PiGallery2
PiGallery2 is a free, MIT-licensed photo gallery website for self-hosting on low-resource servers, including Raspberry Pi.
What PiGallery2 is
PiGallery2 is a free, MIT-licensed photo gallery website for self-hosting on low-resource servers, including Raspberry Pi. It keeps an existing folder structure: files on disk remain the source of truth, while the database is a rebuildable cache. Photos appear in a grid with recursive folder browsing and render as visitors scroll. Search supports boolean logic, negation, exact and wildcard matches, and autocomplete; saved searches provide an alternative to traditional database-only albums. The viewer offers full-screen mode, keyboard navigation, a slideshow and an optional information panel. Users can share folders through links that may be password protected, view photo locations on OpenStreetMap or Mapbox, and display GPX-tracked paths. Docker with Docker Compose is the recommended installation method, with images for amd64 and arm64v8; arm32v7 is deprecated. Native installation is possible for people familiar with Node.js but is not officially supported. The developer describes PiGallery2 as a hobby project with releases when features and available time permit. Database or configuration changes may require resets between releases, and database upgrade scripts are not provided.
Good
- Keeps files on disk as the source of truth
- Offers detailed search and autocomplete
- Folder sharing can use password-protected links
- Displays locations and GPX-tracked paths
- Free and MIT-licensed
Watch out
- Native installation is not officially supported
- arm32v7 Docker images are deprecated
- Database upgrade scripts are not provided
- Releases do not follow a fixed schedule
Who it suits
PiGallery2 suits people who want to host a gallery on a low-resource server and keep an organized collection in its existing folders. It is a fit for users comfortable with self-hosting and the recommended Docker setup.
Verdict
PiGallery2 offers browsing, search and sharing while leaving the photo folder intact. Its self-hosted approach and release-related reset requirements make it better suited to users comfortable managing their own server.
Plans and prices
From PiGallery2's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| PiGallery2 | Free | Self-hosted photo gallery · MIT-licensed |
The facts
Each one read from PiGallery2's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Authentication
- Available authentication options include no authentication, built-in basic authentication, and ORCID support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Data model
- The project treats files on disk as the source of truth and the database as a rebuildable cache; it uses saved searches instead of traditional database-only albums.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Deployment
- Docker with Docker Compose is the official recommended installation method; native installation is possible but unsupported.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Extensions
- Users can build extensions, with support mainly for server-side changes and minimal UI modifications.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Extensions and integrations
- It supports user-built extensions, Adobe XMP face-region metadata, ORCID authentication, and random-photo links for third-party applications.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Formats
- The documented formats include JPG, WebP, PNG, GIF, SVG, selected camera RAW formats depending on the Docker image, and MP4, OGG, OGV, and WebM video.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- The gallery supports OpenStreetMap, Mapbox, custom map tile providers, and OpenID Connect with Authentik.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Intended audience
- The project is intended for people who want to run a photo gallery on their own low-resource server while keeping their existing folder organization.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The maker describes the project as useful for people with organized photo collections who want to share them without uploading them to a third-party service.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The project is licensed under the MIT License.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Maps
- It plots photo location data on OpenStreetMap or Mapbox, supports custom map providers, and can display GPX tracks.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Native installation
- Native installation is possible for users familiar with Node.js, but is not officially supported.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Notable limitations
- The project does not provide database upgrade scripts, and database or configuration changes may require resets between releases.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Photo browsing
- It displays photos in a grid with recursive folder listings and on-demand rendering as users scroll.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Photo viewing
- Its photo viewer has an optional information panel, full-screen viewing, keyboard navigation, and slideshow support.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Privacy and storage
- The project describes the disk as the source of truth and the database as a rebuildable cache; its README says the photo folder is never modified.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- PiGallery2 is a directory-first photo gallery website designed for low-resource servers, including Raspberry Pi.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Release cadence
- The developer describes PiGallery2 as a hobby project, with releases when features are ready and time permits rather than on a fixed schedule.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Search
- Search supports boolean expressions, negation, exact and wildcard matches, autocomplete, and metadata filters.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Sharing
- Users can share photo folders through links that may be password protected.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Support and releases
- The developer describes PiGallery2 as a hobby project maintained in free time, with releases when features are ready rather than on a fixed schedule.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Supported architectures
- The Docker instructions list amd64, arm64v8, and deprecated arm32v7 architectures.checked 8 Oct 2026
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