PixelUnion
Alkmaar personal photo library built on a fork of Immich, with storage in Germany and an encrypted backup in Finland
Quick Overview
| Company | PixelUnion V.O.F., KvK 97002348, VAT NL867869653B01 (as stated on its own about page) |
|---|---|
| Category | Photo Gallery Software Alternatives |
| Headquarters | Alkmaar, Netherlands |
| Founded | 2025 |
| EU Presence | EU (Netherlands) |
| Data Location | Germany for the primary storage, with an encrypted second copy in Finland; the hosting providers are not named on the pages checked, and storage is server-side encrypted, not end-to-end |
| Open Source | Yes |
| Pricing | Free 16 GB / 150 GB €2.95, 450 GB €4.95, 2 TB €9.95 per month (€29.50, €49.50, €99.50 yearly), 4 TB from €19.95 per month, custom plans up to 20 TB; prices include VAT |
| Free Option | Permanent free plan with 16 GB and the full feature set |
| Replaces | Google Photos, iCloud Photos |
Detailed Review
PixelUnion is a different product from the rest of this category. It is a personal photo and video library, an Immich-based alternative to Google Photos and iCloud Photos, with phone backup, face recognition, object recognition, search, shared albums and user invitations on every plan, including the free 16 GB one.
It has no client proofing, no print shop and no branded gallery delivery, so a working photographer should read it as a place to keep the archive, not to deliver to clients.
The operator is PixelUnion V.O.F., a partnership in Alkmaar, Netherlands, which gives KvK number 97002348 and VAT number NL867869653B01 on its about page.
The terms apply Dutch law and Dutch courts and offer the service to EU residents, and the privacy policy names the Dutch Data Protection Authority. The help centre says primary storage is in Germany with a complete encrypted copy in Finland, but it does not name the hosting providers. It also says plainly that there is no end-to-end encryption and no built-in export, only the open-source immich-go tool.
Prices include VAT: 150 GB at €2.95 a month, 450 GB at €4.95 and 2 TB at €9.95, with about two months free when paid yearly. Its fork of Immich is published on GitHub under AGPL-3.0, though PixelUnion is sold as a hosted service, not as software to run yourself. It was founded in 2025, so it is a young service.
What PixelUnion does well
- Free forever plan with 16 GB and the full feature set
- Dutch partnership with KvK and VAT numbers published on its own about page
- Primary storage in Germany, encrypted backup in Finland, both stated in the help centre
- Fork of Immich published under AGPL-3.0 on GitHub
- Phone backup, face recognition and search on every plan
Where PixelUnion falls short
- Not a client gallery: no proofing, no shop, no branded delivery
- No built-in export, only the immich-go command line tool
- No end-to-end encryption, only server-side encryption
- Hosting providers are not named, and Stripe handles payments
- Two-partner business founded in 2025, so a young service
Standout feature. It is the only tool here built as a private family photo library on a published fork of Immich, not as a gallery for clients.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Free forever plan with 16 GB and the full feature set
- Dutch partnership with KvK and VAT numbers published on its own about page
- Primary storage in Germany, encrypted backup in Finland, both stated in the help centre
- Fork of Immich published under AGPL-3.0 on GitHub
- Phone backup, face recognition and search on every plan
Cons
- Not a client gallery: no proofing, no shop, no branded delivery
- No built-in export, only the immich-go command line tool
- No end-to-end encryption, only server-side encryption
- Hosting providers are not named, and Stripe handles payments
- Two-partner business founded in 2025, so a young service
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PixelUnion?
PixelUnion is a different product from the rest of this category. It is a personal photo and video library, an Immich-based alternative to Google Photos and iCloud Photos, with phone backup, face recognition, object recognition, search, shared albums and user invitations on every plan, including the free 16 GB one.
It has no client proofing, no print shop and no branded gallery delivery, so a working photographer should read it as a place to keep the archive, not to deliver to clients.
Where is PixelUnion based?
PixelUnion operates from Alkmaar, Netherlands, which places it under EU (Netherlands).
What does PixelUnion cost?
Free 16 GB / 150 GB €2.95, 450 GB €4.95, 2 TB €9.95 per month (€29.50, €49.50, €99.50 yearly), 4 TB from €19.95 per month, custom plans up to 20 TB; prices include VAT. Permanent free plan with 16 GB and the full feature set.
Who is PixelUnion best for?
A private family photo library, not client galleries. It is the only tool here built as a private family photo library on a published fork of Immich, not as a gallery for clients.
What are the drawbacks of PixelUnion?
Not a client gallery: no proofing, no shop, no branded delivery. No built-in export, only the immich-go command line tool. No end-to-end encryption, only server-side encryption. Hosting providers are not named, and Stripe handles payments. Two-partner business founded in 2025, so a young service.
Is PixelUnion a good alternative to Google Photos?
PixelUnion is built as a European alternative to Google Photos: Alkmaar personal photo library built on a fork of Immich, with storage in Germany and an encrypted backup in Finland. It will not be a like-for-like feature match in every respect, so check the review above for where the two genuinely differ before switching.
How does PixelUnion compare to other Photo Gallery Software Alternatives tools?
PixelUnion is one of several European Photo Gallery Software Alternatives tools we cover. It is most often compared with Google Photos, iCloud Photos.