Jellyfin vs Immich for Photos and Videos (2026)
Both are self-hosted. Both handle photos and videos. But they are designed for completely different workflows.
What Each One Does
Jellyfin: A media server that can display photos as slideshows and stream home videos. It treats photos/videos as media library content - organized by folders, browsed like a library.
Immich: A Google Photos replacement. AI-powered face detection, automatic mobile upload, timeline view, map view, sharing albums, and search by content.
Comparison
| Feature | Jellyfin | Immich |
|---|---|---|
| Photo timeline | No (folder-based) | Yes (date-based) |
| Face detection | No | Yes (AI-powered) |
| Mobile auto-upload | No | Yes (Android + iOS) |
| Search by content | No | Yes (CLIP AI) |
| Map view (GPS) | No | Yes |
| Album sharing | No | Yes (links) |
| Video streaming | Excellent (transcoding, HDR) | Basic |
| Home video organization | Good (folders + posters) | Basic |
| Multi-user | Yes | Yes |
| Resource usage | Medium | High (AI processing) |
When to Use Each
| Use case | Best tool |
|---|---|
| Stream home videos to TV | Jellyfin |
| Auto-backup phone photos | Immich |
| Search photos by face/content | Immich |
| Photo slideshows on TV | Jellyfin |
| Share photo albums with family | Immich |
| Replace Google Photos completely | Immich |
Run Both Together
The ideal setup for families:
- Immich handles phone photo backup, face detection, and search
- Jellyfin handles home video streaming to TVs and organized slideshows
services:
immich:
volumes:
- /mnt/photos:/usr/src/app/upload
jellyfin:
volumes:
- /mnt/photos/videos:/media/home-videos:ro
FAQ
Can Immich replace Jellyfin for videos? No. Immich video playback is basic - no transcoding, no HDR, no multi-device streaming.
Can Jellyfin replace Immich for photos? For basic slideshows, yes. For face detection, search, and mobile upload - no.
Do they conflict if pointed at the same files? No. Both read files in read-only mode. They coexist without issues.
Running Jellyfin for your family media? Monitor it from your phone. Download JellyWatch on Google Play - server health and session monitoring for Jellyfin.
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