Immich is a free, open-source, self-hosted photo and video backup application that you run on your own server via Docker, built as an alternative to cloud…
Best for Immich: People who want full control over their photo and video library and its storage location, willing to self-host via Docker (recommended minimum 6GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, PostgreSQL) with automatic mobile backup and facial clustering for organization.
Best for WeTransfer: Anyone needing to send large files or share media with a recipient who shouldn't need an account, using a free tier for occasional transfers and paid tiers (Starter at $6.99/month, Ultimate at $25/month) for higher volume and longer link expiration.
At a Glance
Immich
WeTransfer
Primary category
Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage
Rating
Not documented
Not documented
Pricing model
Open Source
freemium
Starting price
Free
Free (paid plans from $8/month)
Free plan
Yes
Yes
Free trial
Not documented
Not documented
Platforms
Web, iOS, Android
Web, iOS, Android, Mac
Team collaboration
Not documented
Not documented
AI features
Yes
Not documented
Public API
Not documented
Not documented
Key Differences
Core Purpose
Immich: An ongoing photo and video library and backup application built to organize, store, and let you browse your media long-term.
WeTransfer: A one-off file transfer and sharing tool where links and files expire by design.
One tool is built for permanent storage; the other explicitly is not.
Hosting Model
Immich: Self-hosted only, deployed via Docker on your own infrastructure with no official managed cloud version; users are responsible for their own server maintenance, backups, and updates.
WeTransfer: Fully hosted SaaS, with no self-hosting option and nothing to maintain.
Self-hosting means full data ownership but real operational responsibility.
Pricing
Immich: Entirely free and open source under the AGPL v3 license, with no paid tiers at all.
WeTransfer: Freemium: a free tier (10 transfers or 3GB per 30 days), then Starter at $6.99/month, Ultimate at $25/month (includes cloud storage), and custom Teams.
Immich has zero software licensing cost, though self-hosting carries its own infrastructure costs, while WeTransfer's paid tiers unlock higher volume and longer-lived links.
Organization Features
Immich: Web interface for browsing and organizing a media library, facial clustering to group photos, and multi-user support for adding accounts on the same server.
WeTransfer: Collect moodboards for organizing shareable visual boards and transfer tracking to see when files were opened or downloaded, but not documented as a persistent, searchable photo library.
Immich is built around long-term browsing and organization, while WeTransfer is built around tracking a single delivery.
Mobile Apps
Immich: Apps on the Apple App Store, Google Play, and F-Droid with automatic selective backup from the device.
WeTransfer: Native iOS, Android, and Mac menu-bar apps for sending files without opening a browser.
Both have mobile apps, but for different jobs: automatic ongoing backup versus manual file sending.
Feature-by-Feature
Storage & Organization
Feature
Immich
WeTransfer
Persistent photo/video library
Available
Unavailable
Facial clustering/organization tools
Available
Unavailable
Multi-user accounts on one instance
Available
Not documented
Automatic mobile backup
Available
Not documented
Sharing & Delivery
Feature
Immich
WeTransfer
No-account file delivery to recipients
Not documented
Available
Password-protected sharing
Not documented
Available
Transfer/download tracking
Not documented
Available
File requests (inbound collection links)
Not documented
Available
Pricing & Deployment
Feature
Immich
WeTransfer
Free tier
Available
Available
Self-hosting
Available
Unavailable
Paid managed plans
Unavailable
Available
Included cloud storage
Available
Available
Pricing Compared
Starting price reflects the lowest paid tier, not the full cost for every team size or usage level.
Immich
Self-Hosted — Free N/A (AGPL-3.0 license)
Optional Product Key — One-time donation One-time, via FUTO
WeTransfer
Free — $0 N/A
Starter — $8/month monthly
Ultimate — $23/month ($19/month billed yearly) monthly or annual
Pros & Cons
Immich
Pros
Completely free and open source with no feature paywall
Strong feature parity with Google Photos, including AI search and face grouping
Full data ownership through self-hosting
Active, fast-moving development backed by FUTO funding
Native iOS and Android apps for seamless automatic backup
Cons
Requires Docker and self-hosting knowledge plus your own server hardware or a VPS
No official managed cloud-hosted version from the core team
Ongoing maintenance and updates are the user's own responsibility
AI features can be resource-intensive for large libraries without decent CPU or GPU hardware
The project only reached a stable v2.0 release in October 2025, so earlier versions carried stability caveats
WeTransfer
Pros
Extremely simple, minimal-friction interface for sending large files
Generous free tier that requires no account for basic transfers
Popular and trusted brand among creative professionals
Useful add-ons like Portals and Reviews for creative collaboration
No restrictive file-type limits for common creative assets like video and design files
Cons
Free plan has tight transfer limits within a rolling 30-day window
Transfers expire, which can be a problem for long-term sharing or storage
Fewer granular admin and security controls than enterprise file-sharing tools
Ads and branding appear on free-tier transfer pages
Use Cases
Choose Immich: People who want full control over their photo and video library and its storage location, willing to self-host via Docker (recommended minimum 6GB RAM, 2 CPU cores, PostgreSQL) with automatic mobile backup and facial clustering for organization.
Choose WeTransfer: Anyone needing to send large files or share media with a recipient who shouldn't need an account, using a free tier for occasional transfers and paid tiers (Starter at $6.99/month, Ultimate at $25/month) for higher volume and longer link expiration.
Need both: Someone could run Immich as their permanent, self-hosted photo library with automatic mobile backup, and still reach for WeTransfer whenever they need to send a batch of photos to a friend or client who doesn't have access to their private Immich server.
Immich
Migrating off Google Photos — Families moving away from Google Photos or iCloud Photos while keeping automatic phone backup.
Homelab media server — Adding a self-hosted photo and video backup service to an existing homelab or NAS setup.
Private AI-powered photo search — Using facial recognition and semantic search on a personal photo library without uploading it to a cloud AI service.
WeTransfer
Sending Large Creative Files — Designers, photographers, and videographers share large project files with clients and collaborators.
Client File Collection and Feedback — Agencies and freelancers use Portals and Reviews to collect files and structured feedback from clients.
Quick One-Off File Sharing — General consumers and business users send occasional large files without setting up a full account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Immich free?
Yes, it's free and open-source software under the AGPL v3 license, with no paid tiers.
Is WeTransfer free to use?
Yes, the free plan allows up to 10 transfers or 3GB total every 30 days, with no recipient account required.
Does Immich have a managed cloud version?
No, it requires self-hosting via Docker; there's no official managed cloud version, so users are responsible for their own server maintenance, backups, and updates.
Can multiple people use one Immich server?
Yes, an admin user can create and manage additional user accounts on the same server.
Is WeTransfer suited for long-term photo storage?
No. Per WeTransfer's own listed limitations, files and links expire by design, so it isn't suited to long-term storage or archiving, unlike Immich, which is built to be a permanent library.
What are the server requirements for Immich?
A minimum of 6GB RAM and 2 CPU cores, Docker, and a PostgreSQL database.