Format vs PhotoShelter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Format grades higher than PhotoShelter: 2.4 against 1.8 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 the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
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
PhotoShelter
Photo storage, delivery and portfolio sites for photographers
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 PhotoShelter if
- Fits if you keep a large library and want it on one service
- Works for a solo photographer selling prints and downloads
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you need client proofing, because it starts at $25 a month on Standard
- Tight if you share an account: every plan has a single user
- Watch out: sales carry a transaction fee of 8% to 10% plus printing, shipping and payment fees
- Watch out: no refunds for amounts already billed
- Watch out: overage fees can apply for bandwidth used on image deliveries
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 1.8GPAPhotoShelterWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | D$10 a month yearly is the Basic plan with 4 GB and no client proofing. Proofing starts on Standard at $25 a month, about twice the category's middle of $12. |
| Free plan and trial | CNo free plan, but a 14-day free trial with no card needed. Students can ask for a free year. | DA 14-day trial, then it charges you automatically, and there is 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. | CPortfolio sites, storage from 4 GB to 500 GB, galleries, proofing and selling. The gaps: no proofing on Basic and one user on every plan. |
| 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 rating on record. You build a site, upload images and set up a store. |
| 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. | BWeb only, with Instagram, WordPress, Vimeo, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Stripe and PayPal. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | photographers who want storage, site and store together |
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 PhotoShelter. 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. PhotoShelter starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3.
On this chart the two sit in the same place: the same score for the same starting price. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 5 score higher than Format for less, and 5 score higher than PhotoShelter 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 no-code.
- PhotoShelter also covers online store, digital downloads and print on demand.
At a glance
| Format | PhotoShelter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial, then charged automatically |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | PhotoShelter, Inc. |
| Price read from | format.com | go.photoshelter.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.
PhotoShelter
- Sales carry a transaction fee of 8% to 10% depending on the plan, plus printing, shipping and payment fees.
- No refunds for amounts already billed; cancellation is from within the account.
- Every plan has a single user.
- Overage fees can apply for bandwidth used on image deliveries.
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.
PhotoShelter
- Portfolio websites
- Nine responsive templates, a custom domain and integrations with Instagram, WordPress, Vimeo and Tumblr.
- Cloud storage
- 4 GB, 100 GB or 500 GB by plan, with more sold in 10 GB or 35 GB increments and geographically redundant backup.
- Galleries
- Unlimited public, password-protected and private galleries, with watermarks and right-click protection.
- Client proofing
- Clients review, proof and download from branded galleries; proofing starts at Standard.
- Selling
- Prints, products, downloads and licenses with a cart supporting more than 23 currencies.
- Uploaders
- Lightroom and Photo Mechanic plugins plus desktop and web uploaders for large libraries.
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.
PhotoShelter
Basic$10
per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly)
4 GB storage, 1 user, 9 website templates, custom domain and galleries; no client proofing tool.
Standard$25
per month, billed annually ($29.99 billed monthly)
100 GB storage, 1 user, client proofing tool and the same website and selling features.
Pro$45
per month, billed annually ($49.99 billed monthly)
500 GB storage, 1 user, with the same features as Standard.
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.
PhotoShelter
- Annual discount
Annual billing saves about 20 to 25%
Annual prices of $10, $25 and $45 a month compare with $12.99, $29.99 and $49.99 billed monthly.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or PhotoShelter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, they start at the same price. Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and PhotoShelter starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Format or PhotoShelter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither Format nor PhotoShelter has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and PhotoShelter 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.