The Best Google Photos Alternatives [March 2020]

Google Photos is built into every system and syncs with your Google account and Drive, too. Thus, most users opt to use this app rather than downloading a different one.

However, in recent years a bunch of users decided to move to different software. Mostly those who worry that Google may know a bit too much about them.

The app collects your metadata thoroughly and recognizes faces and objects on your images. This compelled some users to search for more secure alternatives.

On the other hand, other users just wanted additional storage or different features. Whatever the reason, the internet is full of Google Photos alternatives. This article will list some notable picks.

Winner – Piktures

Piktures gets the nod over its counterparts for a variety of reasons. Primarily, because it doesn’t miss out on any of Google Photo’s essential features.

First up, you can sync it with other Cloud drives that you own. For instance, you can access your Google Drive as easily as you would with Google Photos. So there’s not much difference when it comes to storage.

On top of that, the app contains a video player. That’s crucial, as many great Google Photos alternatives lack such an important feature. Therefore, Piktures comes closest to the original.

Also, the organizational aspect is top-notch. Similar to Google Photos, it contains a calendar view allowing you a smooth trip down memory lane. Moreover, it has a similar interface with advanced search filters on the left side of the screen – including search by location. Something that many other apps miss.

But here’s where Piktures really flourishes. The app is exceptionally user-friendly and probably the easiest to navigate. You can use the right-sided slider to scroll through both your online and offline photos smoothly. If you want, you can use a built-in photo editing tool, too. Plus, it’s simple but effective for making some minor adjustments.

And the best for last – Piktures is entirely private and secure. With this app, your pictures’ metadata is completely safe. This secure drive feature allows you to hide parts of your gallery behind a pin code or a fingerprint lock. But if you want, you can protect your entire image library!

The app contains some minor downsides, too. First of all, it’s Android-only. However, this shouldn’t be a significant problem as non-Android users are already using Google Photos alternatives.

The bigger issue stems from the fact that the app isn’t entirely free. Some of its best features (including a secure drive) are premium-only. But the free version can still go shoulder to shoulder with Google Photos and rises above any other alternatives.

Download at PlayStore

Runner-Up – Flickr

If you’ve ever been interested in online photography, you must’ve heard of Flickr. Although they have their differences, you can utilize Flickr as a decent Google Photos alternative.

Flickr has some traits that you may recognize from Google Photos. First of all, it has a similar way of organizing your photos. You can choose to make them public or sort them in your private albums and groups.

One of the biggest upsides is its Cloud storage. For example, Google Photos syncs with Google Drive where you have only 15GB of free space. Of course, you can count on your internal storage here, but you’d probably rather use it for other data. In this regard, Flickr generously offers 1Tb of Cloud storage. That’s almost 70 times more than your entire Drive.

But here’s a major difference: Flickr is also a social platform. It’s an influential community of photographers who openly share their photos and inspire each other. Thus, you’ll need to create your own photographer profile before you start uploading.

Another benefit of Flickr is that it’s compatible with all major systems. You can sync your profile with Windows, OSX, iOS, and Android and upload from anywhere at any time. If you want, you can set up your Flickr to automatically upload each new image from any device.

When it comes to downsides, Flickr has a few. First, the image can’t go over 200Mb so if you’re a photo perfectionist, you may want to avoid this app. Of course, this means that any lossless format is automatically non-compatible. Only .jpg, .png, and non-animated (.gifs) are welcome on Flickr.

On top of that, there’s no offline view. So you get a bunch of Cloud storage, but you always have to be online to see your photos.

Get On PlayStore|AppStore|Windows

Everyone Else

A+ Gallery

A+ gallery is another app that acts as a Google Photos clone. Its app icon resembles Google Photos, but the interface borrows from the style of a traditional iOS Photos apps.

As soon as you launch it, you’ll notice it’s slick navigation. It’s swift and user-friendly, going hand-in-hand with apps like Piktures. If you’ve ever used iOS Photos app, you’ll have no trouble sliding through countless photos here.

The search and organization doesn’t lag much behind more familiar apps. The photos will automatically fall into the date/location category as you upload them. You can later locate them with a cool search tool and sort them as you wish. If you want, you can even search photos by color.

As with other Google Photos alternatives, the most essential part is security. Luckily, A+ gallery allows you to hide and password-protect any photo or an entire album.

However, it’s Cloud storage servers aren’t as stable as with some other apps. Some users reported that their photos went completely missing or failed to load a few times. So be careful when storing your most precious images.

Download at PlayStore | AppStore

QuickPic

QuickPic is a reliable photo managing app that’s a blend of the most crucial photo app features. It’s not as flashy or rich with features, but it does the job well.

Unlike Google Photos, your picture metadata is completely safe here. You can also use built-in protection to hide any photo or video behind a lock.

The sorting part is similar to other apps. You can create albums, move images around, and sort them by name and date.

File sharing is one of the best features of this app. You can share entire albums and galleries as a .zip file via any social network or email. So instead of sending an album link or sharing one image at a time, the app will download and send off the files.

Unfortunately, QuickPic packs a lot of downsides. Its storage is considerably smaller than of any other photo managing app. On top of that, you’ll have to buy the app to use it.

The worst part – it’s unavailable on PlayStore amid a particular fraud scam that occurred in 2018. So if you’re looking for a proper Google Play alternative for Android, you’ll have to try elsewhere.

Download at AppStore

Prime Photos

Amazon Prime Photos is slowly but steadily emerging as the top photo managing app. It works relatively similar to Google Photos, but has a plethora of unique benefits, too.

But first, we need to clarify something. There’s a reason why Prime Photos isn’t the best Google Photos alternative. It’s optimized in a way that only Amazon Prime members can reap the full potential of the app.

Yes, it’s compatible with all operating systems and allows full image resolution with massive storage. However, it’s only available to Prime members. So if you don’t have a Prime subscription, it’s hard to imagine you’d pay a yearly fee solely for this kind of app.

On the flip-side, Prime members will have a blast using this app. If you have a Fire TV, even better. You can view all your HD images and videos on the big screen with a simple tap.

The photo managing aspect is nearly the same as Google Photos. Sort out your albums, sync with other devices, and upload from anywhere.

If you’re an Amazon Prime member, you should seriously consider this app.

Download

Cluster

Cluster has been widely praised since its release. Google listed it among the best new apps of 2013 and it’s kept growing ever since. However, it’s a tad different to your regular photo managing app.

The point of this app is to connect and share your favorite moments with other people, hence the name.

You create a specific cluster where you upload and share images. You can search and join different clusters such as pet lovers, or cookie-makers and share your photos with other aficionados. It’s also a great way to keep up with your family, friends, or work colleagues.

However, you can create your own private cluster where you’ll share personal images. The downside here is a lack of proper organization. It emphasizes sharing snaps of your moments with others. But since it’s also a Cloud storage, it can efficiently act as another photo managing app.

Download at PlayStore|AppStore

Final Verdict

It’s hard to imagine modern life without an online photo managing app like Google Drive. Of course, this only means that new similar apps will always emerge.

If you want to try out something different, you can use any of the apps from this list. Some are near-identical apps that provide more security. However, you may find photo managing apps with a slightly different purpose that you’ll grow to like more.

Have you tried any of the above apps? What’s your opinion? Or maybe you have a choice of your own? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.