What are the best cloud photo storage and portfolio services?

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Recs.

Dec 22, 2023

Last
Updated

Google Photos vs Pixpa vs SmugMug

vs iCloud vs 500px vs Zenfolio vs Worka vs Flickr vs Shutterfly vs Imagesocket vs Photoshelter vs Pixieset vs Pixelrights vs pCloud vs worka

Specs

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

OSX; iOS

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Platforms

Windows, Mac, Linux

Mobile App

Yes

Offline access

Yes

Versioning

Yes

Event API

Yes

Cloud Storage

Yes

Password protected link sharing

Yes

Free storage size

Continuous

Yes

Platforms

Mobile App

Offline access

Versioning

Event API

Cloud Storage

Password protected link sharing

Free storage size

Continuous

Pros + Cons

Pro
Accessible from almost any device

Web/Android/iOS/Chromecast/... it works almost on everything and you can use it almost everywhere.

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Pro
Searchable

Quickly find the pictures you want by using the auto-generated clusters or searching by content in your photos. The Android app allows also to have a really wide time-based overview to locate photos.

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Pro
Easy to share with people

You can really create a link that you can share with people in one or two clicks.

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Pro
Can search photos

Text in photos, the content of the photo, and so on can be automatically searched. So one doesn't need to categorize to later find photos. Manual categorization is still possible.

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Pro
Free storage original quality for at least 15GB

Unlimited HQ photo storage for free. Also all users can upload at least 15 GB of photos in original quality, various promotions allow to have up to 1 TB for free (like buying a Chromebook or being a local guide for Maps...).

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Pro
Send images and videos to Gmail and YouTube

If you linked your Google drive with google photos, then you can easily attach any of your Google Photos in an email message.

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Pro
Can automatically back up phone's photos

Any images taken with your phone can automatically be backed up to Google Photos. And the first time you run the mobile app it will also help you back up any existing images and videos you might have on your phone.

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Pro
Unlimited storage for small & mid-sized images

Google offers unlimited storage for any images under 16MP (~4.6MB). This is large enough for just about any 'regular' image (most phones and even dedicated cameras capture pictures less than 16MP). If pictures are over 16MP, then they can still be added, however they will count towards your Google Drive storage (5GB is free, but this storage is the total across all of Google's services including Docs, Sheets, Gmail, Google Photos and more).

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Pro
Automated backup from camera roll

Upon opening the app.

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Pro
Uses AI to create fun content

Google's AI automatically generates fun animations, collages, styled photos and stories every now and then which can be shared saved and shared to your device very easily.

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Pro
The built-in editor works pretty well

If you decide to edit a picture from within Google Photos, you have the ability to adjust the light, color, pop, and vingette through a slider. You can also use filters (also applied with a slider bar for just the right amount of filter) and do regular edits such as cropping, rotating, and zooming. The editor also keeps track of the original image, and it's easy to revert back at any time. Even when you are finished editing, the edit will be created as a new image - keeping the original in tact in case you made a mistake or want to made another edit.

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Pro
Free unlimited storage

Google Photos comes with free storage for images up to 16Mp and videos up to 1080p which means that most users need no longer worry about storage space.

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Pro
Simple sharing

Any picture or selection of pictures can be sent to anyone, even if they don't have a Google account. Photos will also give you a list of recommended photos to share.

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Pro
Smart shared libraries

Google Photos allows inviting other users to shared libraries. It has a feature that allows auto-adding all photos and videos or only of specific people to the shared library which is really useful for sharing with families or a close group of friends. It also allows the invitee to save those photos straight to their device automatically as if they took it.

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Pro
Non-destructive built-in photo editor

Any photos that you edited can be undone to original copy.

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Pro
iOS app is easy and fun to use

The app is easy to use and has amusing features like reminders, where it pops up photos from many years ago.

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Pro
Can manually classify photos

Can create albums from photos or even manage the whole folders tree manually via Drive.

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Con
Low quality copies

Google compresses all photos (to JPEG, medium quality) AND caps the max resolution at 16 MP (without paying for a storage plan), which rules out RAW uploads for any of the current name-brand DSLR cameras and up to 8 out of 10 most highly-rated point-and-shoots (DSLRs range from 20 to 50 MP right now, mid-2017; per PC Magazine's 2017 top P&S roundup, Canon and Panasonic sell 12.8MP cameras but the rest are 16-24MP; unknown if the camera maker's approximation of 16MP meets or exceeds Google's limit).

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Con
Doesn't backup in the background

For iOS devices.

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Con
Taking ownership of your backups is laborious

Major issue with this is getting access to your backups. Gotta wait for massive downloads. With OneDrive they are just files which you can move around.

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Con
Might be removed anytime

Google has a tendency to quickly shut down or abandon services that don't perform well. Google Photos might run the risk of being discontinued if the user base of the app doesn't meet certain criteria.

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Con
Google learns more about you

How much of your life is already trusted to Google, and how much more do you want it to learn from your photos?

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Con
No Lightroom integration and no API

Google only allows uploads via its desktop and mobile clients, and has stated it has no plans to release an open API for Google Photos. This means anyone wanting to share from Lightroom or any other major photo catalog app has to first export all their files to disk, wait for the export to complete, then upload to Google Photos. This extra step is cumbersome compared to sites which offer first-party upload plugins and an open API for any other developer to build off.

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Con
Files may be compressed if you're using the unlimited storage option

All images exceeding 16MP and videos exceeding 1080p will automatically be compressed to that size or lower. Meaning high-res images and videos won't work with the unlimited storage option.

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Con
No Support for Keyword / Tag

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Con
The website has performance issues

The site tends to lag and file uploads can sometimes fail.

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Con
No way to easily download all photos down to Desktop

Previously, we can use Google Backup & Sync to get all Google Photos sync on desktop. but it is not possible to do any similar thing.

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Con
No Way to Organize by Folder

Google Photos have "Album" but its function is broken IMO. It is more like a "Static Collection" in Lightroom.

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Con
Doesn't support list view

Only the grid view is available.

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Con
Sort ABC not available

Sort alphabetically not supported.

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Con
Does not offer portfolio service

Google Photos does not offer any portfolio service for displaying. It is a photo sharing platform.

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Con
The web version lacks certain features available on mobile apps

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Con
Not a lot of free storage space for high-res content

While there's a free unlimited storage plan, it's limited to 16 megapixel images and 1080p videos. Uploading full-resolution content, if you opt out of free unlimited storage plan, is limited to 15GB that comes with a Google account which is shared across all Google services. Increasing that storage space costs about $10/mo per 1TB of storage.

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Con
doesnt support list view

only grid view available

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Pro
Unlimited storage and bandwidth

Pixpa offers unlimited storage and bandwidth for your photographs on all the plans.

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Con
The web builder currently supports desktop only

Pixpa websites are responsive and work well on all mobile devices. The website builder though is optimized to work on desktops.

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Con
Third-party account required for commerce

Unlike many other solution, there's no built-in commerce solution.

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Pro
Beautiful themes for professional photographers

Pixpa has more than 20 pre-built multipurpose themes for creative pros.

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Pro
Allows password-protected galleries

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Pro
Integrated blogging

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Pro
DIY pagebuilder for creating custom pages

Pixpa offers drag-and-drop functionality for creating custom pages. There are more than 300 pre-built, ready to use content blocks for building a custom webpage on a site.

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Pro
12 gallery layouts

Choose from multiple gallery layouts to showcase your work the way you want.

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Pro
Responsive websites for mobile

Works on all mobile devices.

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Pro
No coding required

Drag-and-drop interface makes it easy to build a professional website.

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Pro
Cost-effective

All plans allow unlimited images and bandwidth.

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Pro
Fast and secure

All websites are hosted on secure and scalable cloud infrastructure ensuring up-time and fast delivery.

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Pro
Easy WYSIWYG editor

The PageBuilder offered by Pixpa is very easy to use and has custom content blocks which can be incorporated in any custom page you build for your website . The Drag and Drop functionality is helps here as well.

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Pro
Client proofing

Pixpa allows you to create private galleries for clients. It gets pretty easy for clients to select images and give feedback. The service allows easy workflows.

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Con
Inconvenient website building

No drag and drop or WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) editor is available for building the website. All properties have to be set and saved in the backend before it's possible to view the result that in and of itself has to be viewed in a separate browser window. Getting a site just right takes a lot of back and forth between refreshing the preview window and editing details in the backend.

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Con
Expensive

Pricing starts at $10 per month for the Starter Package up to $20 per month for the Plus Package. Yearly billing offers a discount of 20%.

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Pro
Brilliant SEO capabilities

Supports automatic sitemap.xml generation, automatic robots.txt generation, meta data for each page or sub-page on website, SEO friendly URLs, optimized images with proper alt tags and description.

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Pro
24x7 Support

Pixpa has a great turn around time to support requests. The Support is available via email and intercom in-app communication only.

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Pro
Easy to use, powerful website customization options

By simply dragging and dropping various content blocks (such as menu, galleries, social buttons, text) around it's possible to quickly and visually lay out the site. Customization options are context aware. So, if a gallery is open, gallery customization options will be shown, if a page is open, page customization options will be shown. To change the look of the site there are multiple themes available that can be further customized by changing HTML & CSS.

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Pro
Good SEO

SmugMug automatically pulls photo metadata such as keywords, descriptions and captions, and inserts them in appropriate places in the webpage so that search engines can properly index them. If that information is not set before uploading, it can be added via back-end as well. Also in the back-end it's possible to set site-wide metadata and custom URLs to further optimize. Content still needs to be dispersed via social media, blogs, forums, etc for it to show up in search results, but SmugMug has a well polished codebase that takes search engines into consideration and won't hinder content's exposure potential.

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Pro
Intuitive drag & drop backend

SmugMug has a drag and drop interface that allows organizing photos into folders and galleries, adjusting how they're displayed, setting privacy preferences, editing meta keywords and descriptions, etc in an easy to use manner.

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Pro
Galleries and folders can be password protected

A gallery or a folder and it's sub-items can be given a password that will be asked when trying to access them.

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Pro
Reasonable commerce options with fair sales commission

It's possible to sell digital downloads of photos and videos as well as prints. SmugMug takes 15% of profit on sale.

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Pro
Visitors can be allowed to upload photos

Anyone accessing a gallery using a specifically crafted URL can upload photos to it.

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Pro
Good branding options

Watermarks can be added to photos, printmarks to prints, and branding can be applied to orders (shopping cart, thank you prints and stickers).

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Pro
Engagement and feedback tools

Photos can be shared, commented on and liked.

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Pro
Business account users can set passwords that give access to the backend

It's possible to set an assistant password that gives access to the backend (with some limitations). Very useful for letting someone trusted upload and arrange photos. The assistant won't be able to delete photos or galleries, customize the site or access private folders.

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Pro
Custom domain support

To use a custom domain a "Power" pricing tier or higher is required.

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Pro
Best for Photos

You can store your photos on iCloud Storage.

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Pro
Beautiful interface

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Pro
Has a free tier that allows selling photos

500px has a free tier that allows uploading 20 photos a week and earn money from them.

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Pro
Opportunity for exposure

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Pro
Commerce options

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Pro
Portfolio can be built without knowing code

Has a visual editor for non-coders and complete CSS, JavaScript and HTML access for coders.

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Pro
Good e-commerce options

Allows multiple price lists, has a built-in print service and allows using own.

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Con
Limited template options

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Con
Clunky backend

The backend is overwhelming, offers little guidance and is generally not that easy to use.

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Pro
Templates with original designs

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Pro
Easy to use

There is no need to have any knowledge of coding to use Worka. With just a few clicks, you can choose a theme and customize the portfolio however you want.

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Pro
Very flexible

Worka has so many options to choose from that you won't have to sacrifice to get what you want.

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Con
No custom domain

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Con
Sort ABC not available

Sorting by alphabet is not supported.

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Con
Doesn't support list view

Only grid view available.

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Con
Freemium

Some features such as Desktop Uploader only for Pro Users.

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Pro
Excellent statistics

Statistics are easily viewed for all photos or individual photos in one's albums. You can know immediately which photos are getting the most attention, even without active "like" actions from the viewers.

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Pro
One of cheapest unlimited storage options if you are grandfathered in on a "Pro" $25/year account

For those of us who bought on to the "Pro" account when it was first offered at $25/year, Flickr remains one of the cheapest portfolio options which do not arbitrarily resize and recompress original images (Google). It is price competitive with 500px, and significantly cheaper than SmugMug or Zenfolio. Of course, if you did not get in "early", this is a con: you need to fork over $50/year to have the same unlimited storage, putting it in line with the more full-featured options.

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Con
There are limits on file sizes

Images can't be more than 200MB a piece and each video can't take up more than 1GB of space.

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Pro
Built-in image recognition

Flickr will automatically attempt to figure out the contents of a picture and tag them appropriately. This will allow you to look for, for example, all images of flowers, bridges or butterflies.

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Pro
Good search

Flickr is capable of searching images by a combination of content, color, shape, depth of field, style, pattern, size, license and other options.

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Pro
Can be set to auto-upload images

Flickr has an app on Windows, OSX, iOS and Android, called Flickr Uploadr (available for download in the tools section) that can automatically upload images to Flickr. It can even pull images from external drives and other cloud storage services such as iCloud.

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Con
Everyone's Flickr page looks the same

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Pro
1TB of free storage

Flickr offers 1TB of free storage with no limits on image resolution. This makes for a great place to store ones photos due to the high amount of storage available for free.

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Con
Uncertain future

With Yahoo's sale to Verizon and the apparent focus of Verizon on Yahoo's advertising unit only, Flickr's future is deeply in question. Many would say that the minimal investment Yahoo put into Flickr since it was bought in 2005 left Flickr struggling competitively and ultimately caused it to be a second-tier service, but those effects have already been taken into account in the other pros/cons.

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Con
No support for lossless file formats

Photos can only be saved as .jpg, .gif (non-animated) and .png files.

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Pro
Used by a lot of sports teams for free photo gathering

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Con
Hard to download photos

Downloads are limited to single photos, not full albums.

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Con
No Lightroom integration

Shutterfly apparently has or had an API for uploading photos, but the only Lightroom plugin to do so is outdated and crashes while trying to upload.

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Con
Poor site design

There are multiple "silos" in the site with different user interfaces for the same function, and with different bugs in each. For instance, trying to import from Flickr the support person had me navigate to the Flickr connection UI via Create Photo Book (which actually worked, but didn't give me an easy way for others to draw from my Flickr-hosted photos), because the "Connect to Flickr" function in the main upload screen was broken. Albums in "My Photos" have drastically different capabilities compared to albums in "Shared Sites". This leads to confusion and completely unhelpful support/help documentation.

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Con
Limited selection of templates

Has only 12 responsive templates to choose from and 24 templates in total.

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Con
Poor customisation for templates

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Con
Outdated templates

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Con
No support for video in galleries

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Con
Poor customer relations

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Con
Hasn't been updated for years

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Con
Poor SEO

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Pro
In-depth commerce options

PS allows selling prints, products, downloads, and licenses. It's possible to set up multiple pricing options, adjust markup based on region or usage rights, integrate with third party vendors. Transaction fee changes based on pricing tier. Starter fee is 30%, Basic, Sandart and Pro fees are 10%, 9% and 8% respectively.

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Pro
Provides valuable information to Photographers

PhotoShelter creates publishes guides, market research, interviews, free photography and inspirational content in both text and video.

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Con
Limited data storage

While most other services offer unlimited storage for all plans, Photoshelter chooses to limit storage for all plans.

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Con
Custom domain name only available for frontpage

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Pro
Commission-free sales for paid accounts

Only the free tier has a 15% commission taken from sales.

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Con
No brand logo

You can not put your own logo on gallery pages.

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Pro
Integrated Google analytics and downloads tracking

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Pro
Can set gallery expiration dates

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Con
Brand name might not be taken seriously

A few photographers dislike the name Pixieset due to fears of them not being taken seriously by clients because the domain name contains the word "pixie". A workaround with a custom domain names can be implemented.

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Pro
Competitions

They run bi-monthly competitions just for members - to win a camera or prints.

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Pro
Dropbox automation

If you upload your photos to Dropbox normally, you can just click on a box and all the photos automatically download and populate your gallery. Really simple and quick.

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