PrivateFamily / Google Photos alternative
Why this matters now
Google's free storage — 15 GB, shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos — covers less and less for a family photographing its kids year after year. Upgrading to a paid plan has become the norm rather than the exception.
On July 30, 2026, Google updated its Terms of Service to allow training models on summaries, inferences, and generated content derived from the photos in your library. Google states that it does not train its generative AI directly on personal photos themselves outside of Google Photos — a real distinction, and one we'd rather state precisely than oversimplify.
Google Photos, in detail
Verifiable facts, not accusations. Every row is based on Google's public pricing and Terms of Service, checked in August 2026.
| Category | Google Photos | PrivateFamily |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | 15 GB, shared across Gmail, Drive, and Photos | Free for up to 10 photos and videos, with no time limit |
| Paid tier | Google One: 100 GB for €1.99/month, 200 GB for €2.99/month, 2 TB for €9.99/month. Family sharing available on paid plans, with up to 5 additional people. | €4.99/month, a single plan — unlimited storage, no tiers to track |
| Account required | A full Google account (email address), tied to the rest of the Google ecosystem | None — a first name is all it takes to create a family |
| What the Terms of Service allow with your photos | A broad license granted to Google to host, reproduce, and use your content to operate and improve its services. Since the July 30, 2026 update, the terms also allow training models on summaries, inferences, and generated content derived from your photos. | Nothing — content is encrypted before it's sent, so there's no readable content to license |
| End-to-end encryption | No — this absence enables features like face search and automatic memories, but it means content has to stay readable on the server | Yes — photos, videos, captions, comments, names and child profiles are encrypted on-device, unreadable to the server |
Google One pricing and Google's Terms of Service verified in late August 2026 from official sources (one.google.com and Google's Terms of Service). These policies change over time, and the official documents take precedence.
In all honesty
Switching apps is never neutral. Here's what this choice really changes, without any sugar-coating.
In practice
There's no tool today for bulk-importing your Google Photos library. Here's how to make the switch anyway, without losing your past memories.
A first name and a last name: your PrivateFamily space is ready in under a minute, with no email or password.
Send a one-time invitation code to each family member. Everyone joins in seconds, with no sign-up.
Start sharing the photos and videos that matter most from now on. Keep Google Photos as a read-only archive of the past for as long as you like.
Frequently asked questions
Not today. There's no bulk import tool from Google Photos to PrivateFamily yet. It's a genuine fresh start: your past memories can stay in Google Photos, read-only, while your new photos join your PrivateFamily family.
Since its Terms of Service update on July 30, 2026, Google can train models on summaries, inferences, and generated content derived from the photos in your Google Photos library. Google also states that it does not train its generative AI directly on personal photos themselves outside of Google Photos. This is a policy Google has made public on its own initiative — we'd encourage you to read the official Terms of Service and form your own view.
No. That feature requires a server to analyze the content of your photos — exactly what end-to-end encryption is designed to prevent. It's a deliberate trade-off: less automation, in exchange for privacy that's real rather than promised.
No, not today. PrivateFamily is a mobile app, available on iOS and Android. There's no web or desktop version for now.
Ready to switch?
Free for up to 10 photos. Two minutes to create your family.
PrivateFamily