Both are open-source and privacy-focused, but with different architectures: Immich is a self-hosted server, Lap is a local desktop app.
| Dimension | Lap | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud | No | No (self-hosted) |
| Local | Yes, desktop | Yes, on your server |
| Privacy | No account | Self-hosted |
| AI Search | Local AI | Server-side AI |
| RAW | Yes, 24 formats | Yes |
| Video | Yes | Yes |
| Offline | Fully offline | Needs server reachable |
| Open Source | Yes, GPL-3.0 | Yes, AGPL-3.0 |
| Price | Free | Free (self-hosted) |
| Platform | macOS / Windows / Linux desktop | Server + mobile apps |
Choose Immich if you want self-hosted cloud-like sync with mobile apps and are comfortable running a server. Choose Lap if you want a simple, local desktop app with zero infrastructure.
No. Immich is self-hosted and needs a server you maintain; Lap is a desktop app that opens folders on your own machine.
Immich, clearly — it has mobile apps and background upload. Lap is desktop-focused and better suited to organising an archive on a computer.
Both are free and open source. Immich needs hardware and hosting; Lap runs on the computer you already own.
Yes. Some people self-host Immich for phone uploads and keep Lap on the desktop for culling, duplicates and local search.
| Lap | Immich | |
|---|---|---|
| Where photos live | Local folders, no server required | Self-hosted server with a web and mobile client |
| Local AI search | On-device model, works with no network at all | Server-side ML, needs the server running |
| RAW support | RAW files indexed alongside JPEG | Growing support, server-dependent |
| Library size | 100,000+ local files | Depends on the host you run |
| Price | Free, open source | Free, open source (self-hosted) |
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Docker server + web/iOS/Android clients |
Immich is a self-hosted Google Photos replacement: phones upload to your server and everyone in the household browses from an app. Lap has no server and no upload step — it reads the disks you already own. Choose Immich if you want shared, phone-first access; choose Lap if you want a private desktop tool over an existing archive with zero infrastructure.
If the deciding factor is your library staying on your own disk, start with the free download and point Lap at one folder — you will know within a minute whether the index fits how you work.
One practical difference shows up on day two: Immich expects phones to upload into it, which means deciding who is allowed to add photos and keeping a server online. Lap simply points at directories that already exist, so a camera card, an external SSD and a shared network folder can all be indexed without changing how anyone else in the household works.
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