Compare systems, not monthly labels.
Local hardware looks expensive on day one. A VPS looks cheap per month. Neither comparison is useful until storage, backup, electricity, replacement and your operating burden are on the same timeline.
Use the same specification
A fair VPS quote must include the storage capacity, backup copies, memory, CPU and outbound-transfer policy you actually need. Cheap compute with expensive attached storage is not comparable to a server with several local drives.
Local cost model
hardware + drives + electricity + maintenance + off-site backup + replacement risk
The calculator amortizes hardware over 36 months for the monthly view, but its total-cost view counts the full purchase in the selected horizon. Your administration time is intentionally excluded because its value differs by owner; add it before making a business decision.
VPS cost model
monthly compute + storage + snapshots/backups + transfer + managed-service premium
Use a current written quote. Provider prices and included transfer change, so this prototype deliberately avoids embedding a vendor price.
Decision pattern
| Choose local when… | Choose VPS when… |
|---|---|
| You already own suitable hardware; storage is large; upload bandwidth is adequate; you accept maintenance. | You value remote availability; the library is modest; upfront cash is constrained; physical maintenance is undesirable. |
| Privacy and LAN-speed access dominate. | Reliable power/network and remote operations dominate. |
Run Immich locally for capacity economics and LAN performance, while keeping an encrypted off-site backup elsewhere. Do not expose the database or storage directly to the public internet.
比较完整系统，不只看月费标签。
本地硬件首日看起来昂贵，VPS 月费看起来便宜。只有把存储、备份、电费、替换风险与运维负担放在同一时间轴上，比较才有意义。
使用相同规格
公平的 VPS 报价必须包含实际需要的存储、备份副本、内存、CPU 与出站流量政策。计算资源便宜但挂载存储昂贵的方案，不能直接与拥有多块本地硬盘的服务器相比。
本地成本模型
主机与硬盘 + 电费 + 维护 + 异地备份 + 替换风险
计算器在月度视图中按 36 个月摊销硬件，但总成本视图会在所选周期内计入完整采购价。由于每个人的时间价值不同，工具没有计算你的运维时间；商业决策前应自行加入。
VPS 成本模型
月度计算资源 + 存储 + 快照／备份 + 流量 + 托管溢价
请使用当前书面报价。服务商价格与流量包含量会变化，所以原型刻意不内置某家服务商的价格。
决策模式
| 适合本地 | 适合 VPS |
|---|---|
| 已有合适硬件；存储量大；上行带宽足够；愿意维护。 | 重视远程可用性；媒体库较小；首期现金有限；不想维护实体设备。 |
| 隐私与局域网速度优先。 | 稳定电力、网络与远程运维优先。 |
本地运行 Immich 以获得容量经济性与局域网性能，同时在异地保存加密备份。不要把数据库或存储直接暴露到公网。