A private alternative to Google, Apple and the other big photo clouds
Most people's photos live with a handful of big companies: Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and the photo syncing built into their phones. These services are convenient and well made. They are not built to keep your library private from the company that stores it. If you would rather keep your photos and videos on hardware you own, here is how the options compare.
How the approaches differ
| Big photo clouds | Your own library | |
|---|---|---|
| Where files live | The provider's servers | Hardware you own |
| Who holds the keys | Usually the provider | You |
| Where AI processing runs | Usually on the provider's servers | On your own server |
| Ongoing cost | Monthly fee that grows with your library | Hardware up front, then power and drives |
| Setup | Nothing to set up | A one-time setup |
| Who maintains it | The provider | You, with good software doing most of the work |
What to check before switching
- Export everything first. Most services offer a way to download your full library, such as Google Takeout. Ask for the original files, not compressed copies.
- Keep the metadata. Dates, locations and albums should come across with your photos. Good import tools read them from the export.
- Plan your backups before you delete anything from the cloud. See the 3-2-1 backup rule.
- Check every device. Automatic camera-roll backup is what makes a library effortless. Make sure your new setup covers all of your phones and computers, not only one brand.
Other self-hosted options
Top Drawer isn't the only way to leave the big clouds. Immich, PhotoPrism and Ente are solid choices for storage and backup, if you can live without AI that understands your videos, built-in captions and posting, and a private space made for your most personal content. See the full comparison.
Where Top Drawer fits
Top Drawer is built for people who want a private library without giving up the features that make cloud services pleasant: apps for iPhone, iPad, Mac and the web, with Android, Windows and Linux apps in development, automatic camera-roll backup, private AI search across photos and videos, and one-tap locking. Everything runs on hardware you own, encrypted at rest with a key only you hold.