The subscription landscape in 2026
Here is where the major client gallery platforms start, based on their public pricing pages as of July 2026. Annual billing is usually cheaper; the table shows the cheapest paid entry point on each platform and what the free tier really holds.
| Platform | Cheapest paid plan | Free tier | Commission notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pic-Time | $7/mo billed annually (20GB) | 10GB, reduced to 3GB after 6 months | 15% on store sales on Free and Beginner plans |
| CloudSpot | $7/mo (15GB, 15 galleries) | 5GB, 3 galleries | 15% on store sales below the Pro plan |
| Pixieset | About $10/mo (10GB) | 3GB | 15% on store sales on the free plan |
| ShootProof | $10.99/mo billed annually (1,500 photos) | 100 photos | 0% commission on all plans |
| Zenfolio | $9/mo (15GB) | None, trial only | Commission policy varies by plan, check their docs |
| SmugMug | $20/mo billed annually (unlimited) | None, trial only | Keeps 15% of print markup |
| Lensdrop | $3 to $20 one time, per gallery | 2 galleries, 15GB each | No store exists, so no commission is possible |
All figures from public pricing pages as of July 2026, simplified for comparison. Several platforms run rotating promotions, and plans change. Verify current pricing on the linked sources before deciding.
The free tiers are smaller than they look
Free plans are how these platforms get you in the door, and the limits are worth reading closely. ShootProof's free tier holds 100 photos, which one event exceeds. Pixieset's holds 3GB. Pic-Time gives you 10GB, then quietly reduces it to 3GB after six months, so free galleries shrink under you. CloudSpot caps you at three galleries and 5GB. SmugMug and Zenfolio have no perpetual free plan at all.
Lensdrop's free tier is 2 galleries at 15GB each, around 700 photos per gallery. That is a genuinely usable size: two full shoots delivered end to end, with the same PIN protection, watermarking, and bulk download as paid galleries. The limit is the gallery count, not a storage ceiling that makes real work impossible.
A year of deliveries, priced both ways
Say you deliver ten shoots a year, a typical load for a part-time or seasonal photographer. On a subscription, the cheapest realistic options run about $84 per year (Pic-Time or CloudSpot entry plans, billed annually) up to $240 per year on SmugMug, whether you deliver in every month or just a few. Storage limits on entry plans can also force an upgrade mid-year once a few weddings pile up.
The same ten shoots on Lensdrop, at the Standard 15GB size, cost $70 total. Two of them could ride the free tier, bringing it to $56. A slow year with four shoots costs $28. There is no month where you pay for software you did not use, and no annual commitment to forecast against.
The honest counterpoint: at high volume the math can flip. If you deliver fifty or more galleries a year, an unlimited-storage subscription gets cheap per gallery, and a suite plan that bundles your website and store can be worth it. Pay-per-gallery wins for low and variable volume, which is exactly where a fixed monthly fee stings the most.
Commission-free by design, not by discount
Several platforms advertise 0% commission as a paid-plan perk while charging 15% on free plans. Lensdrop's answer is structural: there is no storefront at all. Clients never see a price, a cart, or a pay button. If you sell prints or albums, you do that on your own terms, through whatever store or invoice you already use, and your delivery tool has no claim on any of it.
That also keeps the client experience clean. A delivery link should feel like a gift, not a checkout page. Clients open one PIN-protected link, view the gallery, and download. No account creation, no upsell banners next to the wedding photos.
What you give up without a subscription
Fairness requires the other column. Subscriptions bundle things Lensdrop does not do: website builders, contracts and invoicing, integrated print stores with lab fulfillment, and permanent archival storage. Lensdrop galleries have a 6-month active window, extendable when a delivery needs to live longer, because delivery is a handoff rather than an archive.
If those bundled tools are load-bearing for your business, a suite is a fine buy. If delivery is the only part you use, you can stop renting the rest of the suite to get it. Start with the free tier, check the pricing, and price your own year both ways.