SelfHostPlanner
Cost guide · updated July 10, 2026

Immich server cost in 2026: local vs VPS examples

A useful Immich cost estimate needs actual numbers: hardware or compute, primary storage, backup storage, power and a three-year ownership view. The examples below are planning math, not buying advice—replace each quote with your current local price.

Fast answer: for a 2TB personal library, the worked example below lands near USD 925 over three years for local hardware with Backblaze B2 backup, versus USD 2,300 over three years for a hosted/VPS-style stack using the same storage assumptions. For an 8TB family library, the local example is about USD 3,885 over three years, while the hosted-style example is about USD 7,762.

Cost lines you should include

  1. Compute: Immich’s quick-start requires at least 6GB RAM and 2 CPU cores; the requirements page is the baseline before you size up for users, video and machine learning.
  2. Primary storage: originals, generated media, database/search data and free-space headroom.
  3. Recovery storage: an independent backup target. Mirrored disks are availability, not backup.
  4. Electricity: average watts × hours × your kWh tariff for any always-on local device.
  5. Maintenance: replacement drives, monitoring, updates and the time cost of restores.

Scenario 1: 2TB personal library

This is the “one person or couple, mostly photos, some video” case. It assumes a July 10, 2026 hardware anchor of USD 191.90 for a MINISFORUM UN100P-class N100 mini PC and USD 169.99 for a 4TB Seagate IronWolf NAS HDD, a 12W average draw at USD 0.20/kWh, and 2TB of off-site backup. For the hosted comparison, it uses a placeholder USD 20/month compute quote plus Cloudflare R2 primary storage and Backblaze B2 backup pricing as of July 10, 2026.

Line itemLocal mini-PC pathHosted/VPS-style path
Upfront hardware / setupUSD 361.89 one-time hardware anchorUSD 0 upfront in this example
ComputeIncluded in hardwareUSD 20/month placeholder VPS quote
Primary storageIncluded in local quote2TB × USD 0.015/GB-month ≈ USD 30/month on R2
Independent backup2TB × USD 6.95/TB-month = USD 13.90/month on B22TB × USD 6.95/TB-month = USD 13.90/month on B2
Power12W × 730h ÷ 1,000 × USD 0.20 ≈ USD 1.75/monthIncluded in provider bill
Three-year totalUSD 361.89 + (USD 15.65 × 36) = USD 925USD 63.90 × 36 = USD 2,300

Scenario 2: 8TB family library

This is the “family archive with years of phone photos and videos” case. It assumes a USD 259 compute allowance plus two 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS drive price anchors at USD 719.99 each, a 35W average draw at USD 0.20/kWh, 8TB usable primary capacity, and an 8TB off-site backup copy. The hosted path uses a USD 40/month compute placeholder because storage, not CPU, usually dominates at this size.

Line itemLocal server / NAS-like pathHosted/VPS-style path
Upfront hardware / setupUSD 1,698.98 one-time hardware anchorUSD 0 upfront in this example
ComputeIncluded in hardwareUSD 40/month placeholder quote
Primary storageIncluded in local quote8TB × USD 0.015/GB-month ≈ USD 120/month on R2
Independent backup8TB × USD 6.95/TB-month = USD 55.60/month on B28TB × USD 6.95/TB-month = USD 55.60/month on B2
Power35W × 730h ÷ 1,000 × USD 0.20 ≈ USD 5.11/monthIncluded in provider bill
Three-year totalUSD 1,698.98 + (USD 60.71 × 36) = USD 3,885USD 215.60 × 36 = USD 7,762

How to use these numbers without fooling yourself

Do not copy the totals blindly. Copy the structure. Put your real mini-PC, NAS, drive, VPS, object-storage and electricity quotes into the SelfHostPlanner calculator. Then compare equivalent systems: same usable storage, same number of recovery copies, same restore expectations.

If you are still deciding what class of hardware to buy, read Immich hardware sizing and mini PC vs NAS for Immich. If the biggest uncertainty is whether you should host locally or rent capacity, use local server vs VPS as the decision framework. For off-site copies, compare the numbers in Immich cloud backup cost and the recovery workflow in storage and backup planning.

FAQ

How much does Immich cost per month?

Immich itself is open-source software, but the server is not free to operate. In these examples, a small local setup costs about USD 925 over three years including the upfront hardware anchor and recurring backup/power, while a hosted 2TB setup costs about USD 63.90/month before any managed-service premium.

Is Immich cheaper on a VPS or a local server?

For small libraries, either can work. Once your photo library reaches multiple terabytes, local hardware often wins on capacity economics because object storage and attached storage become recurring monthly bills.

How much storage do I need for Immich?

Start with your current photo/video library, add generated media and database headroom, then add expected growth. A 2TB library should not be planned as exactly 2TB of usable disk; leave room for imports, thumbnails, database growth and restore operations.

What is the cheapest reliable Immich setup?

The cheapest reliable setup is usually not the lowest sticker price. It is the lowest total cost that still has enough RAM/CPU, enough usable storage, one independent backup, and a restore process you have tested.

Should I include electricity in the cost?

Yes. Electricity is usually small compared with storage, but always-on hardware runs every day. A 12W average device at USD 0.20/kWh is about USD 1.75/month; a 35W device is about USD 5.11/month.

Calculate your Immich capacity and three-year cost →

成本指南 · 2026 年 7 月 10 日更新

2026 年 Immich 服务器成本：本地与 VPS 示例

Immich 成本不能只看“服务器多少钱”。你要同时计算硬件或计算资源、主存储、异地备份、电费，以及三年总拥有成本。下面是规划示例，不是购买建议；请把每个报价替换成你当地的真实价格。

快速答案：在示例假设下，2TB 个人图库的本地方案三年约 925 美元，而使用 VPS/托管式方案并采用相同存储假设时约 2,300 美元。8TB 家庭图库的本地示例约 3,885 美元，托管式示例约 7,762 美元。

必须计算的成本项

  1. 计算资源：Immich 快速开始要求至少 6GB 内存和 2 个 CPU 核心；更多用户、视频和机器学习会提高需求。
  2. 主存储：原始照片视频、生成媒体、数据库/搜索数据和预留空间。
  3. 恢复存储：至少一份独立备份；镜像盘不是备份。
  4. 电费：本地常开设备应按平均功耗、运行时间和电价计算。
  5. 维护：替换硬盘、监控、更新和恢复演练时间。

场景一：2TB 个人图库

假设本地小主机与存储使用 2026 年 7 月 10 日价格锚点：MINISFORUM UN100P 级 N100 小主机 191.90 美元，加 4TB Seagate IronWolf NAS 硬盘 169.99 美元；平均功耗 12W，电价 0.20 美元/kWh，并保留 2TB 异地备份。托管方案使用 20 美元/月的 VPS 占位报价，加上 Cloudflare R2 主存储和 Backblaze B2 备份价格。

项目本地小主机方案VPS/托管式方案
硬件 / 初始设置一次性 361.89 美元示例中无一次性费用
计算资源包含在硬件内20 美元/月占位 VPS 报价
主存储包含在本地报价内2TB × 0.015 美元/GB/月 ≈ 30 美元/月
独立备份2TB × 6.95 美元/TB/月 = 13.90 美元/月2TB × 6.95 美元/TB/月 = 13.90 美元/月
电费约 1.75 美元/月包含在服务商账单中
三年总成本361.89 + 15.65 × 36 = 925 美元63.90 × 36 = 2,300 美元

场景二：8TB 家庭图库

假设本地服务器/NAS 类方案使用 259 美元计算设备预留，加两块 20TB Seagate IronWolf Pro NAS 硬盘价格锚点（每块 719.99 美元）；平均功耗 35W，8TB 可用主存储，并保留 8TB 异地备份。托管方案使用 40 美元/月的计算资源占位报价。

项目本地服务器 / NAS 类方案VPS/托管式方案
硬件 / 初始设置一次性 1,698.98 美元示例中无一次性费用
计算资源包含在硬件内40 美元/月占位报价
主存储包含在本地报价内8TB × 0.015 美元/GB/月 ≈ 120 美元/月
独立备份8TB × 6.95 美元/TB/月 = 55.60 美元/月8TB × 6.95 美元/TB/月 = 55.60 美元/月
电费约 5.11 美元/月包含在服务商账单中
三年总成本1,698.98 + 60.71 × 36 = 3,885 美元215.60 × 36 = 7,762 美元

如何正确使用这些数字

不要直接复制总价；要复制计算结构。把你自己的小主机、NAS、硬盘、VPS、对象存储和电费报价输入 SelfHostPlanner 计算器。比较时必须保证可用存储、备份副本和恢复目标一致。

如果还在选择硬件类型，请看 Immich 硬件规划 和 Immich 小主机 vs NAS。如果主要问题是本地还是租用服务器，请看 本地服务器 vs VPS。备份成本可参考 Immich 云备份成本 和 存储与备份规划。

常见问题

Immich 每月要多少钱？

Immich 软件本身是开源的，但服务器运营并不是零成本。示例中，小型本地方案在购买硬件后约 15.65 美元/月；2TB 托管式方案约 63.90 美元/月，且未包含额外托管溢价。

Immich 用 VPS 还是本地服务器更便宜？

小图库两者都可以。图库达到数 TB 后，本地硬件通常更有容量成本优势，因为对象存储和挂载存储会变成长期月费。

Immich 需要多少存储？

从现有照片视频容量开始，加上生成媒体、数据库和增长空间。2TB 图库不应只准备刚好 2TB 的可用空间。

最便宜且可靠的 Immich 方案是什么？

不是最低标价，而是在足够 RAM/CPU、足够可用存储、独立备份和可验证恢复流程下的最低总成本。

需要把电费算进去吗？

需要。电费通常小于存储成本，但常开设备每天运行。12W 平均功耗在 0.20 美元/kWh 下约 1.75 美元/月；35W 约 5.11 美元/月。

计算 Immich 容量与三年成本 →

Primary sources and assumptions