# Flickr 54 Hacker News commenters recommended Flickr and 29 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months; owners who said how long report a median of 20 years (12 owners). **Verdict:** Recommended for its long-lived photo archive, photography community and developer-friendly API. Common caveat: critics report limited free accounts and some lost photos or locked accounts. ## Why people recommend it - Photography-focused community of enthusiasts (5 comments): "Flickr was, and continues to be, a place where people who use actual camera equipment post photos" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47137928)) "It was the only photo sharing website that emphasized the art of photography" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906688)) "Flickr was a great way to explore the work of other like-minded folks" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47913910)) - Old photos stay accessible for years (5 comments): "The photos I have from that 2000s era are still around purely thanks to that site." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46482400)) "No matter how many gigabytes you had uploaded, you can still access them." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48571087)) "still has my pics despite threatening to delete them for like 15 years" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49415971)) - Clean, enjoyable developer API (4 comments): "Their API was one of the first and honestly still one of the most enjoyable to actually use as a developer." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47134407)) "Still happily paying for Pro every year and using the API to pull images into my website." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910524)) "the API still works, and I basically use it as a DAM for my wife's website" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47907530)) - Good value for paid accounts (3 comments): "keeping the platform alive for paying customers, rather than dumping losses for growth hacks" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47907989)) "Still happily paying for Pro every year and using the API to pull images into my website." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910524)) "Relative to our peers, it's a bargain for unlimited storage, advertising free, etc etc." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47910040)) ## What people warn about - Lost photos or locked accounts (5 comments): "They're also holding the photos that are left hostage; unless you pay them, you can't download the photos you have left there." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47134952)) "Flickr's response was deleting my profile, all of my photos, and not responding to any of my attempts to contact them." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47906699)) "I was a happy user for many years and lost access to my photos due to authentication changes." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47914140)) - Paid subscription needed for access (2 comments): "They're also holding the photos that are left hostage; unless you pay them, you can't download the photos you have left there." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47134952)) "I would have to pay an indefinite subscription to contribute to the commons." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47908142)) - Drifted toward algorithmic social feeds (3 comments): "limiting the number of photos users could upload, instead of limiting the quality, somehow made it more like a social media platform" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47907282)) "Glad they captured what we're doing - photography & community - and what we're not - algorithmic feeds & privacy violations." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47907070)) "The problem with the Flickr algorithm was that it ended up promoting a very predictable style of photos" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47138340)) ## Alternatives hackers recommend - [Glass photo sharing](https://hackerapproved.com/p/glass.md): 7 recommend - [SmugMug](https://hackerapproved.com/p/smugmug.md): 6 recommend ## Where to get it - [Visit the official site](https://www.flickr.com/) ## Cite as Hacker Approved, "Flickr", https://hackerapproved.com/p/flickr/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).