Replaces Google Photos
European alternatives to Google Photos
Back up and share your photo library with European-controlled services.
Browse the category: File hosting services
Google Photos combines automatic phone backup, albums, sharing and AI-assisted search inside a US-controlled account and cloud platform.
Austria's Zeitkapsl is the closest focused alternative here: it automatically backs up photos and videos, encrypts them before upload and keeps primary storage in two German data centres. Jottacloud, Cryptee and Proton Drive cover different combinations of photo backup, encrypted galleries and general storage, while Nextcloud offers a self-hosted route.
European options 5
Our pick
Zeitkapsl
End-to-end encrypted photo backup from Austria
Zeitkapsl automatically backs up photos and videos from Android and iOS, synchronises them across devices and provides desktop and web access. Albums can be shared by link or QR code, collaborators can add their own pictures, and on-device search can find places, dates, people and text without uploading an AI index.
AustriaEU hostedOpen source♻EU controlled
Jottacloud
Norwegian file hosting for home and business
NorwayEEA hostedFree plan♻EU controlled
cryptee
Encrypted file hosting from Estonia
EstoniaOpen sourceFree plan
Proton Drive
Encrypted cloud storage from Switzerland
SwitzerlandEFTA hostedFree planSelf-hosted and open source
Open source projects you can run yourself. Not necessarily made in Europe, but nobody else holds your data.
GermanyQuestions
Which European alternative is closest to Google Photos?
Zeitkapsl is built specifically for photo and video backup, cross-device access, shared albums and private on-device search. Its feature set is narrower than Google's wider ecosystem but closely matches the core photo-library workflow.
Can I move my Google Photos library?
Yes. Export the library with Google Takeout, then follow Zeitkapsl's migration guide or import the files into another listed service. Check dates, album structure and sidecar metadata before deleting the Google copy.
Does European ownership mean every supplier is European?
No. Zeitkapsl is Austrian-controlled and keeps primary storage in Germany, but discloses non-European-controlled providers for encrypted backup storage, email, payments and app stores. The product page separates those routes from its end-to-end encrypted photo content.