Photoview
Maps existing folders directly into a clean web gallery with RAW, EXIF, users, albums, links, and downloads; your directory tree stays the boss.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- AGPL-3.0+
- Hosting Model
- Self-host (your server)
- Platforms
- webself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Docker Compose with SQLite, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL and one or more mounted media folders
- Operational Setup
- Docker plus careful volume paths and host-file permissions; safe remote access also needs a reverse proxy or VPN and TLS
- Where Your Data Lives
- Original photos remain in the mounted folder tree; the database stores users, albums, indexes, and face metadata, while a media-cache directory stores thumbnails and optimized video
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It mirrors your folder tree into a clean gallery but lacks Flickr's social network, public discovery, communities, comments and portfolio audience.
Replaces 3 paid apps
up to $40/mo ($480/yr) in subscriptions
Photoview FAQ
Common questions
Is Photoview free and open source?+
Photoview is an open-source tool licensed under AGPL-3.0+ that runs on self-host. Maps existing folders directly into a clean web gallery with RAW, EXIF, users, albums, links, and downloads; your directory tree stays the boss.
What paid software does Photoview replace?+
Photoview serves as a free replacement for 3 paid SaaS applications: Flickr Pro, SmugMug, Zenfolio, saving up to $40/month ($480/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Photoview?+
Installation: Docker Compose with SQLite, MariaDB, or PostgreSQL and one or more mounted media folders. Setup notes: Docker plus careful volume paths and host-file permissions; safe remote access also needs a reverse proxy or VPN and TLS
What is the catch or trade-off with Photoview?+
It mirrors your folder tree into a clean gallery but lacks Flickr's social network, public discovery, communities, comments and portfolio audience.