Pixieset remains a solid benchmark for delivering client galleries. So why are so many photographers looking to move? The answer is not always the same, but several signals have come up regularly since 2024.
Why photographers look for a Pixieset alternative
Rising prices, ceilings that chafe
The recalibrated subscription model introduced in 2023 pushed the bill up for photographers delivering modest volumes. The free plan dropped to 3 GB of storage, not enough for a single wedding session exported from RAW. The "Basic" plan at 20 USD/month caps at 100 GB. Beyond that, the costs stack up quickly.
For an event photographer delivering 10,000 photos a year, the maths is simple. Pixieset gets expensive as soon as you add extra storage and the "Store" plan to enable print sales.
Incomplete white-label on entry plans
Custom branding (your own domain, removing the Pixieset logo, transactional emails in your name) requires the "Portfolio" plan at 40 USD/month or above. Below that, the pixieset.com URL stays visible to the client. For photographers building a premium brand, that detail matters.
Friction on the client side
The download experience is decent, but two points come up repeatedly in feedback. First, the need to create a Pixieset account for certain download flows. Second, the absence of a native way to find your own photos in a large set, which forces the client to scroll the entire gallery.
The 5 alternatives to compare
Pic-Time
Pic-Time is the rising benchmark for high-end wedding photographers. The interface is visually polished, the automatic slideshows (called "Stories") are popular with clients, and integration with print labs (WHCC, Bay Photo, Miller's) is well built.
Strengths: a flawless client experience, automated print sales, a well-designed mobile workflow.
Limits: no facial recognition, higher pricing than Pixieset from the "Studio" plan (~50 USD/month), and a non-trivial learning curve for configuring automations.
Ideal profile: a wedding photographer who values the commercial side (print sales) and the emotional experience of the gallery.
ShootProof
ShootProof is a business-oriented tool: contract signing, invoicing, client album management and gallery delivery in a single dashboard. The proposition is attractive for anyone wanting to consolidate several tools into one.
Strengths: built-in contracts and invoices, pricing based on photo count rather than storage, unlimited galleries on some plans, good customer support.
Limits: an ageing interface, no facial recognition, and a client-facing gallery experience that is functional but lacks Pic-Time's refinement.
Ideal profile: a solo portrait or wedding photographer who wants contracts, delivery and payments in one place.
Zenfolio
Zenfolio targets photographers who want to combine a portfolio site and client galleries without using two platforms. The portfolio site is included, themes are customisable, and the tool also covers print sales with lab integrations.
Strengths: integrated portfolio site, reasonable value on the "Portfolio" plan, well-developed direct sales mode.
Limits: the platform has evolved less than its competitors on the mobile client experience, full white-label is reserved for the higher plan (~50 USD/month), and there are no AI or facial recognition features.
Ideal profile: a photographer who wants a single tool for portfolio site, client galleries and prints, with no custom development.
Evokly
Evokly for photographers covers a specific use case: events with a large volume of photos and many different subjects (weddings, galas, corporate events, conferences).
The main functional difference is GDPR-framed facial recognition. Each guest can scan a QR code, give explicit consent, take a selfie and automatically find every photo they appear in. The selfie is converted server-side into a digital fingerprint (a vector that cannot be reversed into an image), encrypted, never shared with third parties and deleted when the event expires. For the full legal framing, see GDPR facial recognition for photographers.
Strengths: GDPR-framed facial recognition (recorded consent, automatic deletion), QR code sharing with no login for guests, full white-label available without a subscription from the one-off Event Pro plan, and a shared gallery (guests can contribute their own photos too).
Limits: Evokly is not built for print sales or photographer contract management. If your business model rests on paper prints, look at Pic-Time or ShootProof. The platform is oriented towards event deliverables, not portrait studios.
Ideal profile: an event or wedding photographer delivering large volumes across many different subjects, who wants each client to find their photos without scrolling through 2,000 files.
A self-hosted solution (Lychee, Piwigo)
For photographers with technical skills or their own infrastructure, open source solutions offer total control. Lychee is minimal and quick to deploy (Docker available). Piwigo is more complete, with album, user and tag management plus extensive plugins.
Strengths: no subscription cost (beyond hosting), total control of the data, unlimited customisation.
Limits: maintenance is on you (updates, backups, SSL), no business features out of the box (contracts, payments, recognition), harder client adoption (no guided experience), and non-zero installation and configuration time.
Ideal profile: a tech-savvy photographer who wants a GDPR gallery with no third-party dependency, accepts the maintenance cost, and delivers to a small audience that tolerates a less finished interface.
How to choose
White-label
Essential for photographers selling their own brand. Check: custom domain, removal of the tool's branding, transactional emails in the studio's name. Most platforms reserve full white-label for higher plans.
Price and billing model
Watch out for the two models: storage-based (Pixieset, Pic-Time) or event/client-based (Evokly, and partly ShootProof). Depending on your volume, one or the other will work out better.
AI features (batch culling and facial recognition)
AI batch culling (automatically removing blurry photos, duplicates, closed eyes) has become standard in tools like Narrative Select or Lightroom AI. That is not the same as facial recognition aimed at the client. Be clear about what you are looking for: help sorting for you, or help navigating for your client.
GDPR and data sovereignty
US platforms store their data on American servers, subject to the Cloud Act. If you work for clients handling sensitive personal data (corporate events, public institutions), check data location and available DPAs. Facial recognition adds a layer: if face vectors are stored server-side, GDPR requires explicit consent and a right to erasure.
Client adoption
A gallery your client cannot work out creates no value. Assess: does it require an account? Is the mobile experience smooth? How many clicks to download at high resolution?
Summary comparison table
| Solution | Starting price (USD/month) | Full white-label | AI culling / face recognition | EU GDPR | Learning curve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pixieset | 20 (Basic) | Portfolio plan (40) | No | US data | Low |
| Pic-Time | 27 (Starter) | Studio plan (50) | AI culling (not facial) | US data | Medium |
| ShootProof | 15 (50 photos) | Higher plan | No | US data | Low |
| Zenfolio | 28 (Portfolio) | Higher plan (~50) | No | US data | Low |
| Evokly | See pricing | Yes (from Event Pro, one-off) | GDPR-framed face recognition | EU data | Low |
| Self-hosted | ~5 (hosting) | Total | No (plugins possible) | Total control | High |
Our recommendation by photographer profile
Solo wedding photographer
Your client deliverable is at the heart of your offering. The two most important criteria are the client experience (a premium gallery that shows off your work) and the profitability of your time (no maintenance to manage).
Main recommendation: Pic-Time if you value the emotional side of the gallery and print sales are part of your model. ShootProof if you want to consolidate contracts, invoicing and gallery into one tool. Evokly if you shoot large weddings (200+ guests) and every guest needs to find their own photos easily, because selfie-based facial recognition radically changes the friction on the guest side.
B2B event photographer
Your clients are companies. They have real GDPR constraints, usually want clean branding, and distribute their photos to a large number of internal people. Compliance and white-label are non-negotiable.
Main recommendation: Evokly. GDPR-framed facial recognition (recorded consent, EU data, DPA available), no login for attendees and event white-label match the B2B brief. For clients who also want prints, pair it with ShootProof for the commercial side.
Portrait studio
Your workflow is different: few subjects per session, a direct relationship with the client, fine-grained image selection, and often a commercial dimension (print sales, family plans).
Main recommendation: ShootProof or Pic-Time. Both handle selection galleries, client approvals and integrated print sales well. Pixieset stays relevant if you are already set up and switching platforms would cost more than the savings.
For a portrait studio with corporate clients (corporate portraits, headshots), Evokly can complement the offering on group sessions (where a whole team wants to find their own portrait), but stays secondary for the classic individual portrait workflow.