Self-host Immich on a no-KYC VPS
Replace Google Photos and iCloud Photos with a self-hosted alternative that does AI search, face recognition, and auto-upload from your phone. Anonymous signup, no email required, no KYC. Pay with crypto or card, full root, no logs.
Quick start: Immich on Servury via Docker Compose
Tested on Ubuntu 24. Pick a 4 GB+ plan, deploy, SSH in.
# 1. Install Docker
curl -fsSL https://get.docker.com | sh
# 2. Grab Immich's official compose template
mkdir -p /opt/immich && cd /opt/immich
wget https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/docker-compose.yml
wget -O .env https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/latest/download/example.env
# 3. Edit .env: set UPLOAD_LOCATION (e.g. /opt/immich/library) and DB password
nano .env
# 4. Start everything
docker compose up -d
# 5. Open http://YOUR_SERVER_IP:2283, create admin user
# 6. Install Immich app on phone, point to https://photos.yourdomain.com
# (put Caddy in front for HTTPS)
Why people are leaving Google Photos for Immich
Auto-upload, AI search ("beach 2023"), face recognition, places, memories, shared albums, web + iOS + Android clients. The closest open-source clone.
Google's free tier is 15 GB. A Servury VPS gets you 50-500+ GB depending on plan, and you can attach extra block storage as you grow.
Immich's AI runs locally on the VPS. Your photos never leave the server. No third party scans them, no telemetry, no training.
Official iOS and Android apps with background photo+video upload. Same UX as Google Photos but pointing at your VPS.
Multiple accounts with separate libraries, plus shared albums. One VPS hosts the whole family's photo backup.
Google compresses on free tier. Immich stores originals untouched, including RAW formats. Encode previews on the server.
Frequently asked questions
How much RAM and disk do I need?
Minimum 4 GB RAM (machine learning models for face/object recognition need it). 8 GB is more comfortable if your library is large. For storage, count your existing photo library size and add 30% for thumbnails and metadata. A starter rule: 100 GB disk handles ~10 years of phone photography for one person.
Will the AI search work without a GPU?
Yes. Immich uses CPU-friendly ML models that run on any modern x86 CPU. Initial library indexing takes longer (hours, depending on size), but normal browsing and search are fast.
How do I import my existing Google Photos library?
Use Google Takeout to download everything, then run the Immich CLI uploader: it preserves original timestamps, EXIF, and album structure. Most people import overnight.
Can I share albums publicly?
Yes, with optional password and expiry, just like Google Photos. Or share to specific Immich users.
Does it work offline?
The mobile app caches recent photos for offline viewing. Uploads queue and resume when you have connectivity.
How do I back up the library?
rsync the upload directory + Postgres dump on a schedule. Or use restic for encrypted backups to remote storage. Always have backups.
Is Immich production-ready?
It hit v1.x stable in 2024 and reached its first general-availability release. Tens of thousands of self-hosters use it daily. Active development, monthly releases.
Does Servury log my photo traffic?
No. No application-level logging on customer servers. Anonymous signup, crypto/card payment, no logs.
