Nextcloud for file sync. Lumio for client galleries.
If you ended up in the photography-forum thread about self-hosted galleries and already know Nextcloud — here's the comparison. Both self-hostable with open code. Different use cases.
Where Nextcloud is strong
Nextcloud is a mature file-sync and collaboration platform — with OnlyOffice/Collabora integration, calendar, contacts, Talk, Notes, and a large app collection. For day-to-day studio work (internal files, contracts, briefings, team communication) Nextcloud is hard to beat.
Where Nextcloud isn't designed to go
The typical pro-workflow gap: the client experience. A Nextcloud sharing link shows files in the Nextcloud Files app. Functionally okay, but for a four-figure wedding the premium feel is missing — no own brand, no own domain per job, no selection workflow for the couple.
That's exactly the gap Lumio fills: a tool built from the ground up for the pro photo workflow — and one that can run alongside your Nextcloud.
Comparison
As of June 2026
| Feature | Lumio | Nextcloud (Photos) |
|---|---|---|
| Open-source code | ✓ | ✓ |
| Self-hosting | ✓ | ✓ |
| Main purpose | Photo galleries for pro studios | File sync and cloud office |
| Gallery per job (with your own brand) | ✓ | Difficult |
| Nextcloud sharing links show the Nextcloud UI with the Files-app look. Custom branding per gallery is only possible with theming custom code. | ||
| Client selection | ✓ | Reproducible via comments |
| Branding per gallery | ✓ | — |
| Custom domain per gallery | ✓ | Complex |
| RAW previews | ✓ | Limited |
| Video streaming (HLS) | ✓ | Direct play only |
| Setup complexity | One Compose file | Somewhat higher |
Frequently asked questions
I already use Nextcloud — why should I switch? +
Nextcloud is great for file sync and cloud office. But it isn't primarily designed for photo galleries delivered to end clients. If you ended up in the photography-forum thread about self-hosted galleries (or wrote it yourself), you know the problem: Nextcloud sharing links look like Nextcloud, not like your studio brand. Lumio does exactly what Nextcloud doesn't: pro galleries with branding, custom domain, selection workflow.
Can I run both in parallel? +
Of course. Many studios do exactly that: Nextcloud for internal file management and team sync, Lumio for the client galleries. The tools solve different problems — and self-hosting doesn't mean 'one tool for everything'.
Lumio has Postgres, Redis, MinIO, a frontend, a worker — Nextcloud just PHP. Isn't that over-engineered? +
Yes and no. For 5 weddings/year Lumio is overkill. For a full-time studio, separating storage (S3), database (Postgres), cache (Redis) and worker (Python for RAW/video) is a performance advantage — RAW decoding and video transcoding run asynchronously in the background without hurting gallery performance. With Nextcloud you upload a 200 MB RAW and wait 30 seconds for the preview.
Can I migrate Nextcloud galleries to Lumio? +
Manually yes: export images from the Nextcloud Files directory (via WebDAV or directly at the filesystem level), re-upload to Lumio. An automatic migration isn't implemented. With many galleries we recommend switching gradually — new jobs in Lumio, let old ones lapse in Nextcloud.
What about Nextcloud's Photos app? +
The Photos app has improved considerably in recent releases (tags, face recognition, etc.) and is now very usable for personal photo collections. But for the pro workflow with client selection and per-gallery branding it's still not designed — it's a gallery overview for your files, not a gallery tool for client handover.
Use both — the right combination.
Nextcloud for internal files, Lumio for client galleries. Self-hostable, GDPR-compliant. The best combo for pro studios in Europe.