Pixieset alternative: which client gallery fits how you work (2026)
Pixieset is the default client gallery for a lot of photographers, and its suite covers galleries, website, store and studio management. If you’re looking elsewhere (because you deliver video, because the modules add up, or because your clients need to give real feedback), here’s how the alternatives compare. Including where ours falls short.
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 |
| Sell prints with automated campaigns | Pic-Time | Integrated print store and sales automations on every plan |
| Contracts, invoices and galleries in one subscription | ShootProof | Contracts and invoicing included on every paid plan; no commission on sales |
| A studio CRM at a low entry price | CloudSpot | Studio Manager included from the Lite plan ($144/year) |
| A huge photo archive | SmugMug | Unlimited photo uploads on every plan |
| Website, galleries and store in one product | Zenfolio | Website on every plan, store from Professional |
| Drawing on the frame when giving feedback | Picflow | Frame-accurate annotations on video, reviewers need no account |
| Gallery, website, store and studio management under one login | Stay on Pixieset | Nothing on this list bundles all four the same way |
Why people leave Pixieset (and why many stay).
Pixieset is four products: Client Gallery, Website, Store and Studio Manager. The usual gallery plan, Plus, costs $16/month billed annually ($192/year) for 100 GB. These are the reasons that come up when photographers look for a Pixieset alternative:
- Video is an add-on to a photo product. Basic includes 30 minutes of HD video; on higher plans video counts against your storage, and 4K is “available on select upgraded” plans. We couldn’t find timecoded comments on video in their help center.
- The suite is sold in pieces. Galleries, website, store and Studio Manager are separate subscriptions, or the Suite from $28/month billed annually (100 GB of photos and 1 hour of video).
- Proofing stops at favorites. Clients build favorite lists and can add notes to favorited photos, which you can take to Lightroom. That covers photo selection; it doesn’t cover feedback on a cut.
- The Free plan takes a cut. 3 GB, and store sales carry a 15% commission (0% on paid plans).
- Where your files live. Pixieset’s data processing agreement allows transfers outside the EEA and doesn’t commit to EU storage. That matters if you or your clients are in Europe.
And the reason to stay: if you already run your website, store and contracts inside Pixieset, no alternative here gives you those four things back under one login.
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 Pixieset: video, client proofing, store, studio management, free plan, data location and price. Full sources at the end.
Each option, same questions.
Positiva
What it does well
- Photos and video share one gallery, one link and one storage quota: 250 GB on Author, 1 TB on Studio. No minutes, no separate video quota.
- 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
- Links that never expire on paid plans, a portfolio website built from your deliveries, EU hosting, and your work never trains AI.
- Files with folders, multi-file transfers and file requests, so clients or vendors upload to you without an account (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 you sell prints from your galleries or want contracts and invoices in the same tool.
Pic-Time
What it does well
- Print store and sales automations listed on every plan.
- Video has its own quota, with add-ons up to 5 TB.
- Professional removes Pic-Time branding and adds a custom domain and client selections.
Limitations
- Client selections and album proofing start at Professional; Free and Beginner don’t include them.
- Video is a separate quota: 30 GB on Professional (about 3 hours). Add-ons start at $10/month billed annually for 100 GB.
- The Free plan drops from 10 GB to 3 GB after 3 months, with 1 GB of video.
- Images are indexed for AI search unless you opt out, and their AI FAQ says the model may train on a small share of images from photographers with AI search enabled.
Price: Beginner, $7/month billed annually ($8 monthly). Professional, $21/month billed annually ($252/year) or $25 monthly. Advanced, $42/month billed annually or $50 monthly.
ShootProof
What it does well
- Contracts and invoices included on every paid plan.
- 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 (20 GB or 100 GB); Professional adds a separate 50 GB for video.
- Getting favorites into Lightroom means copying filenames into a Lightroom filter, per their help center.
- 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. Premium, $50/month billed annually.
CloudSpot
What it does well
- Studio Manager (contracts, invoicing, client management) included from the Lite plan.
- Commission-free store from Lite.
- Clients can keep several 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.
- The Free plan is 5 GB, 3 galleries, JPEG only, with a 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. Annual prices for Pro and Unlimited are not published in their help center.
Zenfolio
What it does well
- A website on every plan.
- Store from Professional.
- Advanced: unlimited JPEG storage plus 150 GB of video, in 4K.
Limitations
- No free plan, only a trial.
- Basic is 15 GB with HD video and no store.
- Booking is a $10/month add-on below Advanced.
- We couldn't find frame-level video review in their documentation.
Price: Basic, $7/month billed annually ($9 monthly), 15 GB. Professional, $11.50/month billed annually ($23 monthly), 150 GB. Advanced, $20/month billed annually ($40 monthly). Their page shows a first-year offer until October 31, 2026.
SmugMug
What it does well
- Unlimited photo uploads on every plan.
- Prints and photo gifts can be ordered on any account level.
- Plans scale from a simple photo home to selling.
Limitations
- Client tools are on the top plan only ($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; billing annually saves between 29% and 38%, depending on the plan.
Newer tools photographers are comparing.
Picflow
Frame-accurate annotations on video, timestamped comments, reviewers need no account, Lightroom Classic integration. Plus, $15/month or $144/year (100 GB, Full HD video). Pro, $24/month or $216/year (1 TB, 4K). Free plan with 2 GB. No print store on their pricing page.
Framebird
Pro, $12/month (500 GB); Premium, $18/month (1 TB), billed monthly; annual prices are not on the page. Custom branding and “annotate media” on Pro. We couldn’t find frame-accurate video comments or a print store in their documentation.
Exportlab
Plugins import feedback as timeline markers; contracts on every plan. Video storage is tight: Creator, $14.99/month, 100 GB of photos + 10 GB of video; Ultimate, $29.99/month, 250 GB + 25 GB. Annual prices are not listed (up to 18% off). We compare it in more detail on our Frame.io alternative page.
Four plans on one light table.
| Criterion | Positiva Author | Pixieset Plus | Pic-Time Professional | ShootProof Standard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price, billed annually | ✓ Best€89/year excl. VAT | $192/year ($16/month) | $252/year ($21/month) | $200/year ($16.67/month) |
| Storage | ✓ Best250 GB for photos and video | 100 GB | 100 GB of photos + 30 GB of video | 100 GB for photos and video |
| Video feedback | ✓ BestFrame-accurate comments, exported as Resolve and Final Cut markers Author and Studio plans | We couldn't find it in their documentation | We couldn't find it in their documentation | We couldn't find it in their documentation |
| Photo proofing | Favorites and comments on every photo; Lightroom Classic plugin | Favorite lists with notes; Lightroom workflow | Client selections and album proofing | Favorites; filenames to Lightroom |
| Print store | No | Yes, 0% commission on paid plans | Yes, with sales automations | Yes, commission-free |
| Contracts and invoices | No | Separate: Studio Manager or the Suite | Not on their plans page | ✓ BestIncluded |
| Free plan | 15 GB, 2 galleries (expire after 30 days) | 3 GB, unlimited galleries, 15% store commission | 10 GB, then 3 GB after 3 months; 1 GB of video | 3 GB, photos only |
| Data location | ✓ BestEU | Transfers outside the EEA allowed; no EU storage commitment | Not stated in their GDPR article | 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. Pixieset Pro ($24/month billed annually, 1 TB) is left out so the table reads in one go.
Sources: pixieset.com/pricing · pic-time.com pricing · shootproof.com/plans, checked on October 17, 2026. Full list in the methodology below.
Match the tool to the job.
If prints pay your bills, Pic-Time is the natural replacement for Pixieset’s galleries. If what ties you to Pixieset is Studio Manager, ShootProof includes contracts and invoices, and CloudSpot does it for less if you’re in the US. If you archive tens of thousands of photos, SmugMug. If you want to stop paying for separate modules, Zenfolio.
And Positiva is our pick if you deliver photos and video, need your client to give feedback on both, and don’t sell prints. Compare it with the other big one on our Pic-Time alternative page, or try it free with 15 GB before moving anything.
The questions that matter.
What is the closest alternative to Pixieset?
For galleries, Pic-Time: the same kind of client gallery with a print store and sales automations. To replace the whole suite (galleries, website, store and studio management) you would need Zenfolio plus a CRM, or ShootProof or CloudSpot for the paperwork side.
Which Pixieset alternative is best for video?
Positiva treats video like photos: same gallery, same storage, and clients comment on the exact frame, with comments exported as markers for DaVinci Resolve (EDL) and Final Cut Pro (FCPXML). Picflow also offers frame-accurate annotations on video. Pixieset’s Basic plan includes 30 minutes of HD video and offers 4K only on select plans.
Is there a free Pixieset alternative?
Several have permanent free plans: Positiva (15 GB, 2 galleries that expire after 30 days), Pic-Time (10 GB, reduced to 3 GB after 3 months), ShootProof (3 GB, photos only), CloudSpot (5 GB, 3 galleries) and Picflow (2 GB). Zenfolio and SmugMug offer trials only. Pixieset’s own free plan is 3 GB with a 15% store commission.
Does Positiva have a print store or contracts like Pixieset?
No. Positiva has no print store and no contracts, invoices or booking. It focuses on delivering and reviewing photos and video with your branding. If you need those, Pic-Time, ShootProof or Pixieset itself fit better.
Can I move my galleries from Pixieset?
We couldn’t find an official automatic migration between any of these platforms. The usual path is to re-upload your originals from your own archive; new galleries won’t keep favorites or order history.
Where is my data stored?
Positiva stores your files in the EU. Pixieset’s data processing agreement allows transfers outside the EEA without committing to EU storage. Pic-Time’s GDPR article doesn’t state a storage region.
How we checked.
Checked on October 17, 2026 on each company’s official pricing page and help center, US edition:
Pixieset pricing · Pixieset Suite · Pixieset file requirements (video) · Pixieset favorite notes · Pixieset DPA · Pic-Time pricing · Pic-Time video storage · Pic-Time AI FAQ · ShootProof plans · ShootProof favorites in Lightroom · CloudSpot pricing · CloudSpot plans (help) · Zenfolio plans · SmugMug plans · Picflow pricing · Picflow online proofing · Framebird pricing · Exportlab pricing.
We also tried to check Pass, but their site wasn’t reachable securely on that date, so it’s not in this comparison. 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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