What it takes to self-host Photon
Photon is open source, and self-hosting it is genuinely "download two files and start the server." But the two files are big, and the server that runs them comfortably is not small. Here are the real numbers — from Photon's own documentation — so you can decide with your eyes open.
The hardware bill
| Resource | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Disk | ~95 GB (2026) | Planet database. Grows ~10%/year. SSD strongly recommended, NVMe better. |
| RAM | 64 GB recommended | For smooth operation. Less is possible with a tuned heap (-Xmx…), but watch for swapping. |
| Java | 21+ | Required runtime. |
| OpenSearch | 3.x | Only if you run against an external DB instead of the embedded server. |
That 64 GB RAM line is the one that catches people. A geocoder is usually a supporting service, not the main event — dedicating a 64 GB box (or a big chunk of one) to it is a real allocation, especially on a homelab where RAM is the scarce resource.
The time bill
- Download: the planet index is a multi-tens-of-GB
.tar.bz2. On a home connection that's a long download before you've done anything. - Extract: decompressing and untarring ~95 GB takes a while and needs the disk headroom to hold both the archive and the extracted index during the process.
- Updates: the index is a point-in-time snapshot of OpenStreetMap. To stay current you re-download and re-unpack the new version periodically — it's not a live feed. That's a recurring maintenance chore, not a one-time setup.
When self-hosting is the right call
- You already run a server with spare 64 GB-class RAM and NVMe headroom.
- You want zero external dependencies — the coordinates never leave your hardware.
- You enjoy the upkeep, or you're geocoding at a volume where any hosted plan would cost more than the box.
If that's you: go for it. It's a clean, well-documented open-source tool.
When a hosted endpoint wins
- You want geocoding to be a two-minute setup, not a hardware project.
- 64 GB of RAM for a supporting service doesn't fit your budget or your box.
- You'd rather not own the download-and-reimport update chore.
ChibiGeo runs a planet Photon for you and exposes the same API. You swap your base URL, add a key, and you're done — flat-rate, with a hard cap and no overage, a real rate limit, and EU-only hosting. The Self-Hoster plan is €9.99/mo.
It's the convenience trade, not a lock-in: because it's the same Photon API, moving to your own instance later is just changing the URL back.