An open-source, offline-first desktop photo manager for organizing and searching large local photo libraries with local AI.
Lap is an open-source desktop photo manager designed for organizing, browsing, and searching large personal photo libraries offline. It provides a privacy-focused alternative to cloud services by keeping all data local and offering AI-powered search tools that run directly on your computer.
Individuals and families with large local photo collections who prioritize privacy, want to avoid cloud subscriptions, and need efficient tools for organizing and retrieving photos offline.
Developers choose Lap for its strong commitment to privacy, offline-first architecture, and powerful local AI features that eliminate cloud dependencies while providing a smooth experience for managing thousands of photos and videos.
An offline-first photo manager for large local libraries
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All photo processing and AI search run locally with no forced cloud uploads, ensuring user data never leaves the device, as emphasized in its offline-first philosophy and privacy documentation.
Supports modern image formats like WebP, HEIC, AVIF, JXL and over 20 RAW camera formats including CR2, NEF, and ARW, leveraging LibRaw and FFmpeg for decoding.
Works directly with existing folder structures without requiring an import step, allowing users to manage photos in place and sync with filesystem-aware operations.
Includes text/image similarity search, face clustering, and smart tags using on-device models like CLIP and InsightFace, powered by ONNX Runtime for private, offline functionality.
Only offers basic in-place edits such as crop, rotate, and resize, lacking advanced features like layers, filters, or professional color grading tools.
Building from source requires Node.js 20+, Rust, pnpm, and multiple system dependencies (e.g., nasm, autoconf), which can be daunting for non-developers.
The Windows MSI package is currently unsigned, leading to SmartScreen warnings that may require user intervention or technical knowledge to bypass.
Face clustering is marked as BETA, and support for Live Photos, Motion Photos, and expanded metadata standards (EXIF, XMP, IPTC) is still planned, indicating gaps in functionality.
Lap is an open-source alternative to the following products:
A photography software suite developed by Adobe for organizing, editing, and sharing large numbers of digital photographs, particularly used by professional photographers.
Apple Photos is the native photo and video management application on Apple devices for organizing, editing, and sharing media with iCloud Photo Library integration.
Google Photos is a photo sharing and storage service that automatically organizes and backs up photos and videos from devices.