Layer 3 · self-hosting reality check
What it actually takes to self-host Immich
The docs say 4 GB. In practice you want 8 GB. Here is the honest version — real requirements, real monthly cost, what you will be maintaining, and the one thing that catches people out.
Usually reached from Google Photos alternatives, where Immich is one of the picks.
| RAM — documented minimum | 4 GB |
|---|---|
| RAM — what it really needs | 8 GB |
| CPU | 4 vCPU; a GPU cuts ML tasks from hours to minutes but is not required |
| Disk | Library size + ~25% for thumbnails and transcodes |
| Monthly cost | $25–45/mo for a 500 GB library, or effectively free on a home machine with the storage you already have |
| Setup time | 2 hours, plus a long first ingest |
| How you install it | docker compose — the official stack includes PostgreSQL with pgvector, Redis and a separate ML container |
| Ongoing maintenance | Active. Immich releases frequently and has historically shipped breaking changes; read the release notes before every upgrade rather than after. |
| Where it stops scaling | Tens of thousands of photos comfortably. Storage and ML throughput bind before the app does. |
The thing that catches people out
The first ingest of a large library is measured in days, not hours, because it generates thumbnails and runs face and object recognition over everything. People start it, see the machine pinned at 100% for two days, and assume something is broken. It is not — but do not start it the evening before you need the machine.
When not to self-host Immich
The library is irreplaceable family photos and you have no tested off-site backup. Immich is excellent and still young; treat it as the interface to your photos, not the only copy of them.
Every guide here carries this section. A site that only ever tells you to self-host is selling something — the useful answer is sometimes no.
Other Layer 3 self-hosting guides
Common questions
- How much RAM does Immich actually need?
- 8 GB in practice. The documented minimum is 4 GB, which is the figure at which the process starts rather than the figure at which it works under real use. 4 vCPU; a GPU cuts ML tasks from hours to minutes but is not required alongside it.
- What does self-hosting Immich cost per month?
- $25–45/mo for a 500 GB library, or effectively free on a home machine with the storage you already have This is commodity VPS pricing and excludes your time, which is the larger cost for most people — budget for active. Immich releases frequently and has historically shipped breaking changes; read the release notes before every upgrade rather than after.
- How long does it take to set up Immich?
- 2 hours, plus a long first ingest, via docker compose — the official stack includes PostgreSQL with pgvector, Redis and a separate ML container.
- When should I NOT self-host Immich?
- The library is irreplaceable family photos and you have no tested off-site backup. Immich is excellent and still young; treat it as the interface to your photos, not the only copy of them.
- What is the most common mistake when self-hosting Immich?
- The first ingest of a large library is measured in days, not hours, because it generates thumbnails and runs face and object recognition over everything. People start it, see the machine pinned at 100% for two days, and assume something is broken. It is not — but do not start it the evening before you need the machine.