Format vs PhotoDeck (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Format grades higher than PhotoDeck: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Format grades higher on value for money and platforms. They get the same grade on the free plan, features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Format
Portfolio website builder for photographers and other creatives
PhotoDeck
Photographer websites with client galleries and print sales
Which one is for you
Pick Format if
- Fits if you deliver proofs and files to clients from your own site
- Works for photographers who edit in Lightroom Classic and sell prints or downloads
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you stay on Basic, at 10 pages, 70 images and 3 client galleries with no store or video
- Skip it if you work from an Android phone, as the app is iPhone only
- Pricey if you want email on your own domain: Google Workspace is $100 a year extra, and the domain $30 a year after year one
- Watch out: the $12 and $15 Pro prices need a checkout code, end October 31, 2026 and cover the first year only
- Not for you if you want a free plan; there's only a 14-day trial
Pick PhotoDeck if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants a site and private client galleries together
- Works for people who want to sell prints without a commission
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you want to sell on the cheapest plan, as Essential has no ecommerce
- Tight if you have a large archive, because storage runs from 10 GB to 500 GB by plan
- Skip it if you need a free plan, since the 14-day trial is the only way to try it
- Watch out: extra languages and extra websites are paid add-ons
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.0GPAPhotoDeckFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $10 a month billed yearly ($14 monthly), right at this category's cheaper quarter. It's capped at 10 pages and 70 images with no store, so many will move to Pro at $17. Pro's $12 offer needs a code, ends October 31, 2026 and covers the first year only. | CEssential is $12 a month billed annually, level with the $12.00 middle for website builders, and it has no ecommerce. Standard, which sells prints and downloads, is $25. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Students can ask for a free year. | CA 14-day free trial with no card. No free plan. |
| Features | CIt does the portfolio job fully: 90+ themes, Flex Block layouts, proofing galleries, file transfers, hosted video and a commission-free store. That's a smaller job than a general builder does, and Basic leaves out the store, video and image storage. | CA website, private galleries and proofing, a commission-free store, AI image analysis and team libraries. Essential has no store and storage is 10 GB. |
| Ease of use | CThere's an iPhone app but no store rating on record. Themes set the layout, but you're still building a site, page by page and gallery by gallery. | CNo store rating on record. You build and style your own site and galleries. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb and iPhone, with a Lightroom Classic plugin, Stripe, PayPal, Weglot, Google Workspace and Google Analytics. There's no Android app and no desktop app of its own. | CWeb only, and the listing shows no integrations. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | a website with client galleries for photographers |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: Format and PhotoDeck. How we grade
Price against what you get
Format starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PhotoDeck starts at $12 a month and scores 2.0.
Format scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 5 score higher than Format for less, and 29 score higher than PhotoDeck for less.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Where they differ
- Format also covers templates and no-code.
- PhotoDeck also covers online store, digital downloads and print on demand.
At a glance
| Format | PhotoDeck | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | PhotoDeck |
| Price read from | format.com | photodeck.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Format
- The $12 and $15 a month shown for Pro and Pro Plus need a checkout code, end October 31, 2026 and cover the first year only.
- Basic has no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts, and stops at 10 pages and 70 images.
- A domain costs $30 a year after a free first year on annual Pro and Pro Plus; Google Workspace email is $100 a year extra.
- There is no free plan, and the mobile app is for iPhone only.
PhotoDeck
- The Essential plan has no ecommerce; selling prints or downloads starts at Standard.
- Storage is capped per plan, from 10 GB on Essential to 500 GB on Team and Brand, with add-on storage sold separately.
- Multi-language support and extra websites are optional paid add-ons on the individual plans.
- There is no free plan; the 14-day trial is the only way to try it without paying.
Key features
Format
- Themes and Flex Block layouts
- Pick from more than 90 themes and switch without losing content, build custom layouts on a snap grid with Flex Block, and edit CSS and HTML on Pro and Pro Plus.
- Client galleries and file transfers
- Workflow, included free with every plan, adds proofing galleries with passwords, file transfers of 2 to 10 GB, contacts and moodboards; contracts and CRM Light need Pro.
- Commission-free store
- Sell physical products, digital downloads up to 100 MB and services through PayPal or Stripe with no Format commission: 15 products on Pro and 1,000 on Pro Plus.
- Hosted video
- Upload video straight to the site so visitors see no third-party ads: 15 minutes on Pro and 120 minutes on Pro Plus.
- Lightroom plugin and iPhone app
- Publish galleries from Lightroom Classic with the Format Publisher plugin, or upload and rearrange photos from the iPhone app.
- SEO and translation
- Edit page titles, meta descriptions and image alt text, and connect Weglot to translate the site into other languages.
PhotoDeck
- Customizable photographer website
- HTML5 sites with a responsive page editor, your own domain, SSL and a content delivery network for images and video.
- Private galleries and proofing
- Share files with clients securely, collect selections and feedback, and let clients hide photos they do not want shown.
- Commission-free store
- Sell prints and digital downloads from the Standard plan up, with the vendor stating zero commission on sales.
- AI image analysis
- Automated captions and keywords, face recognition and similarity search, with 200 AI jobs a month on Standard and above.
- Team and brand libraries
- Team and Brand plans add separate logins with access rights, several media libraries and portal sites for clients.
Plans
Format
Basic$10
per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly)
$120 a year. 10 pages, 70 images, 3 client galleries and 2 GB file transfers; no store, hosted video, image storage or custom fonts.
Pro$17
per month, billed annually ($24 billed monthly)
$204 a year. Unlimited pages, 1,500 images, 100 GB storage, 15 video minutes and 15 store products. Shown at $112.20 for a first year with a code until Dec 2, 2026.
Pro Plus$26
per month, billed annually ($36 billed monthly)
$312 a year. Unlimited images, 1 TB storage, 120 video minutes, 1,000 products and priority support. Shown at $171.60 for a first year with a code until Dec 2, 2026.
PhotoDeck
Essential$12
per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly)
Website and private galleries with proofing, no ecommerce. 10 GB storage.
Standard$25
per month, billed annually ($30 billed monthly)
Adds commission-free print and download sales and 200 AI image jobs a month. 100 GB storage.
Business$45
per month, billed annually ($54 billed monthly)
300 GB storage, expandable, with extensible AI image analysis.
Team$100
per month, billed annually ($120 billed monthly)
Five extra team logins, five media libraries, two sites and 500 GB storage.
Brand$200
per month, billed annually ($240 billed monthly)
Media library and asset management for organizations, with custom metadata and asset expiry.
Ways to pay less
Format
- Annual discount
Save about 29% with yearly billing
Pro costs $204 a year against $24 a month billed monthly; Basic is $120 a year against $14 a month and Pro Plus $312 against $36.
- Education
A free year for students
Format's Student Program gives students a free year on the platform, requested through its education page; it also offers free access to partner schools.
PhotoDeck
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or PhotoDeck?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Format is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $12 a month for PhotoDeck. Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and PhotoDeck starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly).
Which has a free plan, Format or PhotoDeck?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Format nor PhotoDeck has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and PhotoDeck run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Format lists an iOS app. Both list a web app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.