Notes 
Your photos are encrypted and hosted in datacenters in The Netherlands and France (Source). Migration options available: Local HDD, Google, Apple and Amazon Photos. Free trial of 1 GB for 365 days available. Use coupon code “PRIVACYTOOLS” to get 10% off in the first year.
Reviewed by Gabriel Bachmann
ente
ente.io 4.9 (12)
Photo Storage Open Source E2E encrypted Self-hosted Bitcoin Windows macOS Linux Android iOS Web Freemium India
Rate ente: No account needed
Threat level
Covered
A covered pick. Anyone can use it as a private drop-in, with no setup or know-how. Enough for most people. Threat levels
Our take
Ente is the photo-storage recommendation that does not ask you to compromise: end-to-end encrypted, open source, and a real cross-platform app on both Android and iOS, which is rare in this space. You trust its servers to hold the encrypted blobs, but the keys stay yours, and there is a self-host path if you would rather not trust anyone. For most people who want a private Google Photos replacement that actually works day to day, this is the one to pick.
GitHub at a glance
ente/ente AGPL-3.0 2faandroidauthye2eeencryptionend-to-end-encryptionfluttergolanggoogle-photosgoogle-photos-alternativeiosopensourcephotosprivacyprivacy-toolstypescriptzero-knowledge
Stars
29,872
+187 this week
Forks
1,894
80 watching
Last commit
today
healthy
Latest release
photos-v1.3.68
1d ago, 100+ total
Star history
Issues
89% closed
183
open
1,543
closed
+29 / -34
opened / closed, last 4 weeks
Opened vs closed, last 12 weeks
Commits, last 26 weeks
10,873 commits, active 26 of 26 weeks
372 contributors since Nov 2022
Languages
- Dart 36.8%
- TypeScript 26.4%
- Rust 18.7%
- Other 18.1%
Updated daily from the GitHub API. Star tracking since Jun 10, 2026.
Website at a glance
ente.io
B score 75
Solid website security headers
Graded by Mozilla HTTP Observatory, tested 1d ago
Inspect this site yourself
Measures the security configuration of the tool's own website, not the privacy of the product itself. A strong tool can still score low here.
ente alternatives
Internxt Photos Internxt is a privacy-focused platform for encrypted photo storage with zero-knowledge encryption and anonymous accounts. It offers 1GB free forever, paid plans from €4.99, and…
Cryptee Free accounts come with 100MB storage. Your documents are encrypted before they leave your device, so Cryptee can't see your documents. Use the code "privacytools" at the…
Immich Self-hosted photo and video backup with mobile apps, AI search, and a Google Photos-like interface.
PhotoPrism No hosted solution available yet, but coming soon. Tag and find pictures automatically. Try the demo .
Piwigo Cloud-hosted and self-hosted versions available. Comes with user management. Demo .
ente license, in plain English
AGPL-3.0 Strong copyleft · network
Free to use, even commercially. Changes must be published under the same license, and running a modified version as a network service counts as distributing it.
Permits
- Commercial use
- Modification
- Distribution
- Patent use
- Private use
Requires
- Disclose source
- Network use is distribution
- Same license
- State changes
- License and copyright notice
Does not provide
- Liability cover
- Warranty
Why it matters: The network clause is the point. Anyone who runs a modified version as a hosted service has to publish those changes, so the code handling your data stays inspectable. This is why privacy-first projects reach for AGPL.
Plain-language summary of the project's license, not legal advice. Read the full text for the exact terms.