Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method for managing images based on user preferences. The apparatus includes a database for storing images, an image search module for searching the images stored in the database, an image output module for outputting at least one image retrieved by the image search module, a preference input module for, when the retrieved image is output through the image output module, receiving a user preference for the output image from a user, and an image path database for storing a storage path of the image, output through the image output module, based on the user preference received through the user preference input module. The image search module searches images whose storage paths are stored in the image path database or images whose storage paths are not stored in the image path database according to the user's selection.