Noodle Gallery

Noodle Gallery is a self-hosted photo and video library for people who want control of their media and can manage a server. Its strongest case is an uncapped, subscription-free archive with shared timelines; its trade-off is that the hardware and installation are yours to provide.

Overview

The free plan avoids both a recurring fee and a storage ceiling, which is appealing for a growing collection. But “free” does not mean hosted: you need suitable hardware, must install the software, and remain responsible for operating the server. Choose another service if you want someone else to handle that work.

Photos, videos, metadata, face-recognition data and user accounts stay on the user’s server; the developers say they cannot access them. The iOS and Android apps connect directly to that server and, according to the privacy policy, contain no analytics, tracking or crash reporting. That privacy approach is a strong fit for users who want their media kept on infrastructure they control, while making server security and upkeep their responsibility.

Key features

Shared Spaces let several people contribute to one chronological timeline without merging their individual libraries. That is useful for a household or group building a common record while keeping personal collections separate. The plan includes shared albums and family sharing, alongside original-quality storage and video backup.

The Cmd/Ctrl+K palette searches photos, people, places, tags, albums, Spaces, commands and settings. This broad search scope can help users navigate a large collection without relying on a single folder structure. Mobile apps for iOS and Android add background camera backup, CLIP search, a map and Shared Spaces, making the phone an active part of the archive.

For people moving from Google Photos, a browser-based import wizard reads Google Takeout archives and preserves dates, GPS coordinates, descriptions, favorites and album structure. The server supports S3-compatible storage, including AWS S3, MinIO, Cloudflare R2, Backblaze B2 and Wasabi, giving users several storage back ends rather than tying the archive to one provider.

Each running instance also serves OpenAPI-described REST API documentation and Swagger UI at /doc. The software is open source under AGPL-3.0, and the maker directs users to official documentation, Discord and GitHub issues for help.

Pricing

Free self-hosted: free, with no subscription. It includes uncapped storage, original-quality storage, face search, shared albums, family sharing and video backup, but runs on hardware you provide. For users with suitable equipment and the ability to maintain a server, that is a compelling way to avoid a service quota or subscription. The cost shifts to the hardware and the time needed to install and operate it; there is no hosted tier for users who would rather pay to hand off that responsibility.

The installation guide calls for at least 2 CPU cores, 4 GB RAM (6 GB or more for machine-learning features), Docker Engine v25+ with Compose v2, and about 10 GB for containers and database. Linux is recommended for the server, with macOS and Windows using WSL2 also supported. Those requirements make the plan less suitable for someone expecting a phone-only setup.

Platforms

Noodle Gallery supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted deployment, web and Windows. The mobile apps connect to the self-hosted server, so platform support does not remove the need to run that server.

Who it's for

This is best for technically confident individuals, families or groups who want a large private archive, shared timelines and control over where media is stored. It is less suitable for people who want a managed service, cannot provide the server requirements, or do not want responsibility for maintaining their storage setup.

Pros and cons

• Pro: No storage cap or subscription, making it practical for collections that may outgrow fixed hosted quotas.
• Pro: Shared Spaces combine a chronological group timeline with separate personal libraries.
• Pro: Google Photos imports preserve key organization and metadata, reducing the disruption of migration.
• Pro: Media and accounts stay on the user’s server, and the mobile apps avoid analytics, tracking and crash reporting according to the privacy policy.
• Con: Users must supply hardware and install the service; the machine-learning features call for at least 6 GB of RAM.
• Con: Server operation and safeguarding fall to the user rather than a hosted provider.

Alternatives

Consider IDrive if you want a freemium storage service with a 100 GB, one-user IDrive Mini plan at $0.25 a month, rather than providing your own server.

Amazon Photos is another freemium option, with a 5 GB shared free allowance for photos and videos and an Amazon Prime benefit that includes unlimited full-resolution photo storage.

Choose Cryptee if you prefer its open-source software and cryptography and can work within its 100 MB free plan.

Ente Photos offers a 10 GB free plan with one replica and 100 Locker items, and may suit users looking for a freemium option with defined storage limits.

Permafiles offers a fully managed Nextcloud Free plan with 5 GB storage, daily offsite backups, antivirus protection, Talk and Office.

PhotoPrism is a close alternative for self-hosters: its free Community plan offers unlimited storage and instances, AGPL open source and community support.

Stingle Photos is worth comparing if you want an open-source photo service with a defined 1 GB free plan.

Consider Flickr if a hosted service with public uploads suits you better: its free plan allows 1,000 photo and video uploads and displays ads.

For a broader comparison, browse Photo Storage Services.

Verdict

Noodle Gallery is a strong choice for people who can run a server and want uncapped, private media storage with shared family timelines and useful migration tools. Its central advantage is freedom from storage limits and subscription fees; its central drawback is that hardware, installation and ongoing server care are part of the deal. If you want a managed photo library, choose a hosted alternative instead.