Ente

Key features

• End-to-end encrypted backup Photos and videos are encrypted on your device before upload, so the server stores ciphertext it cannot read, while sync still works everywhere.[1][2]

• Original-quality preservation Backup keeps full original quality instead of recompressing your library, which matters for households archiving years of photos.[1]

• Apps on every platform Native apps cover iOS, Android, desktop, and web, with an F-Droid build for Google-free Android, so one account spans the whole household.[1][2]

• Private sharing and albums Shareable links with passwords and expiry plus collaborative albums let families pool photos without giving the provider access.[1][2]

• On-device machine learning Face recognition, magic search, and memories run on your device, so search and grouping work without sending image content to a cloud model.[1][2]

• Family plans Dedicated family plans let several members share storage under one bill instead of juggling separate accounts.[1][2]

• Ente Auth companion A separate Auth app handles 2FA codes with offline end-to-end encrypted sync across devices and import from Google Authenticator.[1]

• Audited and self-hostable The code is open source and independently audited; the hosted cloud replicates data three times across EU data centers, and the AGPL server can run on your own hardware.[1][2]

Who will love it

• Privacy-first households leaving Google Photos: zero-knowledge encryption plus original-quality backup removes the core reason many people stay, and family plans cover the whole home.[1][2]

• Families that share constantly: collaborative albums and password-protected links reproduce the sharing workflows people miss most after degoogling.[1][2]

• Self-hosters with operations capacity: the AGPL server, Docker images, and documented guide let you run the full stack privately.[1][2]

Who should avoid it

• Buyers needing a decades-scale longevity guarantee: one independent review notes the small team behind the product, so archivists planning in decades should weigh that single-sourced caution.[1]

• Sharers wanting every control free: link expiry and some support conveniences sit on paid plans per one review, so free-tier users should check which sharing controls their tier includes.[1]

• Hands-off users unwilling to operate servers: self-hosting means owning storage, backups, updates, and monitoring, so choose the hosted cloud if nobody will do ops.[1]

Reported experience

Alternatives and compatibility