Why switching from Google Photos to a self-hosted server costs more than expected
By
Patrick Campanale
Front-window bakery material. Catches the eye, delivers the goods.
Summary
The author documents their attempt to switch from Google Photos to a self-hosted local photo server, ultimately concluding it's not cost-effective. They detail the hardware requirements (NAS, hard drives, SSDs), software options (Immich, Synology Photos), and hidden costs that add up to over $600 before backups. The article compares the upfront and ongoing costs of self-hosting versus Google Photos' subscription model, finding that for most users, Google Photos is cheaper and more convenient. The author also discusses technical challenges, backup strategies, and the 3-2-1 backup rule, ultimately recommending self-hosting only for those with specific needs like privacy concerns or large storage requirements.
Key quotes
· 5 pulledThe math just doesn't work out for most people. Google Photos is cheaper, easier, and more reliable than anything you can build yourself.
A decent NAS with two hard drives will set you back at least $400. Add an SSD for caching and you're looking at $500 before you even think about backups.
The 3-2-1 backup rule is non-negotiable. Three copies of your data, on two different media, with one off-site. That means your local server isn't a backup solution by itself.
Immich is impressive open-source software that rivals Google Photos in features, but it requires technical know-how to set up and maintain.
For the average person with 50GB of photos, Google Photos at $2/month is a no-brainer. Self-hosting only makes sense if you have terabytes of data or strong privacy requirements.
You might also wanna read
Piruetas: A minimalist, self-hosted private journal app
Piruetas is a minimalist, self-hosted private journal app that focuses on simplicity — one page per day with a clean, distraction-free inter
piruet.app·1mo ago
My Journey from Windows to Linux and Self-Hosting: A Personal Technical Evolution
The article details the author's personal journey of switching from Windows to Linux as their main operating system in 2023, inspired by You
hazemkrimi.tech·3mo ago
Transitioning from Spotify to Self-Hosted Media with Jellyfin and WireGuard
The article details the author's journey from being a Spotify Premium subscriber to self-hosting their media library after Spotify announced
layandreas.github.io·4mo ago
Umbrel: Personal Home Cloud Platform for Self-Hosting and Digital Ownership
Umbrel is a personal home cloud platform and operating system designed for self-hosting, allowing users to run their own home server instead
umbrel.com·5mo ago
Five-Year Experience Running a Self-Hosted Matrix Server: Protocol, Bridges, and Mobile Apps
A personal account of running a self-hosted Matrix server for five years, covering experiences with the Matrix protocol, Synapse server soft
yaky.dev·6mo ago
Rediscovering Self-Hosting Joy Through FreeBSD
The author describes their journey of rediscovering the joy of self-hosting through FreeBSD after feeling trapped by their previous technolo
jsteuernagel.de·7mo ago