Looking for a Pic-Time alternative? Here’s how the options compare
Pic-Time pairs client galleries with a print store and sales automations. If you’re thinking of switching (because of video, price, the AI settings, or because you don’t sell prints), this guide compares the alternatives by use case, with prices checked today and the cases where Positiva is not the right answer.
Pick by what you actually need.
The short version. The details, prices and sources are below.
| If you need… | Best pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver photos and video, with client feedback | Positiva | Photos and video share one gallery and one storage quota; clients comment on the exact video frame |
| Galleries plus a bigger suite (website, store, studio management) | Pixieset | Client Gallery, Website, Store and Studio Manager, sold separately or as a Suite |
| Contracts and invoicing with your galleries | ShootProof | Included on every paid plan; no commission on sales |
| A CRM and galleries at a low price (US) | CloudSpot | Studio Manager from the Lite plan ($144/year) |
| Unlimited photo storage | SmugMug | Unlimited photo uploads on every plan |
| Website, galleries and store in one subscription | Zenfolio | Website on every plan, store from Professional |
| Print sales with automated campaigns | Stay on Pic-Time | Its store and sales automations are still its strongest point |
Why people leave Pic-Time (and why many stay).
Pic-Time’s Professional plan costs $21/month billed annually ($252/year), or $25 billed monthly, with 100 GB for photos and 30 GB for video. These are the reasons that come up when photographers look for a Pic-Time alternative:
- Video has its own, smaller quota. 30 GB on Professional (about 3 hours, by their estimate). More costs from $10/month billed annually for 100 GB.
- Client selections start at Professional. On Free and Beginner, clients can’t submit selections or proof albums.
- Feedback stops at selection. Clients pick favorites; we couldn’t find timecoded comments on video on Pic-Time’s video delivery page.
- AI is on by default. Images are indexed for AI search as they’re uploaded unless you opt out, and Pic-Time says its model may train on a small share of images from photographers with AI search enabled.
- You pay for a store you might not use. When Pic-Time collects payments, it takes 15% on Free and Beginner, 8% on Professional and 6% on Advanced; there’s no commission on Professional and Advanced if you collect payments yourself.
And the reason to stay: if print sales are a meaningful part of your income, nothing on this list replicates Pic-Time’s combination of store and automated campaigns exactly. Pixieset is the closest.
How we compared: we read each platform’s official pricing page and help center on October 17, 2026, and compared them on what a photographer weighs when leaving Pic-Time: video, client selections, store and commission, studio management, AI and data, free plan and price. Full sources at the end.
Each option, same questions.
Positiva
What it does well
- Where Pic-Time puts the store, Positiva puts video and review: photos and video share one gallery, one link and one storage quota (250 GB or 1 TB).
- Favorites and comments on every photo on all plans, Free included (photo proofing). Favorites go to Lightroom Classic with a plugin.
- Frame-accurate comments on video (video review), exported as markers: EDL for DaVinci Resolve, FCPXML for Final Cut Pro. Author and Studio plans
- EU hosting, and your work is never used to train AI. No opt-out to remember.
- Files with folders, multi-file transfers and file requests, without an account for whoever uploads (up to 150 GB per file). Studio plan
Limitations
- No print store. You can’t sell prints, albums or products from a gallery.
- No contracts, invoices, booking or CRM. There is no equivalent of Studio Manager.
- No native DaVinci Resolve or Premiere plugin: video comments leave as a file (EDL or FCPXML) that you import.
- Galleries play browser formats (H.264, HEVC). Editing codecs such as ProRes are not played: upload a delivery export.
- The Free plan allows 2 active galleries that expire after 30 days, without your branding; video comments need a paid plan.
- Storage is per plan (250 GB or 1 TB, plus add-ons). There is no unlimited tier.
- Our help center is in Spanish only for now.
Price: Free, €0 (15 GB). Author, €89/year excl. VAT (or €8.95/month), 250 GB. Studio, €219/year excl. VAT (or €22.95/month), 1 TB, with custom domain, multi-brand, proofing rounds and file requests. Extra storage: +100 GB for €19/year.
We wouldn’t pick it if print sales are a meaningful part of your business.
Pixieset
What it does well
- Unlimited galleries on every plan, Free included (3 GB).
- No store commission on paid plans (15% on Free).
- Favorite lists with notes on photos, with a Lightroom workflow.
- Website, Store and Studio Manager (contracts, invoices, booking) available separately or as a Suite.
Limitations
- Basic includes 30 minutes of HD video; on higher plans video counts against storage, and 4K is on select plans only.
- We couldn't find timecoded comments on video in their documentation.
- Its data processing agreement allows transfers outside the EEA, without an EU storage commitment.
Price: Client Gallery Plus, $16/month billed annually ($192/year) or $20 monthly, 100 GB. Pro, $24/month billed annually or $30 monthly, 1 TB. Suite from $28/month billed annually.
ShootProof
What it does well
- Contracts and invoices included on every paid plan, something Pic-Time’s plans don’t list.
- ShootProof says it never takes a commission on sales.
- Video up to 4K on paid plans.
Limitations
- The Free plan is 3 GB, photos only.
- On Starter and Standard, video shares the photo storage; Professional adds a separate 50 GB.
- We couldn't find comments on video in their documentation.
Price: Starter, $8.33/month billed annually ($9.99 monthly), 20 GB. Standard, $16.67/month billed annually ($19.99 monthly), 100 GB. Professional, $26.67/month billed annually, 1,000 GB + 50 GB of video.
CloudSpot
What it does well
- Studio Manager (contracts, invoicing, client management) included from Lite.
- Commission-free store from Lite.
- Multiple favorites lists per gallery.
Limitations
- Video is added as links or Vimeo/YouTube embeds, according to their pricing page; we couldn’t find hosted video upload.
- Invoicing and online payments are US-only.
- Free: 5 GB, 3 galleries, JPEG only, 15% store commission.
Price: Entry, $7/month or $72/year (15 GB). Lite, $17/month or $144/year (100 GB). Pro, $34/month (500 GB). Unlimited, $50/month.
Zenfolio
What it does well
- A website on every plan; store from Professional.
- Advanced includes unlimited JPEG storage plus 150 GB of video in 4K, and booking.
Limitations
- No free plan, only a trial.
- Basic is 15 GB with HD video and no store.
- We couldn't find frame-level video review in their documentation.
Price: Basic, $7/month billed annually ($9 monthly). Professional, $11.50/month billed annually ($23 monthly), 150 GB. Advanced, $20/month billed annually ($40 monthly).
SmugMug
What it does well
- Unlimited photo uploads on every plan.
- Portfolio sites with fine design control.
Limitations
- Client tools only on the top plan ($41.99/month).
- No free plan: a 14-day trial.
- Video limits are not stated on their plans page.
Price: $7, $11, $27 and $41.99/month billed monthly; annual billing saves 29–38%.
Newer tools worth knowing.
Picflow
Frame-accurate annotations on video, reviewers without an account, Lightroom Classic integration. Plus, $144/year (100 GB, Full HD video); Pro, $216/year (1 TB, 4K). No print store on their pricing page.
Exportlab
Plugins import client feedback as timeline markers; contracts on every plan. Video storage is small: 10 GB on Creator ($14.99/month), 25 GB on Ultimate ($29.99/month). See our Frame.io alternative page.
Framebird
Pro, $12/month for 500 GB; Premium, $18/month for 1 TB (monthly prices). Custom branding on Pro. We couldn’t find client selections, a print store or frame-accurate video comments in their documentation.
Four plans on one light table.
| Criterion | Positiva Author | Pic-Time Professional | Pixieset Plus | CloudSpot Lite |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price, billed annually | ✓ Best€89/year excl. VAT | $252/year ($21/month) | $192/year ($16/month) | $144/year |
| Storage | ✓ Best250 GB for photos and video | 100 GB of photos + 30 GB of video | 100 GB | 100 GB |
| Video | ✓ BestSame storage as photos; frame-accurate comments Author and Studio plans | Separate 30 GB quota; add-ons from $10/month | Included on paid plans; 4K on select plans | Links and Vimeo/YouTube embeds |
| Client selections | All plans, Free included | From Professional | Favorite lists with notes | Multiple favorites lists |
| Print store and commission | No store | Yes, with automations; 8% if Pic-Time collects, 0% if you do | Yes; 0% on paid plans | Yes; commission-free from Lite |
| Contracts, invoices, CRM | No | Not on their plans page | Separate: Studio Manager or the Suite | ✓ BestIncluded from Lite (invoicing US-only) |
| Free plan | 15 GB, 2 galleries (expire after 30 days) | 10 GB, then 3 GB after 3 months; no client selections | 3 GB, unlimited galleries, 15% commission | 5 GB, 3 galleries, JPEG only |
| Your images and AI | ✓ BestNever used to train AI | Indexed unless you opt out; may train on a share | We couldn't find it in their documentation | We couldn't find it in their documentation |
✓ BestThe strongest value in the row, whoever has it. No badge: a tie, or it depends on your case. Positiva in euros excl. VAT; the rest in US dollars as published.
Sources: pic-time.com pricing · pixieset.com/pricing · CloudSpot plans, checked on October 17, 2026. Full list in the methodology below.
Match the tool to the job.
If print sales hold up your business, Pic-Time is hard to replace; Pixieset is the closest alternative and adds a wider suite. If you need contracts and invoicing, ShootProof, or CloudSpot if you’re in the US and want to spend less. If your problem is volume, SmugMug.
Positiva is our pick for photographers and videographers who put delivery and review of photos and video first, want their branding on every gallery, and don’t need a print store. See how it stacks up against the other big one on our Pixieset alternative page, or try it free with 15 GB.
The questions that matter.
What is the closest alternative to Pic-Time?
Pixieset: client galleries with a print store, inside a suite that adds a website and studio management. It’s the option with the most overlap.
Which Pic-Time alternative is best for video?
Positiva stores photos and video in the same quota and adds frame-accurate comments on video, exported as markers for DaVinci Resolve (EDL) and Final Cut Pro (FCPXML). On Pic-Time, video has its own limit (30 GB on Professional, with add-ons from $10/month billed annually).
Is there a free Pic-Time alternative?
With a permanent free plan: Positiva (15 GB, 2 galleries that expire after 30 days, client favorites included), Pixieset (3 GB, 15% store commission), ShootProof (3 GB, photos only) and CloudSpot (5 GB, 3 galleries). Zenfolio and SmugMug offer trials only. Pic-Time’s free plan drops to 3 GB after 3 months and doesn’t include client selections.
Does Pic-Time use my photos to train AI?
According to Pic-Time’s AI FAQ, images are indexed for AI search as they’re uploaded unless you opt out, and the model may train on a small share of images from photographers with AI search enabled; they say they don’t do generative work. Positiva never uses your material to train AI.
Can I move my galleries from Pic-Time?
None of these platforms documents an automatic migration, so the usual path is re-uploading your originals; new galleries won’t keep favorites or order history. If you’re coming from Pic-Time, email us at hola@positiva.studio before you start: we’ve been working on it and can help.
Which option is best if I don’t sell prints?
If you don’t need contracts either, Positiva for delivering and reviewing photos and video, or SmugMug if you mainly need to archive photos. If you need the paperwork, ShootProof or CloudSpot.
Email us before you re-upload anything.
We’ve been working on how to bring Pic-Time galleries into Positiva, and we’ve already helped a few photographers move.
How we checked.
Checked on October 17, 2026 on each company’s official pricing page and help center, US edition:
Pic-Time pricing · Pic-Time video storage · Pic-Time commission rates · Pic-Time video delivery · Pic-Time AI FAQ · Pic-Time GDPR · Pixieset pricing · Pixieset Suite · Pixieset file requirements (video) · Pixieset DPA · ShootProof plans · CloudSpot pricing · CloudSpot plans (help) · CloudSpot favorites lists · Zenfolio plans · SmugMug plans · Picflow pricing · Exportlab pricing · Framebird pricing.
Positiva’s data comes from our pricing page and the product itself.
Positiva is our product, so we also point out where other tools fit better. Positiva’s prices are in euros excluding VAT; everyone else’s are shown in the currency of their official pricing page (US dollars) and with the billing period they publish. We don’t convert currencies. “We couldn’t find it in their documentation” means exactly that: not that the feature doesn’t exist. If something has changed or is wrong, email us at hola@positiva.studio and we’ll fix it.
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