What it catalogs. CachePix catalogs JPEG, PNG, WebP and 15 RAW formats (CR2, CR3, NEF, NRW, ARW, SR2, RAF, ORF, RW2, DNG, PEF, SRW, X3F, IIQ, 3FR). HEIC and TIFF photos are cataloged and searchable, and previews for them are coming. Video isn't supported.
- JPEG
- PNG
- WebP
- 15 RAW formats
- HEIC and TIFF: searchable, previews coming
- No video
What it runs on. Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later) on macOS 12 or later. 64-bit Windows (x64). iPhone and iPad on iOS 18 or later. Android 9 or later. Full system requirements
What the CachePix photo catalog app does
Nothing gets imported or moved. CachePix is an offline photo catalog and photo organizer for external hard drives, and for internal and removable drives too. It catalogs your photos where they already are.
Browse with the drives unplugged
CachePix keeps a 512px thumbnail and an HD preview (2048px by default, up to 3072px) of each JPEG, PNG, WebP and RAW photo on your computer.
One search box, 13 fields
Filename, people, keywords, caption, headline, title, city, state, sublocation, creator, event, category and supplemental categories. Words combine, so “Maria Lisbon” finds photos that match both.
Duplicates collapse
Identical copies on different drives become one photo with each location listed. Edited or re-saved copies stay separate. RAW+JPEG pairs with the same name in one folder count once.
Reads the metadata you already wrote
Keywords, captions and people saved to your files from Photo Mechanic or Lightroom Classic are searchable, including XMP sidecars next to RAW files. A quick sync re-reads only the files that changed.
Your phone carries the catalog
The catalog syncs one way, from your computer to your phone, over your local network. Pair once by scanning a QR code. Full-size originals stay on your drives.
Your files stay put
Cataloging never modifies, moves, renames or deletes your files. CachePix writes metadata only when you edit it, and only the fields you changed, as standard XMP in the file or in a sidecar next to RAW files.
CachePix has no facial recognition, face detection or AI tagging. People names come from metadata in your files, or names you type in CachePix.
How it works
- Catalog a folder or drive. In the desktop app, open Drives & Folders, choose Catalog a Folder… and pick any folder or drive, internal or external. It runs in the background, and a cancelled run picks up where it left off.
- Pair your phone. Install the CachePix app on your iPhone or Android phone and sign in with the email you use on your computer. Then click Pair Phone…, then Turn On, and scan the QR code. The phone and computer need to be on the same network to sync.
- Browse and search away from home. Browse and search your catalog with the drives unplugged and the computer at home. CachePix checks your plan online at least once every 14 days.
Step by step: how to view external hard drive photos on your phone, or meet the CachePix phone app.
Built for archives that span several drives
These desktop tools make CachePix a local photo organizer for drives you can't keep plugged in.
- Saved searches. The star saves a search to the Library sidebar with a live photo count.
- Exports without the drive. Export HD JPEG previews with their metadata embedded, even with the original drive unplugged.
- The disk space, up front. Before you catalog a folder, CachePix samples about 24 photos and estimates the preview store's size.
- Storage & Backup. Move the preview store to a bigger drive, back up the catalog, and restore with the old copy kept as a fallback.
Not a backup. CachePix is a catalog, not a backup. It makes your archive findable. It doesn't make a second copy, so keep backing up your drives.
See all the photo cataloging software features, how to find photos across drives, or what's different about CachePix for Mac.
How much space it takes on your phone
Thumbnails for a measured library of 190,566 photos took 8.03 GB on the phone, under 1% of the size of the originals. HD previews are the part you size yourself.
HD previews download automatically for a capture-date window you choose: 30 days, 90 days, 1 year (the default), 2 years or All photos. They averaged about 349 KB each, so All photos on this library came to 63.46 GB. Free Up Space removes them in one tap and keeps the thumbnails.
Measured in August 2026 on a library of 190,566 photos (885.66 GB) in two folders on one external drive, cataloged on a Mac and synced to an iPhone, with 512px thumbnails and HD previews at the default 2048px (JPEG quality 80). Sizes are as the phone reported them, and yours will vary with your photos. How we measured.
Read the full breakdown of how much space it uses on your phone.
Who it's for
Family archive keepers
You keep the family photos, and everyone asks you for them. As photo organizing software for home use, CachePix makes them searchable by filename, plus the people, city, state, sublocation and event fields in the files. On Mac, you can browse them by folder too. It doesn't read GPS locations. HEIC photos from iPhones are cataloged and searchable, but for now they show a filename tile instead of a picture. Start with how to organize photos on an external hard drive.
Photographers with RAW archives
Years of client work scattered across several drives, captioned in Photo Mechanic or Lightroom Classic. CachePix catalogs 15 RAW formats, reads the XMP those apps save next to your RAW files, and finds a job by keyword or caption, even from your phone. It doesn't read Lightroom Classic catalogs, and Adobe says Lightroom Classic's XMP writing is off by default, so turn it on first. More on the photo cataloging software.
Libraries that outgrew the cloud
Library bigger than the storage plan you want to pay for? Use an offline photo organizer instead: keep the originals on drives you own and a private photo catalog on your phone. The phone gets thumbnails of JPEG, PNG, WebP and RAW photos. HEIC photos are searchable by their details, and video isn't supported. See the Google Photos alternative without the cloud.
More how-tos live in our guides.
Weighing your options?
CachePix has no facial recognition, doesn't catalog video and doesn't edit images. If you need any of those, the comparison pages name tools that do.
All comparisons
Compare photo catalog software
The full list, with the date each fact was checked.
CachePix vs Mylio
Mylio alternative
Phones, offline browsing and price, compared.
CachePix vs NeoFinder
Looking for NeoFinder for Windows?
Platforms, phone apps and pricing, side by side.
CachePix vs Immich
Immich without a server
What changes when there's no server for you to install or run.
Alternative
Google Photos alternative without the cloud
Keep the originals on your own drives and browse them on your phone.
Alternative
Picasa replacement
A desktop catalog of your photo folders, plus your phone.
Pricing
One plan covers your computer and your phone with the same email, and the price doesn't change with the size of your library.
- Unlimited photos and drives
- Mac and Windows desktop app
- iPhone and Android apps
- Sync to your phone over your local network
- Everything in Monthly
- Save about 50% compared with paying monthly
- One payment a year, renewing until you cancel
- Everything in Monthly
- No subscription to manage
- Lifetime has no trial
A card is required for the trial, and you're charged when it ends unless you cancel. Choose a plan here or in the desktop app, and Stripe handles payment in your browser. Plan details and billing questions are on the pricing page.
Quick answers
Do my photos go to the cloud?
No. Only your account (email sign-in, the plan check and billing) goes online. Details in the CachePix FAQ.
Will it fill up my phone?
Thumbnails are small: about 44 KB a photo on the measured library, or about 1 GB per 25,000 photos. HD previews take more, and you choose how far back they go. See the full storage numbers.
Do I need to set up a server?
No. There's no server for you to install or run. Your phone syncs straight from the desktop app over your local network. Coming from a self-hosted setup? Read Immich without a server.
Will cataloging change my photos?
No. Cataloging never modifies, moves, renames or deletes your files. CachePix writes metadata only when you edit it, and only the fields you changed, as standard XMP in the file or in a sidecar next to RAW files. More in the CachePix FAQ.