by default. Apple Photos can also protect your library with end-to-end encryption when you enable Advanced Data Protection.
Want a closer look? Compare each option with Ente Photos: https://ente.com/compare/