Nextcloud vs Immich for Photos (and When to Run Both)

Affiliate links. Disclosure

Date / checked: 2026-10-25. Versions pinned: Immich v3.3.5 (GitHub release). Nextcloud 34.0.5 (the version behind the official Docker image's stable/production tags and listed in the Nextcloud changelog, checked 2026-10-25; matches the nextcloud:34.0.5 tag recommended in our VPS guide. Nextcloud 35.0.2 is the newest major release; the /server/stable/ docs currently show "Nextcloud 35"). Nextcloud Photos app (bundled, README). Memories v10.2.0 (GitHub release, published 2026-10-23 15:40 JST; App Store lists 10.2.0 for Nextcloud 34.0.5 and 35, checked 2026-10-25).

Pick Immich if you mainly want a Google Photos replacement: phone backup, a timeline and search. Pick Nextcloud, with its Photos app or the Memories app, if you want files, calendar, contacts and sharing, with photos as one part. To get both, keep files in Nextcloud and add the folder to Immich as a read-only external library.

The short answer

• You mainly want a Google Photos replacement (phone backup, timeline, search): Immich. It's built for photos and videos.
• You want files, calendar, contacts and sharing, and photos are just one part: Nextcloud with the Photos app (or the third-party Memories app).
• Both: keep files in Nextcloud and point Immich at the same photo folder as a read-only external library.

What each one offers (official)

• Immich: a dedicated photo and video server. The quick start lists "at least 6GB of RAM and 2 CPU cores" (quick start). See Immich hardware requirements.
• Nextcloud Photos: "included in Nextcloud 18 and higher". Its README lists a timeline, favorites and tagging, slideshows, sharing and albums. It suggests the Recognize app for face and object recognition and the Preview Generator to pre-generate thumbnails (README).
• Memories is an optional third-party app in the Nextcloud App Store. It isn't part of Nextcloud itself.

Running both: Immich external library

The Immich docs show how to mount existing folders read-only and add them as an external library (External Libraries):

  immich-server:
    volumes:
      - ${UPLOAD_LOCATION}:/data
      - /path/to/nextcloud/photos:/mnt/media/nextcloud-photos:ro

Then go to Administration → External Libraries → Create Library and add /mnt/media/nextcloud-photos. Use the path inside the container.

Albums and descriptions you add in Immich for external assets are "only stored inside Immich and will not be persisted to the external asset file". If you move a file within the library, that metadata is lost on rescan. With :ro, Immich can't delete your files. Without it, it can.

The docs also say automatic file watching is experimental and "likely won't work" on network drives. Use the nightly scan instead.

Backups

Each app needs its own backup. For Immich, see Immich backup and restore and offsite backup with restic. For a Nextcloud VPS, see Nextcloud AIO on a VPS.

Related: install Immich

Sources

• https://github.com/immich-app/immich/releases/tag/v3.3.5
• https://docs.immich.app/overview/quick-start/
• https://docs.immich.app/features/libraries/
• https://github.com/nextcloud/photos (README)
• https://apps.nextcloud.com/apps/memories
• https://github.com/pulsejet/memories/releases/tag/v10.2.0
• https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/34/user_manual/en/ (Nextcloud 34 manual, matching the pin)

Related guides

• Immich Docker Compose Setup (Version-Pinned, Update-Safe)
• Move Google Photos to Immich with Google Takeout and immich-go
• Immich Backup and Restore: Step-by-Step Guide
• Immich Hardware Requirements and Sizing: Sizing Worksheet
• Immich Offsite Backup with restic: Step-by-Step Guide
• All Immich pages
• Comparisons
• All guides