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Lychee

Great looking and easy-to-use photo-management-system.

Self-hostedNot yet verified
Demo online
MIT★ 4257

Open the official app on lycheeorg.github.io

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What's next with Lychee?

Choose how you want to get started.

Use it free

Open the official tool or demo — no account needed.

Free

Self-host it

Run the open-source version on your own infrastructure.

Open

What is Lychee?

Lychee is an open-source web tool designed for managing and organizing digital media, particularly images and videos. Its primary purpose is to provide users with a lightweight, customizable platform to store, categorize, and share multimedia files. The tool is popular among photographers, content creators, and developers who require a simple yet effective solution for managing large collections of media. Lychee addresses the challenge of maintaining organized digital assets by offering features like tagging, sorting, and direct sharing capabilities. Its MIT license allows for broad adoption, enabling users to modify and deploy the tool in various environments. The project’s active community and 4.2k stars indicate its value as a reliable alternative to proprietary media management systems.

How it works

Lychee is a web-based application that enables users to manage and organize digital media files, such as photographs and videos. It serves as a centralized repository for storing and categorizing content, making it easier to access and share media across devices and platforms. The tool is particularly useful for individuals and teams handling large volumes of visual content. Its design prioritizes simplicity and flexibility, allowing users to tailor the interface and functionality to their specific needs. Lychee supports basic media management tasks, including uploading, tagging, and sorting files by date, folder, or custom metadata. It also provides options for generating direct links to media, enabling sharing without requiring additional software. While the tool lacks advanced editing features, its focus on organization and accessibility makes it suitable for straightforward use cases.

How to use it

  1. 1Download the Lychee source code from its GitHub repository. 2. Configure the database settings and install dependencies as specified in the documentation. 3. Deploy the application on a web server or local environment. 4. Access the interface via a browser to upload and organize media files. Practical tips include customizing the theme and settings to match workflow preferences. Regularly backing up the database ensures data integrity, especially for critical media collections.

What it can do

  • Photo Management

Use cases

Assumptions and limitations

Assumptions

  • source: https://github.com/lychee
  • license: MIT — free to use
  • privacy: Opens an external demo

Limitations

  • Limited support for advanced media editing or processing features.
  • Requires technical expertise for setup and customization.
  • No built-in backup or synchronization tools for cross-device management.
  • Performance may degrade with extremely large media libraries without optimization.
  • Lacks integration with cloud storage services by default.

Understanding the result

Great looking and easy-to-use photo-management-system.

Tool details

  • Clearly flagged when a network request is needed.
  • No account, no sign-up, and no tracking of your content.
  • Powered by lychee (MIT).
Built with
lychee (https://github.com/lychee)
License
MIT
Runs locally
No — requires a network request
Verification
Not yet verified
Input
Image
Output
Output
Open-source source & license

Built with https://github.com/lychee. OpenToolVault provides the discovery and browser interface while crediting the original project maintainers.

Built with
lychee
License
MIT
View source on GitHub

Open-source project

OpenToolVault is an independent directory. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by this project.

References

Frequently asked

What is Lychee used for?

Lychee is used for managing and organizing digital media files, such as images and videos. It allows users to upload, tag, sort, and share media in a centralized web interface. It is suitable for photographers, content creators, and developers needing a lightweight solution for media organization.

How does Lychee handle media storage and retrieval?

Lychee stores media files on a server or local machine, with metadata (like tags and dates) stored in a database. Users can search and retrieve files based on these metadata fields or folder structures. The tool does not include advanced processing capabilities, so file management relies on its organizational features.

How do I set up Lychee on my own server?

To set up Lychee, first download the source code from GitHub. Install a web server (like Apache or Nginx) and a database system (like MySQL or PostgreSQL). Configure the database settings in the Lychee configuration file, then deploy the code to your server. Access the interface via a browser and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.

How does Lychee compare to proprietary media management tools?

Lychee differs from proprietary tools like Adobe Lightroom or Google Photos by offering open-source flexibility and self-hosting capabilities. Unlike cloud-based services, Lychee requires technical setup but provides full control over data. It lacks advanced editing features found in commercial tools but excels in simplicity and customization for basic organization tasks.

What should I do if Lychee fails to load media files?

If media files fail to load, check the server logs for errors related to file permissions or database connectivity. Ensure the uploaded files are in the correct directory specified in the configuration. Verify that the web server has proper access to the storage path. If issues persist, consult the GitHub issue tracker for troubleshooting guidance.

Spotted something wrong with Lychee, or want to maintain it? See how to help.