Six platforms, prices checked 29 October 2026
Client gallery platforms compared: shoots.page, Pixieset, Pic-Time, ShootProof, SendPhoto and SmugMug
shoots.page delivers and proofs photos: free up to 2 GB or 100 GB for USD 9 a month on Pro, with JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, WebP and RAW originals and no client account. Pixieset, Pic-Time and ShootProof (from $8, $7 and $8.33 a month billed yearly) pair galleries with print stores and studio tools; SmugMug adds a portfolio website from $20 a month with no free plan; SendPhoto focuses on delivery from $30 a year.
Last updated
Plans, files and print sales
| Platform | Free plan | Paid plans | Photo files | Print sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| shoots.page | 2 GB, every delivery feature | Pro: 100 GB and 4 gallery designs for USD 9 a month or USD 90 a year before applicable tax (EUR 8 or EUR 80 in Europe, VAT included) | JPEG, PNG, HEIC, TIFF, WebP and RAW, up to 1 GiB and 100 megapixels per file | Not offered |
| Pixieset | 3 GB | Basic 10 GB for $8 a month billed yearly ($10 monthly) up to Ultimate unlimited for $40 ($50) | JPEG and PNG up to 100 MB; RAW on Pro and Ultimate only | Built-in store with lab fulfillment; 15% commission on free-plan sales, none on paid plans |
| Pic-Time | 10 GB, later reduced to 3 GB | Beginner 20 GB for $7 a month billed yearly ($8 monthly) up to Advanced unlimited under fair use for $42 ($50) | JPEG and GIF up to 100 MB; PNG cannot be uploaded | 30+ labs; commission on your markup only, none on self-collected payments on Professional and Advanced |
| ShootProof | 100 photos, no video | Starter 20 GB for $8.33 a month billed yearly ($9.99 monthly) up to Premium unlimited photos for $50 ($60) | JPEG only, sRGB, up to 50 MB and 100 megapixels | Lab prints and products on every plan, commission-free |
| SendPhoto | 5 GB, one gallery, 10 GB of lifetime upload credits | Starter 20 GB for $30 a year ($3 monthly) up to Pro 1 TB for $320 a year ($32 monthly) | RAW, HEIC, TIFF, PSD and more, up to 1 GiB per photo | Not offered |
| SmugMug | None; 14-day trial | Direct $20 a month billed yearly ($29 monthly) up to Pro $37 ($52) | Unlimited JPEG storage; RAW needs the paid Source add-on | On Portfolio and Pro, with lab fulfillment |
Client access, downloads and picks
| Platform | Client account | Original downloads | Client picks | Built for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| shoots.page | Never needed | Originals byte-for-byte, single or as a ZIP; RAW as a full-size JPEG unless you turn on RAW downloads; optional 2000 px JPEGs | Favorites against a pick limit, optional priced extras | Delivering finished photos and collecting picks, RAW included |
| Pixieset | Not needed; favorites are saved under an email address | Original-size files without compression or resizing on paid plans | Client favorites lists | Galleries, website, store and studio tools in one place |
| Pic-Time | Guests view with the link; the main client needs an account | Optional optimizer on Professional and Advanced makes JPEGs smaller at the same pixel size | Client selections on Professional and Advanced | Galleries tied to print sales and marketing |
| ShootProof | Not needed; an email address is asked before favoriting or downloading | Original resolution download is the exact file you uploaded | Favorites and labels | Contracts, invoices and sales next to galleries |
| SendPhoto | Not needed for viewing | Original or scaled-down downloads, set per gallery | Likes and favorites | Delivery with watermarks, video and custom domains |
| SmugMug | Not needed for public, unlisted or password galleries | Full-resolution JPEG storage; RAW through the Source add-on | Client favoriting on Pro | Portfolio website, archive and print sales |
What a client gallery platform is for
A client gallery platform gives your client one link to view and download their finished photos. Instead of a bare ZIP file or a cloud folder, clients get an organized set where they browse thumbnails, open larger previews, pick favorites and download files.
What separates the platforms is what sits around the gallery. Some focus on delivery and proofing. Others add print sales, booking, email marketing and portfolio websites. Pricing differs too: most sell storage tiers, some keep business tools for paid plans, and SmugMug has no free plan at all.
How to read these tables
No recipient account is how shoots.page works on every gallery. Most of the other services also open without an account; Pic-Time asks the main client to create one, and ShootProof asks for an email address before favoriting or downloading. The bigger differences are file types, business tools and pricing.
For digital photo delivery, shoots.page covers the handoff: originals stored byte-for-byte, photo proofing with priced extras, the gallery link emailed from the app, and a note to you when your client opens or downloads it. Pixieset, Pic-Time, ShootProof and SmugMug connect to labs that fulfill print and wall art orders, and Pixieset and ShootProof also handle contracts and invoices.
Questions to ask before you pick
- Do you sell prints through partner labs, or only deliver digital files?
- Do you need contracts, invoices and booking inside your gallery tool, or do you already use other software for that?
- How does the free plan behave over time: does storage drop, or does it cap galleries or uploads?
- Which files do you deliver: JPEG only, or PNG and RAW as well?
- What happens to uploaded files: are they recompressed, or stored byte-for-byte?
- What does the client see on a phone when viewing and picking favorites?
Go deeper on each platform
- shoots.page: delivery and proofing, free up to 2 GB, with RAW support and no client account.
- Pixieset: gallery plans, store commission and suite pricing.
- Pic-Time: print automations, the JPEG optimizer and plan tiers.
- Pass Gallery: closes on 31 October 2026; switch to shoots.page for delivery and proofing, or take the free move to Pic-Time.
- ShootProof: storage-based plans, invoicing and commission-free sales.
- SmugMug: portfolio websites, unlimited JPEG storage and lab fulfillment.
- SendPhoto: delivery-focused galleries with watermarks and custom domains.
- WeTransfer for photographers: one-off file transfers next to client galleries.
- Google Drive for photos: shared cloud drives for photo delivery.
- Dropbox for photos: Dropbox links and transfers next to a gallery.
Sending files to an editor or a team
For RAW files going to an editor, turn on RAW downloads and share one shoots.page link: they download the RAW files themselves, one by one or in a ZIP, with no account. Galleries are one way, with no guest uploads: shoots.page is built for handing over finished photos, not for working files a team edits together. The gallery vs file transfer guide shows which method fits which job.
Common questions
Which client gallery platforms are free?
Which client gallery platforms accept RAW files?
Which platforms handle print sales?
Do clients need accounts to view galleries?
What happens to my original files?
Where should I start if I only deliver digital files?
Deliver your next shoot
Drop your photos into the browser and share a gallery link your client opens without an account.