Ente vs PhotoPrism: Encryption, Phone Backup, Pricing
Updated
PhotoPrism and Ente Photos are for different jobs. PhotoPrism indexes a photo archive that already lives on a disk you control. Ente backs up the photos on your phone and encrypts them first.
Ente encrypts photos on your device before upload, so the server can't read them. PhotoPrism's Community Edition doesn't encrypt the library: the server reads the files in order to index them. There is no official mobile app.
The short answer
PhotoPrism is free if you keep the files on a server you run. Face recognition and search run on that server. Ente backs up the phone, encrypts every photo, and has official iOS and Android apps. You can self-host Ente too. The server is smaller, because search runs on your devices.
How Ente compares with PhotoPrism
This table covers encryption, phone backup and what you run yourself. Prices are further down.
| Feature |  Ente Photos | PhotoPrism |
|---|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted photos | Available: Yes, every photo | Not available: No, not end-to-end encrypted |
| Open source | Available: Yes, apps and server | Available: Yes, Community edition, AGPL |
| Face recognition | Available: Yes, on your device | Available: Yes, People & Faces |
| Index folders already on disk | Not available: No, photos are uploaded | Available: Yes, keeps folder structure |
| Automatic phone backup | Available: Yes, iOS and Android apps | Conditions or a different workflow: Via third-party apps such as PhotoSync |
| Official mobile app | Available: Yes | Not available: No, PWA and PhotoSync |
| Album links | Available: Yes, no account needed | Available: Yes, Album Links |
| Free to start | Available: Yes, 10 GB hosted | Available: Yes, Community edition |
| Minimum server | Available: Yes, 1 GB RAM, 1 core | Available: Yes, 2 cores, 3 GB RAM, 4 GB swap |
| Download originals | Available: Yes, export | Available: Yes, Download as ZIP |
An archive in place, or a phone backup
PhotoPrism indexes files that are already on the machine. It can keep the folder structure, and it recognizes people and faces. Album links are in every edition. The Community edition is free and AGPL.
It is not a phone backup app. There is no official iOS or Android app. You install the web app, or you use a WebDAV app such as PhotoSync. Some of PhotoSync's transfer options need a paid upgrade after the trial.
Ente's phone apps back up on their own, and the photos are encrypted before they upload. You can share an album with a link that doesn't need an account. Search and faces run on the device, not in the web app. If you don't want to run the server, Ente hosts it for you.
Ente Photos vs. PhotoPrism: Which Is Better for You?
Choose Ente Photos if:
- You want end-to-end encrypted photo and video storage.
- You don't want to run or maintain a server.
- You want on-device face recognition and Magic Search.
- You want managed storage, redundancy, and backups.
- You want encrypted sharing that doesn't depend on exposing your own server.
- You want official mobile and desktop apps.
- You want the option to self-host while retaining end-to-end encryption.
Choose PhotoPrism if:
- You specifically want to self-host your photo library.
- You already have a NAS, home server, VPS, or homelab.
- You want direct control over your storage infrastructure.
- You're comfortable managing updates, backups, networking, and storage.
- You want server-side face recognition and metadata-driven search, for free.
- You prefer a free or optional-membership model over a storage subscription.
Storage & pricing
Current Ente Photos plans are on the pricing page.
Ente Photos
10 GB free
- Extra 10 GB with a referral code for new users.
- Earn 10 GB when a friend upgrades to a paid plan.
50 GB for $2.99/month
Billed monthly
PhotoPrism
Community free
Membership prices are in euros and billed annually.
Essentials €2.00/month
Billed annually
Prices are in USD unless otherwise indicated. Local prices and taxes may differ.
Move from PhotoPrism to Ente
Read the full upload guide. PhotoPrism's originals are files on the server. Albums may not be folders.
- 1
Copy the originals folder.
PhotoPrism stores media directly in the server's file system. Copy that originals folder to the computer you will upload from.
- 2
Download albums if you need them as folders.
PhotoPrism's editions table includes Download as ZIP. Use it if you want an album as a folder before upload.
- 3
Upload the folders to Ente.
In the Ente desktop app, click Upload → Folder, choose Separate albums when each folder should become an album, review the counts and click Start upload.
- 4
Turn on phone backup and save the recovery key.
Turn on backup in Ente Photos. If you lose both your password and your recovery key, Ente can't unlock the photos for you.
Try Ente alongside PhotoPrism. Uploading to Ente doesn't delete anything from PhotoPrism. Check your albums and dates before you clean anything up.
Frequently asked questions
Is PhotoPrism free?
The Community edition is free, and it includes People and Faces, Album Links and Download as ZIP. Essentials is €2.00 a month and Plus starts at €6.00 a month, billed annually. A hosted PhotoPrism on PikaPods starts at $6.50 a month.
Is PhotoPrism end-to-end encrypted?
It supports HTTPS to protect the connection, and you can encrypt the server's disk, but neither is end-to-end encryption. PhotoPrism stores files directly on the server's file system. Ente encrypts every photo on your device.
Does PhotoPrism have a mobile app?
No official iOS or Android app. PhotoPrism lists "PWA & PhotoSync": an installable web app, and third-party WebDAV apps. PhotoSync's paid transfer options need an upgrade after the free trial. Ente has official iOS and Android apps that back up the camera roll.
Immich vs PhotoPrism vs Ente?
PhotoPrism indexes an archive in place and doesn't encrypt it. Immich is a self-hosted library with server-side search, and it isn't end-to-end encrypted either. Ente encrypts every photo and backs up your phone, hosted or self-hosted. The Ente vs Immich comparison goes further on Immich.
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