Blog on libcom.de

Immich and the question nobody asks: why open source must finally be paid for

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

There is software you discover. And there is software you never let go of.

Immich belongs to the second category. An open source photo and video service that does what Google Photos or Apple iCloud do — except you remain the owner. Your own pictures. Your own data. Your own infrastructure.

Anyone who has looked at Immich once knows: it is good. Very good. Modern, fast, well thought out. And it is free.

Open Source is not an ideology — it is infrastructure

Tue, 15 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There is a conversation I have over and over again.

Someone asks whether we also work with “real software” — meaning proprietary products from major vendors. The question always carries the same subtext: open source is for tinkerers, idealists, people with lots of time and little money.

I disagree, politely. And then I explain what is actually happening.

The misconception about quality

The most common misconception is that quality and openness are mutually exclusive. Those who pay get better software. Those who get it for free get less.

Vendor Lock-in: When your IT works for someone else

Mon, 02 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Vendor lock-in rarely begins with a conscious decision.

Usually it begins with a nice offer. Free trial. Easy migration. Everything from one source. And two years later you discover: switching would take months, cost a fortune, and overwhelm the entire team.

That is not an accident. That is the product.

What lock-in actually means

Technical vendor lock-in means your IT infrastructure is so closely tailored to the tools and services of a single vendor that switching becomes unrealistically expensive or complex.