zeitkapsl The European alternative to Google Photos

Open Source Submitted

Austrian Google Photos alternative with end-to-end encryption

Austria Cloud Storage instead of Google Photos

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About zeitkapsl

zeitkapsl is an Austrian Google Photos alternative with end-to-end encryption and native open source apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux and Web. Photos and videos are stored on servers in the EU and protected by client-side encryption.

Highlights

✓ End-to-end encryption, only you see your photos
✓ Native apps for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux and Web
✓ Open source, fully transparent code
✓ Servers in the EU, no US data transfer
✓ 100% bootstrapped, no investors, no data sharing

Why European?

→ Austrian company under EU and GDPR data protection law
→ End-to-end encryption: even the provider cannot see your photos
→ Open source: full transparency over data processing and security architecture
→ No CLOUD Act, no access by US authorities

Pricing

From 2 €/month · 50 GB to 2 TB

Frequently asked questions about zeitkapsl

What is zeitkapsl and what is it used for? +

zeitkapsl is an encrypted photo and video backup service from Austrian company hardcode GmbH, based in Vienna. The app automatically backs up photos and videos in original quality and encrypts them end-to-end with AES-256-GCM before they reach the server. A locally executed AI face recognition feature allows sorting by person without biometric data ever reaching the server. Available as an app for iOS, Android, desktop (Windows, macOS, Linux) and CLI. The source code is published on Codeberg.

Does zeitkapsl run on European infrastructure? +

All data is stored in two German data centers in Nuremberg and Falkenstein with mutual replication. The infrastructure is operated by Hetzner and runs on renewable energy. No AWS, Google Cloud, or Microsoft Azure is used. The company is based in Austria and subject to Austrian and EU data protection law. Due to end-to-end encryption, neither zeitkapsl nor the data center provider has access to the contents.

How does AI face recognition work at zeitkapsl? +

AI face recognition runs entirely on the user's device, not in the cloud. This allows photos to be sorted by people without biometric data ever reaching the server. The search works even with encrypted data and is typo-tolerant. This architecture distinguishes zeitkapsl from Google Photos and Apple iCloud, which perform face recognition server-side and thereby gain access to biometric data.

Try zeitkapsl

Austrian Google Photos alternative with end-to-end encryption

Visit zeitkapsl Website →

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