Freedom251 › Photo Storage Services
Stingle Photos
What Stingle Photos is
Stingle Photos is a gallery and camera app for backing up and syncing photos and videos across devices signed in to the same account. Files are encrypted on the device before being sent to cloud storage, and Stingle says sensitive photo and video metadata is encrypted in the file header. Its security page names XChaCha20 with Poly1305, X25519 and Argon2. Background backup, video recording and playback, and encrypted sharing with other Stingle users are supported. The product is open source under GPLv3 and is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows, with API access and self-hosting options. The free plan includes 1 GB; paid plans start at $2.99 per month for 100 GB. Other listed options include 300 GB for $4.99 per month and 1 TB for $11.99 per month, with yearly plans also available. Self-hosting requires a Linux distribution, S3-compatible storage, a domain name and Git. Stingle says it cannot recover or change a forgotten password, so users should keep their recovery phrase.
Who it suits
Stingle Photos suits people who want photo and video backup with local encryption, cross-device sync and shared albums. Its self-hosting option may suit users able to provide the listed server prerequisites.
What it does well
- Free plan includes 1 GB of storage.
- Encrypts files locally before cloud transfer.
- Supports background backup and cross-device sync.
- Open source under the GPLv3 license.
- Offers self-hosting and encrypted shared albums.
What to know first
- Provider cannot recover or change forgotten passwords.
- Self-hosting requires Linux, S3-compatible storage, a domain and Git.
- Free plan is limited to 1 GB.
Limits
The free plan includes 1 GB of storage. Paid storage starts at $2.99 per month for 100 GB.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 1 GB cloud storage | Free |
| 1 TB yearly | $111.99/year (save $23.89) · 1 TB cloud storage | $111.99 a year |
| 1 TB monthly | $11.99/month · 1 TB cloud storage | $11.99 a month |
| 100 GB monthly | $2.99/month · 100 GB cloud storage | $2.99 a month |
| 100 GB yearly | $29.90/year (save $5.98) · 100 GB cloud storage | $29.90 a year |
| 3 TB monthly | $35.99/month · 3 TB cloud storage | $35.99 a month |
| 3 TB yearly | $359.99/year (save $71.89) · 3 TB cloud storage | $359.99 a year |
| 300 GB monthly | $4.99/month · 300 GB cloud storage | $4.99 a month |
The first 8 of 10 plans, as stingle.org lists them, read 15 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word. Every plan
Getting started
- Visit https://stingle.org/.
- Choose the free 1 GB plan or a paid storage plan.
- Use Stingle Photos on Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, or Windows.
- Sign in with the same account on devices you want to sync.
- Save the recovery phrase for account recovery.
- For self-hosting, prepare Linux, S3-compatible storage, a domain name, and Git.
Verdict
Stingle Photos combines encrypted photo and video backup with sync, playback and sharing. Consider the password recovery limitation and storage capacity when choosing a plan.
Questions
Is Stingle Photos free?
Yes. Its free plan includes 1 GB of storage.
How much do paid plans cost?
Paid storage starts at $2.99 per month for 100 GB. Other listed options include monthly and yearly plans with larger storage amounts.
Which platforms does it support?
The listed platforms are Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. API access and self-hosting are also listed.
Is Stingle Photos open source?
Yes. It is open source under the GPLv3 license.
Can the provider recover a forgotten password?
No. The provider cannot recover or change a forgotten password; users are advised to save the recovery phrase.
Can users host their own server?
Yes. Users can host their own Stingle API server. Listed prerequisites include a Linux distribution, S3-compatible storage, a domain name, and Git.
Facts from Stingle Photos's own pages
- Account recovery
- The FAQ says the provider cannot recover or change a forgotten password and recommends saving the recovery phrase. · stingle.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Albums
- Albums use separate encryption keys so collections can be shared without reuploading the underlying files. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Albums and sharing
- Albums can be shared with other Stingle users using encrypted album keys. · stingle.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Algorithms
- Its security page names XChaCha20 with Poly1305 for file data, X25519 for public-key cryptography, and Argon2 for key derivation. · stingle.org, 7 Oct 2026
- API extensibility
- The API server supports addons that can add packages, configuration, controllers, views and scheduled jobs without changing core code. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- API licence
- The public Stingle API server repository is licensed under AGPL-3.0. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Background backup
- Photos and videos can upload in the background and synchronize to other devices on the same account. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Browser client
- The public web repository describes a browser client that can browse galleries, albums and trash and upload encrypted media. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Client licence
- The Android client repository identifies GPL-3.0 as its licence. · github.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Company profile
- LinkedIn lists Stingle Inc. as a privately held software company headquartered in Middletown, Delaware, founded in 2020, with 2–10 employees. · linkedin.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Cryptography
- The security design uses Libsodium, XChaCha20-Poly1305, X25519 and Argon2. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Desktop downloads
- Native desktop packages are offered for Windows, macOS and Linux; the listed desktop version is 0.1.8. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Encryption
- Files are encrypted on the device before storage or transmission, including their cloud copies. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Hosting
- The FAQ identifies DigitalOcean for hosting and Wasabi for encrypted-file storage. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Independent review
- Ars Technica characterized Stingle as a minimalist FOSS mobile app that encrypts media before uploading and offers a simple album-like experience. · arstechnica.com, 15 Oct 2026
- iOS
- The maker’s August 2026 blog post says the iOS app is available on the App Store and has a built-in camera. · blog.stingle.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Limit: Apple reviews
- The US App Store review page shows complaints about unstable syncing, failed downloads or decryption, lack of a web interface and lost photos. · apps.apple.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: Google Play organization
- A reviewer noted the absence of keyword-based AI search and asked for more free storage, while viewing the lack of AI positively for privacy. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: Google Play upload speed
- A reviewer reported that video uploads were extremely slow even on fast Wi-Fi and requested a way to exclude videos from automatic upload. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: Google Play usability
- Another reviewer described settings navigation as buggy and said encrypted files were difficult to access for editing on another computer. · play.google.com, 15 Oct 2026
- Local-only mode
- Backup can be disabled so the app stores encrypted media locally, limited by device capacity. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Metadata
- Stingle says sensitive photo and video metadata is encrypted in the file header. · stingle.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Metadata privacy
- Sensitive metadata such as file type, filename and original size is kept inside encrypted headers. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
- Mobile distribution
- The download page links an Android APK, while iOS distribution is through Apple's App Store. · stingle.org, 15 Oct 2026
Where Stingle Photos stands on Freedom251
- Photo Storage Services#4 of 71