PicPeak - Free Self-Hosted Photo Sharing for Photographers

My notes

Summary

PicPeak is a free, open-source (MIT), self-hosted alternative to paid photo-delivery platforms like Pixieset, ShootProof, and Pic-Time. It runs via Docker on any VPS and gives photographers password-protected, time-limited client galleries with white-label branding, guest uploads, and download analytics, with no per-feature paywalls.

Key Insight

• Positions directly against the subscription-SaaS photo delivery category (Pixieset from $8/mo, ShootProof/Pic-Time from $20/mo) by making self-hosting the entire value proposition: unlimited storage (bounded only by your own server), white-label branding included free, and full data ownership, none of which competitors offer even on paid tiers.
• Deployment claim: full stack (app + database) up via docker-compose up in under 5 minutes, running on anything from a $5/month VPS (Hetzner, DigitalOcean) to a Raspberry Pi.
• Feature set goes beyond basic delivery: signed webhook events for publish/upload/expiry/archive actions (built for n8n/Zapier/Slack integration), WhatsApp Business API sending via Meta (WABA ID, template params), and exportable selection lists compatible with Lightroom/Capture One, features aimed at studios that already run automation stacks.
• Includes beta and disabled-by-default modules for studio business admin (quotes, contracts, invoices, hours, calendar, expense/tax export), signaling a roadmap toward replacing not just gallery tools but lightweight studio-management SaaS too.
• Anti-leech features (watermarking, right-click protection, canvas rendering, DevTools detection) suggest this targets wedding and event photographers worried about image theft from shared links, not just casual delivery.