Pixieset and ShootProof are two of the most popular client gallery platforms for portrait, wedding and event photographers. Both give you branded galleries, a print and download store, mobile gallery apps for clients and tools to run the business. The differences are in how they charge on sales, how storage is counted, how the studio tools are packaged — and whether you can fill a gallery while you're still shooting. Here's the comparison, checked against both platforms' own plan pages in November 2026.
Choose Pixieset if you want the most polished galleries, a usable free plan, a website builder and Studio Manager's business app on your phone. Choose ShootProof if you want commission-free sales on every plan, contracts, invoicing and email marketing alongside proofing — or if you want clients to see photos arrive in the gallery during the shoot, because CloudTether can deliver into ShootProof live and can't deliver into Pixieset.
| Pixieset | ShootProof | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Clean galleries plus an all-in-one studio suite | Proofing, commission-free sales and studio admin |
| Free plan | Yes — 3 GB, unlimited galleries | Yes — a small photo allowance, no video |
| Paid storage | 10 GB, 100 GB, 1 TB or unlimited by plan | 20 GB, 100 GB, 1,000 GB or unlimited photos by plan (photo-count plans too) |
| RAW and video | RAW upload on Pro and Ultimate; video minutes by plan | Video up to 4K on paid plans |
| Sales commission | 15% on the free plan; none on paid plans | Commission-free on every plan |
| Contracts and invoices | In Studio Manager | E-sign contracts and invoicing on paid plans |
| Photographer app | Studio Manager (iPhone, Android) for bookings, payments, contracts | Client-facing mobile gallery apps; manage on the web |
| Client gallery apps | 3 on free, unlimited on paid | 5 on free, unlimited on paid |
| Lightroom | Lightroom Classic plug-in | Lightroom Classic publish service |
| Live upload from your camera | No — no upload connection for other apps | Yes, with CloudTether (JPEGs) |
Both platforms produce galleries that look professional on a phone or a laptop, with cover images, sets, favourites, downloads and a store. Pixieset is often chosen for its clean, minimal design and simple controls; it sets a download PIN on collections by default and has a built-in watermark tool for display images. ShootProof leans into proofing: clients favourite and approve images, and you can brand galleries and, on paid plans, run more than one brand. Clients can also install either platform's mobile gallery app to carry their photos on their phone.
Pixieset's free plan gives you 3 GB with unlimited galleries; paid Client Gallery plans step up to 10 GB, 100 GB, 1 TB and unlimited, with video minutes rising by plan and RAW photo upload listed on the Pro and Ultimate plans. ShootProof's free plan is a small photo allowance without video; its paid plans run from 20 GB to unlimited photos, with video up to 4K, and it also sells plans by photo count. If you deliver RAW files to clients, check Pixieset's top tiers; if you deliver video, compare the video allowances on both.
This is the clearest difference. Pixieset's store takes a 15% commission on the free plan and none on paid plans. ShootProof lists commission-free sales on every plan, including invoicing with no commission fee. Both connect to professional print labs and support digital downloads, price sheets and packages. If you sell a lot and want to stay on a lower plan, ShootProof's model is simpler to predict.
Pixieset's Studio Manager covers bookings, invoices, payments (including Tap to Pay in the US and Canada), contracts, questionnaires and client email, with a free iPhone and Android app. ShootProof includes e-sign contracts and invoicing on paid plans, email marketing on all plans and online booking. Either can replace a separate CRM for many solo photographers; if you already use one, check the integrations you need.
If you want clients or guests to see photos during a wedding or event, the gallery has to accept uploads from the camera as you shoot. CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and delivers each frame straight into a ShootProof event (or an album in it) — JPEGs, at full size or as 2048 px copies. Pixieset doesn't offer an upload connection that other apps can use, so live upload isn't possible; Pixieset users typically send sneak peeks to a shared folder or a live gallery elsewhere on the day and deliver the final collection in Pixieset afterwards.
Pick Pixieset for design-led galleries, a usable free plan and a polished studio suite with a phone app. Pick ShootProof for commission-free selling, built-in contracts and invoicing, and live delivery from your camera with CloudTether. Plenty of photographers who love Pixieset's final galleries use a live ShootProof or SmugMug gallery — or a Dropbox folder — for the day itself.
How live delivery works, camera by camera: camera to cloud.
Pixieset is better for polished galleries, a free plan you can actually use and an all-in-one studio suite with a phone app. ShootProof is better for commission-free sales on every plan, contracts and invoices, and live delivery from your camera with CloudTether.
Pixieset's store takes 15% on the free plan and nothing on paid plans. ShootProof lists commission-free sales on every plan. Check both platforms' current terms.
Pixieset's free plan gives 3 GB with unlimited galleries. ShootProof's free plan is a small photo allowance without video. Both are for getting started rather than running a business.
ShootProof, yes: CloudTether tethers your camera to your phone and sends each frame into a ShootProof event as you shoot. Pixieset, no: it doesn't offer an upload connection for other apps.
Yes. Pixieset has a Lightroom Classic plug-in that uploads photos and shows client favourites; ShootProof has a Lightroom Classic publish service for creating galleries and republishing edits.
Some photographers do: ShootProof for live and proofing galleries, Pixieset for final delivery and the website. It's two subscriptions, so most settle on one.
Facts about Pixieset and ShootProof were checked against these pages in November 2026. Plans, storage and fees change often — check each platform for current details and pricing. Product names are trademarks of their owners.