PixelUnion Press Kit
Privacy and safety are not optional. Free your photos from American tech platforms.
Quick Facts
- Type: European open‑source photo platform
- Based on: Immich (fork)
- Location: Alkmaar (NL)
- Hosting: Germany (primary), Finland (backup)
- Business model: Subscription (no ads)
Pricing & Plans
- Free: 16 GB (1 GB more than Google)
- 150 GB: €2.95 / month or €29 / year
- 1 TB: €9.95 / month or €99 / year
Core Claims
- No advertising profiles
- No metadata sales
- EU data residency (DE + FI backup)
- Open‑source (fork of Immich)
- Local face recognition
- Built-in family plan
- Encryption at rest + TLS (not E2E)
- Data portability (original export)
What is PixelUnion?
PixelUnion offers an open-source alternative to the major American photo services. The platform (fork of Immich) stores photos and videos encrypted within the EU and uses a clear, ad-free subscription model. No tracking scripts, no data profiling, no sale of metadata. Features like family plans and local face recognition run on our own European infrastructure, so recognition and organization are not sent to external ad networks. Open-source means the core is transparent, and we can contribute improvements upstream. This way, privacy-conscious users retain actual control over their digital memories instead of handing them over to a closed ecosystem.
Why PixelUnion
- Ad-free: No targeting, no "hidden" business model.
- EU hosting: Data remains within GDPR-protected jurisdictions.
- Open‑source base: Auditable code (fork & upstream contributions).
- Migration guides: Support for transferring from Google Photos & iCloud (manuals).
- Family plan: Built-in family subscription.
- Local AI: Face recognition runs within the EU / private instance.
- Data portability: Export in original quality + metadata (EXIF).
- Transparent: Clear pricing, public roadmap (indicative).
Downloadable Assets
Free to use for news, reviews, articles & social (do not distort or recolor).
Need something else (vector monochrome, transparent SVG, other resolutions)? Email bram@pixelunion.eu.
Press Releases
Key Features
- Family plan: Built-in family subscription.
- Local face recognition: Runs on own EU infrastructure.
- Search & filtering: (Depends on Immich core – specify if needed.)
- App support: Web, mobile (Android/iOS via Immich build).
- Export: Original files + EXIF intact (self‑service).
- Migration guides: Manuals for Google Photos / iCloud transfer.
- Roadmap: 2FA, Own app.
- Open‑source: Fork + upstream contributions (GitHub: pixelunioneu).
Possible Angles
- European alternative to US photo clouds
- Digital sovereignty & data residency
- Open-source as a consumer strategy
- Family archives & digital legacy
- Local AI / ethical recognition
- Migration out of lock-in ecosystems
- Transparent payment model instead of ads
- Privacy by design, practically applied
Privacy & Security Key Points
Encryption: Encryption at rest (disk encryption) + TLS in transit. No end‑to‑end encryption.
AI & recognition: Face recognition/classification is performed locally within EU hosting; no model training for ads.
Data use: No sale or profiling ad networks. Log data solely for performance & security.
Export & portability: Users can download their media in original quality with metadata.
Open-source: Underlying code is inspectable (fork of Immich) – community can verify.
FAQ (Short)
- Do you use my photos for ads or AI training?
- No. No ad model, no external model training.
- How are the photos encrypted?
- Stored encrypted on disk; encryption at rest.
- Can I leave with my data?
- Yes. Export original files + metadata (EXIF intact).
- Business model?
- Subscription only (storage tiers). No ads, no sale of metadata.
Usage & Guidelines
Allowed: News articles, reviews, blogs, podcasts, conference slides.
Not allowed: Distortion/recoloring of logo, implying partnership without permission, use in unrelated commercial expressions.
Google Photos and iCloud are trademarks of their respective owners; there is no affiliation.
Need more?
Quotes, extra resolutions, privacy explanations, or technical details: bram@pixelunion.eu.