Piwigo is free open-source photo gallery software for people who want to organize photographs and choose who sees them.2 It suits a family archive, photography club or small organization that wants a shared gallery with deliberate access rules. Choose where to host it, then start with a small private album before moving your collection.
Last checked October 28, 2026.
At a glance
- What it is: A web photo library.
- Works on: Web browsers, with companion apps for Android and iOS.7
- Price: Free software; the Pro plan on Piwigo Cloud starts at €32/month before VAT, billed annually.2
- Licence: GNU GPL version 2 or later.3
- Best for: People who want an organized gallery with carefully chosen viewers.
- Official site: piwigo.org
What Piwigo does and how it protects your privacy
Piwigo supports public and private albums, with access controlled through user permissions.1 That makes it useful when you want to show a club outing to members without treating every photograph as a public post. Plan who needs access before deciding how to arrange the collection.
You can run Piwigo on your own infrastructure or choose its managed Cloud service.2 Self-hosting means taking responsibility for the installation. Managed hosting is the more approachable starting point if nobody in your household or group wants that job. Think about who will handle problems next year, as well as who can set it up today.
Piwigo key features
- Albums within albums: Build a hierarchy for events, years or projects.1
- Tags: Add keywords to help find photographs across your collection.1
- Individual and group permissions: Give selected people access to the appropriate material.1
- Mobile uploads: Add photographs directly from an Android phone or iPhone.7
- Browser uploads: Add files through the administration panel.1
- Customizable appearance: Choose from the hosted service’s selection of themes.2
Piwigo pros and cons
Pros
- The hosting choice gives you a practical way to balance control and convenience.
- Private albums make a sensible starting point for sharing with a defined group.
- Albums and tags suit a collection you want to organize gradually.
- Its published licence makes the reuse terms clear before you choose it.3
Cons
- Self-hosting involves transferring files and configuring a database.8 Arrange help if that sounds unfamiliar.
- The Pro plan includes 10GB of storage and no contributor accounts.2 Compare plans if other members need to upload.
- Self-hosted statistics reporting is enabled by default.4 Include that setting in your privacy decisions.
- Someone needs to take ownership of permissions, updates and backup checks; budget time for that ongoing responsibility.
Is Piwigo safe and private?
The source identifies its developers as the Piwigo Team.3 Piwigo 16.4.0 was released on May 3, 2026, and its release notes list security fixes.6 Make updates part of running the gallery, and review plugin compatibility before upgrading.
Piwigo says its Cloud service stores data in France.1 For self-hosting, choose the provider and location deliberately. Ask the host how it handles administrator access, backups and deletion before uploading anything sensitive.
The version 16.4.0 configuration describes weekly anonymous technical data and statistics reporting, including photo counts or the plugins used.4 This is telemetry: information sent back about how software is used. Ask your administrator to review send_piwigo_infos if you want to limit reporting.
The hosted-service privacy policy says it collects visitor IP addresses and browser information.5 It says activity data, including IP addresses, is retained for 24 months before deletion or anonymization.5 Consider visitors’ privacy as well as the privacy of the photographs.
Use an HTTPS address when signing in or uploading. Ask your host to explain both connection encryption and storage encryption; do not treat a “private album” label as a promise that the hosting operator cannot access files. For especially sensitive material, settle those questions before choosing a host. Keep a separate backup plan, using the Academy’s Backrest guide as a starting point.
How to get started with Piwigo
- Choose your route. Start at the official site. Use the Cloud trial to explore, or follow the official installation guide for your own server.
- Install if self-hosting. Download the official full archive, unzip it and transfer its contents to your web server.8 Ask your hosting provider for help rather than guessing at server settings.
- Create the gallery. Open its address in a browser, complete the database settings and create the webmaster account.8 Use a unique password.
- Start small. Create one private album and upload a few non-sensitive sample photographs. Choose a simple naming scheme you can keep using.
- Check sharing. Create an ordinary viewer account, grant only the intended access and compare its view with a signed-out browser. Confirm the album behaves as expected before inviting anyone.
- Set a routine. Assign responsibility for updates, backups and removing old accounts. If using a phone, follow the official mobile download links after the gallery is ready.
Who should use Piwigo, and who might prefer something else?
Choose Piwigo when your main goal is a shared, organized photo gallery and someone can look after its access rules. It also fits when you want to start with managed hosting and decide later whether to run a server yourself.
If your priority is organizing a desktop collection, consider digiKam instead. For an Android gallery, explore Aves Libre. Decide whether you need a shared website at all before taking on a hosted gallery.
Frequently asked questions
Is Piwigo free?
The software is free; managed Cloud hosting is a paid service.2 Allow for hosting and maintenance costs when comparing the two routes.
Does Piwigo work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, official companion apps are available for iOS and Android.7 Set up your gallery first, then use the official mobile-app page to find the download.
Can Piwigo albums be private?
Yes. Album permissions can restrict access to selected users or groups.1 Make a trial album and check it from an ordinary account before uploading personal photographs.
Is Piwigo still maintained?
Yes: its 2026 release notes document version 16.4.0 and fixes.6 Keep checking the official download and update notices rather than relying on an old installation package.
