Don’t leave your precious photo memories unprotected
I have always been very open-minded when it comes to computer and network security. I know I am not the best, but I like to think I do my part to keep my family protected. For years, I’ve used iCloud Photos as my main photo storage option. As an Apple user, it felt natural to use their native photo storage solution. I’ve never felt as though my photos were ‘unsecured’, they are definitely not as protected as they could be.
Many of the security options are not enabled by default, and in some cases, certain security features are not available at all. When it comes down to it, you want a service with end-to-end encryption so that you ensure that you are in control of who sees your photos. This type of security is for anyone who believes their personal media shouldn’t be seen, scanned, or accessed by anyone else unless they say so. It’s not about hiding something. It’s about protecting what’s yours. When it comes to protecting your family photos, using a service like Ente is the way to go.
Lots of photo storage sites don’t encrypt your images. This makes someone looking to do something malicious more of an advantage. Ente is a web-based app that focuses on your photo storage needs. With a wonderful price structure, Ente will soon be in my opinion the place to go when it comes to having photo storage.
How is Ente different?
Ente Photos is a privacy-focused photo storage and sharing service designed to offer users full control over their digital memories. Built with end-to-end encryption at its core, Ente ensures that only you and those you choose to share with can access your photos and videos—even the company itself cannot view your content. The platform is available across mobile, desktop, and web, and supports seamless automatic backups, family albums, and shared libraries. With an emphasis on transparency, security, and user-first design, Ente stands out as an alternative to traditional cloud photo services that often compromise privacy for convenience.
Since many people are familiar with iCloud Photos and Google Photos, I created a comparison table to show the differences between the three platforms.
FeatureEnte PhotosiCloud PhotosGoogle PhotosEnd-to-End Encryption (E2EE)Yes, by default for all photos, videos, and metadataOptional (Advanced Data Protection must be enabled)No, only encrypted in transit and at restData Access by ProviderNoYes, unless E2EE is enabledYesOpen SourceYesNoNoCross-Platform SupportYes – iOS, Android, Web, macOS, Windows, LinuxSubscription-based (iCloud+), part of the Apple ecosystemYes – iOS, Android, WebSharing with E2EEYes – encrypted shared albums and librariesNo – shared albums are not end-to-end encryptedNo – shared links and albums are not end-to-end encryptedStorage ControlYes – can self-host or use Ente’s cloudNo – storage must use Apple’s infrastructureNo – storage must use Google’s infrastructureAccount RecoveryPrivate recovery methods, not linked to a centralized IDApple ID–based recoveryGoogle Account–based recoveryFamily SharingYes – with encryptionYes – not encryptedYes – not encryptedBusiness ModelSubscription-based, privacy is core to the productYes, by default, for all photos, videos, and metadataPrimarily ad-supported, also offers subscription plansTransparencyPublic audits, open encryption modelNo external audits, closed systemNo transparency or external auditsMain Features
End-to-end encryption: All of your photos and their metadata on Ente are stored end-to-end encrypted. So unlike traditional cloud storage, with Ente, only you can view your data. 3 replicas: Ente preserves your encrypted photos to 3 different clouds, in 3 different locations, including an underground facility. This guarantees that your data is as safe as it can possibly be. Cross-platform: Ente has apps for Android, iOS, Linux, Mac, Windows, and the web. All apps are open source. Background uploads: Ente backs up data in the background, across all platforms. Any new photos you click are automatically encrypted and uploaded to our servers. Family plans: You can share your subscription with 5 other family members at no extra cost. Only your storage is shared, not your data. Each member will receive their own private space. Search: Ente uses on-device AI to recognize faces and key elements in a photo, so you can search through your entire library using natural language search. Hierarchical Search allows you to find the exact photo you are looking for. Album sharing: Ente offers end-to-end encrypted sharing for your albums. If your partner is on Ente, you can share your entire library with them. Any new photo you add will instantly be accessible on their devices. Link sharing: You can share links to your albums, which are end-to-end encrypted. Viewers don’t need an app or account. You can protect your links with a password and configure them to expire after some time. Collaboration: You can let your loved ones add photos to your albums. If they aren’t on Ente, you can share a link with them and allow them to upload photos to it. So you can easily collect photos in original quality at the end of a trip or event.Pricing
Ente offers several different pricing tiers. All prices shown below are for the monthly cost. There are also annual options that offer a discount.
FreeStarterPopularProPro+10GB50GB200GB1TB2TB$0/mo$2.99/mo$5.99/mo$11.99/mo$23.99/mo$0/yr$29.88/yr$59.88/yr$119.88/yr$239.88/yrPrivacy Policy
Ente collects only minimal data and secures all uploaded files and metadata with end-to-end encryption, meaning only you can access your content. They don’t sell or share personal data and comply with global privacy laws like GDPR and CCPA. Even facial recognition data is encrypted and deleted after account closure, reinforcing their privacy-first approach. The full privacy policy can be found here.
Setup & Installation
Since I’m primarily a Mac user, I will include the details for the macOS and iOS app interfaces. Ente Photos is also compatible with Linux, Windows, and Android operating systems.
Web Access: Ente allows users to access their accounts via a web portal simply by logging into their accounts. It’s a simple process and doesn’t require any downloads. The web interface is very simple. There is an upload button in the top right corner, a search field in the center, and the ability to sort your photos. Ente also has some editing tools available. You select the photo you want to download or share, and then follow the on-screen prompts. You also have the option to use Ente’s edit tools. You can crop, transform, or change the colors of the photo.
macOS Desktop App: The Ente Photo macOS app is available for download from ente.io. There is a Downloads page that includes links to all the app installation packages or the external App Store. Once I got it installed, I logged into my account, and all the photos I uploaded to my account via the web interface immediately appeared in the dashboard. It’s important to note that this dashboard is only showing a preview of what photos you have stored in Ente’s cloud database. The same edit tools are available from inside the app as were in the web interface. One of the things I really appreciate is that Ente has done a nice job of making the desktop app look and function like the web app. So users get the same experience, however, they choose to interact with the platform.
iOS App: The iOS App is very useful. I really like the simple user interface and the features that are available. It doesn’t include the exact same edit tools that are available on the desktop or web apps, but it does give users the option to resize and recolor the images with simple slider adjustments.
Testing
There are several features I wanted to test with Ente, including:
Automatic Backup Cross-device Sync Verify End-to-End Encryption Offline Mode Export and RestoreAutomatic Backup
With Ente’s Backup feature, you can select albums in your native photos app, and Ente will detect any new photos added to that album and automatically sync. I discovered that to use this feature, you have to allow full access to your Photos library in order to be able to select albums for backup. The feature seemed to work very well, and I didn’t notice any issues with it. This feature is available on the mobile version of Ente as “Backup,” but the Desktop version has a “Watched Folders” setting that is essentially the same feature. The difference is that the Desktop version of Ente can view any folders on your computer, whereas the mobile version can only look at the photos app.
Cross-Device Sync
This feature was flawless. I started uploading photos into Ente using the web interface and as soon as I signed into Ente on my iPhone, the images were syncing there. I would say that the syncing occurred within a few seconds of me uploading images in any app interface.
Verify End-to-End Encryption
While you can’t see encryption, the best way to test this feature is to share an album with a friend who also uses Ente to see if they can open it. You have the option to share a public link, which anyone can open — even if they don’t have an Ente account. With the End-to-End option, you have to add a viewer/collaborator to an album, and that user has to have an account in order to access those photos.
To test this out, I created a second account using a separate email. I logged into that account on my internet browser and stayed logged into my main account on my desktop client. Then, I shared two albums with the second account. Those albums weren’t visible until I uploaded my first photo to the new account, but as soon as I did, the browser refreshed, and the photos from the shared albums were available. On the main account side, I revoked access to one of the albums, and when I refreshed the second account web page, only one album was visible. While I can’t verify whether or not Ente’s staff can view the photos I’ve uploaded, it seems as though the user-to-user sharing is locked down well.
Offline Mode
To test this feature, I disconnected my laptop from WiFi and tried opening a photo. I was able to see the cached thumbnails of the images that were already uploaded, but new photos didn’t upload until I reconnected. I also noticed that some of the data on the photo wasn’t available while I was offline, but it became instantly available when I reconnected to WiFi. I felt that this confirmed the offline function worked as it should.
Test Export and Restore
Ente offers a powerful export feature that allows you to download an archive of your library. This ensures that should you decide to leave Ente, you keep all your data. I exported the entire library I had created (4.64GB) and was able to view all the photos fine on my computer after the download was completed. You actually have the ability to continuously sync that archive, too, if you wish to do so.
How Ente works with iCloud’s optimized storage
Since I store my photos in iCloud Photos, I was concerned that the full resolution images that were being stored in iCloud wouldn’t be what Ente was storing. According to Apple, “iCloud Photos keeps your photos and videos in their original, high-resolution version.” If you want to save space on your device, you can select “Optimize Storage,” which keeps the original photos and videos stored in iCloud, but space-saving versions are kept on your device. So, my concern was that if Ente was pulling from the device — and not directly from iCloud — that the smaller version would be what Ente was storing. This was the response I got back from them.
Ente uses standard iOS APIs (PHImageManager) to access full-resolution photos. If the original is not on the device, iOS will automatically download it from iCloud in the background—no special permissions are needed. As long as the user is online and grants access, Ente backs up the full-resolution version.
Conclusion
Ente Photos offers a thoughtful, privacy-first alternative to mainstream photo storage solutions like iCloud and Google Photos. With end-to-end encryption, strong cross-platform support, and seamless syncing features, it empowers users to protect their most personal digital memories. Whether you’re privacy-conscious or simply looking for a reliable and user-friendly photo backup, Ente stands out as a secure, modern solution with flexibility for individuals and families alike.
For more information, visit ente.io
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