Gallery link, transfer link or cloud folder

Gallery vs file transfer: how to deliver client photos

For finished client photos, use a gallery link: shoots.page is free up to 2 GB, and the gallery stays online until you delete it or it reaches the expiry date you set. Use a transfer link for one-off sends your client downloads right away, and a cloud folder for ongoing work: Google Drive gives 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Photos, and Dropbox Basic 2 GB.

Last updated 30 October 2026

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The three methods side by side

Competitor prices and limits checked on 29 October 2026 from their public pricing and help pages: WeTransfer pricing, WeTransfer plan limits, WeTransfer transfer availability, Google One plans, Dropbox plans and Dropbox Transfer.

What matters	Gallery link	Transfer link	Cloud folder
Best for	Finished client delivery	One-off sends of any file type	Working files and team collaboration
Examples	shoots.page	WeTransfer, Dropbox Transfer	Google Drive, Dropbox
Link lifetime	Until you delete the gallery or it reaches the expiry date you set	WeTransfer Free and Starter: up to 3 days. Dropbox Transfer on Basic and Plus: 7 days	As long as the folder stays shared
Free allowance	2 GB of gallery storage	WeTransfer Free: 10 transfers or 3 GB per rolling 30 days	Google Drive: 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos. Dropbox Basic: 2 GB
Paid plans	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)	WeTransfer Starter: $10 a month for 10 transfers or 300 GB per 30 days. Ultimate: $25 a month for unlimited transfers with no size limit	Google One: 100 GB for $1.99 a month. Dropbox Plus: 2 TB for $9.99 a month billed yearly
Recipient account	Never	Not needed to download	Not needed for view links; needed to collaborate
What the client sees	480 px thumbnail grid, 60 photos per page, 2000 px viewer	File list with previews for common file types	Folder and file list with previews
File quality	Originals byte-for-byte; RAWs as full-size JPEGs unless you allow RAW downloads	WeTransfer sends files as they are, with no compression	Files stored as uploaded
Password	Optional on every gallery	WeTransfer: optional on every plan	Google Drive: none. Dropbox: Professional, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise
Client picks	Favorites against a pick limit, optional priced extras	WeTransfer: comments and favorites on individual files	No pick workflow

Three ways to hand over files

A gallery link is a web page built for viewing and downloading photos. Clients browse the set in a grid on any device, pick their favorites and download single photos or the complete set.

A transfer link is a temporary pipe. It moves any files from your computer to someone else's, and once the recipient has downloaded them, the job is done and the link runs out.

A cloud folder is a shared window into your storage. You place files in a folder, create a link and let others view or edit the contents. It works well for ongoing collaboration and mixed file types, but it is organized around folders and file lists rather than presentation.

Permanence: how long should delivery live?

A shoots.page gallery stays online until you delete it or it reaches a date you choose with gallery expiry. Clients often come back weeks or months after a shoot, and a lasting link saves you from uploading everything again. Cloud folders stay online as long as you keep the folder shared.

Transfer links are built for quick turnover. WeTransfer Free and Starter links last up to 3 days, and a Dropbox Transfer on Basic or Plus expires after 7 days. After that the files can no longer be downloaded. WeTransfer can recover expired transfers only on Ultimate, Teams and Enterprise, so on a free plan you upload the set again. If your client opens the email a week later, a free transfer is already gone.

Recipient experience: what your client actually sees

A gallery link shows 480 px thumbnails, 60 photos per page, and a 2000 px viewer, so clients can look through the set on a phone, tablet or desktop before downloading anything. Cloud folders and transfer services show photos as file rows, file names or plain thumbnail lists, and clients often download a whole ZIP before they see what was delivered.

Accounts shape the experience too. With shoots.page, your client never sees an account prompt, app download or sign-up form. Downloading from a shared link rarely needs a login, but cloud folders ask for an account once recipients want to comment, organize or save files.

Quality and privacy

None of these methods has to cost you quality. Compression usually comes from messaging apps and social platforms, and from Google Photos when Storage saver is on; more in does Google Drive compress photos? and does Dropbox compress photos?

Privacy depends on how the link is protected. All three methods use unlisted links, but access controls differ. shoots.page offers an optional password on every gallery and WeTransfer on every plan. Dropbox keeps link passwords for Professional, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise, and Google Drive links have no password option.

Use a gallery link when

You are delivering finished photo sets to portrait, event or commercial clients.
You want clients to browse 2000 px previews before downloading.
You want to deliver byte-for-byte original files without asking your client to create an account.
You want clients to mark and submit their picks in the gallery.
You want the link to stay online until you delete it or choose an expiry date.

Use a transfer link when

You are sending a one-off batch of mixed files such as audio, video or design assets.
Your recipient will download the files right away.
The link does not need to work for more than a few days.
You are sending a single, very large archive on a paid transfer plan.

Use a cloud folder when

You are working on an active project where files keep changing.
You need documents, spreadsheets and source files in one folder structure.
The recipient needs to upload their own files back into the folder.
You and your client already work together in a shared cloud folder every day.

Common questions

Is a gallery link just a download link?

No. A download link pulls an archive straight to the recipient's device. A gallery link opens a web page where clients browse thumbnails, view 2000 px previews, pick favorites and download single photos or the whole set as a ZIP.

Which method compresses my photos?

None of them has to. shoots.page stores originals byte-for-byte, WeTransfer says it sends files with no compression, Dropbox says it does not compress photos, and Google Drive keeps the file you upload. Compression usually happens in messaging apps, on social platforms and in Google Photos with Storage saver.

How long does a gallery link or a WeTransfer link last?

A shoots.page gallery stays online until you delete it or it reaches the expiry date you set. A WeTransfer link lasts up to 3 days on WeTransfer Free and Starter; on Ultimate you can keep a transfer as long as you like or set your own expiry date.

Are transfer links private?

They are unlisted, so nobody finds them by searching, but anyone who has the link can open the files. To keep a delivery private, add a password: shoots.page and WeTransfer offer one on every plan, Dropbox on Professional, Standard, Advanced and Enterprise, and Google Drive links have none.

Can I use all three methods together?

Yes. Many photographers deliver the finished photo set to the client as a gallery link, keep active project files in a cloud folder and send one-off video or admin files by transfer.

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