**PicPeak** is a powerful, self-hosted open-source alternative to commercial photo-sharing platforms like PicDrop.com and Scrapbook.de. Designed specifically for photographers and event organizers, PicPeak makes it simple to share beautiful, time-limited photo galleries with clients while maintaining full control over your data and branding.
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PicPeak lets you create password-protected, time-limited photo galleries for your clients — hosted on your own server. No subscriptions, no storage limits, no third-party access to your photos.
**Gallery Management** — Create galleries, upload photos via drag & drop, set passwords and expiration dates. Galleries auto-archive when they expire. Events start as drafts so you can upload and prepare before notifying the client.
- **💰 No Monthly Fees** - One-time setup, unlimited galleries
- **🔒 Complete Data Control** - Your photos stay on your server
- **🎨 White-Label Ready** - Full branding customization
- **📱 Mobile-First Design** - Beautiful on all devices
- **🚀 Lightning Fast** - Optimized performance and caching
- **🌍 Multi-Language** - Built-in i18n support (EN, DE)
**Client Experience** — Responsive galleries that look great on any device. Guests can browse, download individual photos or everything at once. Optional guest uploads and feedback (likes, comments, ratings).
## ✨ Key Features
**Themes & Branding** — 11 built-in theme presets, custom CSS templates, configurable colors/fonts/layouts. White-label your admin panel and login page with your own logo and company name.
### For Photographers
- 📁 **Drag & Drop Upload** - Simply drop photos into folders
- 🔗 **External Media (Reference Mode)** - Browse and import from a read‑only external folder library without copying originals
- 🗂️ **Reference Library Support** - Point PicPeak at `EXTERNAL_MEDIA_ROOT` to reference existing originals, index quickly, and generate thumbnails on demand
- 💾 **Smart Storage** - Automatic archiving of expired galleries
- 📈 **Scalable** - From small studios to large agencies
**External Media** — Reference photos from a mounted folder instead of uploading. PicPeak reads originals in place and generates thumbnails on demand.
## 🚀 Quick Start
**Multi-Language** — Full UI translations for English, German, Dutch, Portuguese, and Russian. Email templates support all languages independently.
Get PicPeak running in under 5 minutes:
**Analytics** — Built-in view/download tracking plus optional Umami integration for privacy-focused analytics.
**Video Support** — Upload and stream MP4, WebM, MOV alongside photos. FFmpeg bundled via npm.
**Multiple Admins** — Role-based access control with super admin, admin, and editor roles.
## Quick Start
```bash
# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/the-luap/picpeak.git
cd picpeak
# Copy environment template
cp .env.example .env
# Edit configuration (required: JWT_SECRET)
nano .env
# Start with Docker Compose
# Edit .env — set at least JWT_SECRET and passwords
docker compose up -d
# Access at http://localhost:3000
```
Note on Docker file permissions (PUID/PGID)
- When using bind mounts (e.g., `./storage`, `./data`, `./logs`, `./events`), ensure the container user can write to these host folders. The backend runs as a non‑root user by default.
- Set `PUID` and `PGID` in your `.env` to match your host user’s UID/GID (run `id -u` and `id -g` on the host). Compose maps the container user to these values.
- Example in `.env`:
-`PUID=1000`
-`PGID=1000`
- Without this, creating events, uploads, thumbnails, or logs can fail with "Permission denied".
Open `http://localhost:3000` and log in with the credentials from your `.env`.
## 🔄 Release Channels
> **Permissions:** Set `PUID` and `PGID` in `.env` to match your host user (`id -u` / `id -g`) so Docker volumes are writable.
PicPeak offers two release channels for different needs:
See the [Deployment Guide](DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md) for reverse proxy setup, SSL, external media, and production configuration.
### Stable Channel (Recommended)
- Production-ready releases
- Thoroughly tested before release
- Docker tags: `stable`, `latest`, or specific version like `v2.3.0`
## Screenshots
### Beta Channel
- Early access to new features
- May contain bugs or incomplete functionality
- Docker tags: `beta` or specific version like `v2.3.0-beta.1`
| **Storage** | Plan for 10-100x more | Videos are significantly larger than images |
| **CPU** | Additional cores help | Video thumbnail extraction is CPU-intensive |
| **Bandwidth** | Higher throughput | Video streaming requires more bandwidth |
**Technical Notes:**
- FFmpeg is bundled via npm (`@ffmpeg-installer/ffmpeg`) - no system installation required
- Maximum upload size: **10GB per video file**
- Chunked upload support for files >100MB (resumable uploads)
- Supported formats: MP4, WebM, MOV, AVI
- Video thumbnails are automatically generated from the first few seconds
**For Nginx/Reverse Proxy:**
If using Nginx, increase the client max body size:
```nginx
client_max_body_size10G;
proxy_read_timeout3600;
proxy_send_timeout3600;
```
## 🤝 Contributing
We love contributions! PicPeak is built by photographers, for photographers. Whether you're fixing bugs, adding features, or improving documentation, your help is welcome.
See our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md) for details.
- **📱 Responsive**: Perfect on desktop, tablet, and mobile
- **⚡ Fast Loading**: Optimized for quick photo browsing
- **🔒 Secure Access**: Password-protected galleries with expiration
- **📤 Easy Uploads**: Drag & drop functionality for effortless photo management
- **🎯 Client-Focused**: Intuitive gallery experience for your clients
</details>
## 🗺️ Roadmap
We're constantly improving PicPeak and welcome contributions from our community! If you have ideas for new features or want to help implement existing ones, please open an issue or submit a pull request. Your contributions help make PicPeak better for everyone.
### 🚧 Beta Features (Use at your own risk)
These features are currently in beta testing and may have limited functionality or stability:
| Feature | Description | Status |
|---------|-------------|--------|
| **Simple Deployment Script** | One-click deployment script for quick server setup with automated configuration and dependency installation | 🧪 Beta |
### 📋 Future Enhancements
| Feature | Description | Priority | Status |
|---------|-------------|----------|---------|
| **Backup & Restore** | Comprehensive backup system with S3/MinIO support, automated scheduling, and safe restore functionality | High | ✅ Implemented |
| **External Media Library (Reference Mode)** | Use an external folder library as a read‑only source with import and on‑demand thumbnail generation | High | ✅ Implemented |
| **Download Protection** | Advanced image protection system with canvas rendering, invisible watermarking, right-click prevention, and DevTools detection to protect photos from unauthorized downloads | High | ✅ Implemented |
| **Gallery Templates** | Multiple gallery layouts (grid, masonry, carousel, timeline, hero, mosaic) with custom CSS styling support. Includes starter templates like Apple Liquid Glass for complete visual customization | Medium | ✅ Implemented |
| **Face Recognition** | AI-powered face detection to help guests find their photos and create automatic person-based albums | Low | 🔄 Open |
| **Gallery Feedback** | Allow guests to like, rate, and comment on photos with admin notifications and moderation | Medium | ✅ Implemented |
| **Video Support** | Upload and display videos alongside photos in galleries with streaming support | Low | ✅ Implemented |
| **Multiple Administrators** | Support for multiple admin accounts with role-based permissions and activity tracking | Low | ✅ Implemented |
| **Filtering & Export Options** | Filter photos by likes, ratings, comments, or favorites. Search by filename. Sort by date, name, size, or rating. Export filtered selections as ZIP or generate Capture One/Lightroom-compatible file lists for professional workflows | Medium | ✅ Implemented |
**Status Legend:** ✅ Implemented | 🚧 In Progress | 🔄 Open | 📋 Planned
## 🙏 Acknowledgments
PicPeak is inspired by the best features of commercial platforms while remaining completely open source. Special thanks to all contributors who make this project possible.
### 🤖 AI-Assisted Development
This project was generated with the assistance of AI technology, but has been:
- ✅ **Fully tested end-to-end** by human developers
- 🔒 **Security audited** with comprehensive security checks
- 👨💻 **Human-reviewed** for code quality and best practices
- 🧪 **Production-tested** in real-world scenarios
We believe in transparent development practices and the responsible use of AI as a tool to accelerate development while maintaining high standards of quality and security.
## 📄 License
PicPeak is released under the [MIT License](LICENSE). Use it freely for personal or commercial projects.
## 🚀 Ready to Get Started?
1. ⭐ **Star this repository** to show your support
2. 📖 Read the [Deployment Guide](DEPLOYMENT_GUIDE.md)
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Paul Nothaft