PLAN THE LIBRARY

How much storage will your photos really need?

Estimate the space for photos, videos, generated files, future growth and backup copies. Use it for an Immich project or any self-hosted photo library where you know your own file sizes.

Planning, not exact prediction. Photo and video sizes vary enormously. The most reliable inputs come from your own existing library. The default generated-file overhead and database allowance are based on current Immich documentation.

Your library

Number of photosUse the current size of your library.Average photo size (MB)Check a sample from your own library if possible.Video hoursTotal duration, not file count.Average video size (GB/hour)Varies heavily by resolution, codec and bitrate.Generated-file overhead (%)Immich says thumbnails and transcoded video can add about 10 to 20% on average.Database allowance (GB)Immich says its Postgres database is typically around 1 to 3 GB.Extra backup copies2 means two additional full-copy equivalents besides the live library.Future growth allowance (%)Add space for the next few years rather than sizing only for today.

STORAGE PLAN

Plan around 508.7 GB for the live library

1.53 TB including backups

Current originals: 352.5 GB
Originals after growth allowance: 440.6 GB
Generated files allowance: 66.1 GB
Live library + database: 508.7 GB
All copies: 1.53 TB

“All copies” treats each backup as a full-copy equivalent. Deduplication, incremental backups and retention policies can change the real space required.

How to make the estimate better

Measure your own files

Average the size of a few hundred recent photos and videos rather than relying on generic camera estimates.

Do not confuse RAID with backup

Mirroring can improve availability after a disk failure, but it does not protect against deletion, corruption, theft or every hardware failure.

Leave room to grow

A server sized exactly for today's library is already on borrowed time. Add a realistic growth allowance before choosing disks.