Ente
End-to-end encrypted photo storage and authenticator, open source and auditable.
why this verdict
Keep paying — Google has not replaced it
Google's version overlaps, but does not finish the security job, so this one still earns its $3/mo.
- A named launch, not a vibe named, unlinked
- Google Photos and Apple iCloud bundling storage and AI features into platforms people already pay for. Google, May 20, 2025 — no announcement link recorded yet.
- How much of the job it covers not the job editorial call
- Parts of it. The job still needs the tool to get finished.
- Is there a free way to do it? yes
- 3 of 3 listed replacements have a usable free tier: Immich, Proton Drive and Google Photos.
- What the call is worth $36/yr
- $3/mo at the entry paid tier — $36 a year per seat.
- Threatened by
- Since
- May 20, 2025
- List price
- $3/mo
- Per year
- $36
The backstory
Ente stores photos with end-to-end encryption while still doing on-device face recognition and semantic search, which is the technically hard combination most privacy alternatives skip by dropping the features. Its authenticator app is free and open source and became a common recommendation as password managers consolidated. Competing with bundled platform storage on price is impossible, and competing on the guarantee that the provider genuinely cannot read your library is not.
Escape hatches
Self-hosted, free, more features but you run it
immich.app open_in_newEncrypted storage bundled with Proton services
proton.me open_in_newBest convenience and search, no encryption from Google
photos.google.com open_in_new3 of 3 replacements have a usable free tier.