Format vs Pixpa (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format grades higher than Pixpa: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Format grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on value for money, 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
Pixpa
Portfolio sites, client galleries and a store in one plan
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 Pixpa if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants a site and client galleries together
- Works for a small portfolio on a low yearly price
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if your site is large: Basic stops at 10 pages and 200 images
- Skip it if you sell much: store products go from 3 on Basic to unlimited on Advanced
- Watch out: the domain is free for the first year through Ionos, with Ionos renewal pricing after
- Pricey if you want a designer to build it: that is a one-time $199 add-on
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.2GPAPixpaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | BBasic is $5.40 a month billed yearly, inside the cheaper quarter ($7.42), though it caps at 10 pages and 200 images. |
| 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 15-day trial needs no card, 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, galleries, blog and store, but Basic has 3 store products and the store limit rises by 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, and you build pages and galleries yourself. |
| 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, with WHCC (print lab) and Ionos (domains) listed as links. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | portfolio sites and client galleries in one plan |
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 Pixpa. 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. Pixpa starts at $5.40 a month and scores 2.0.
Format scores higher, and starts $4.60 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 2 score higher than Format for less, and 5 score higher than Pixpa 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.
- Pixpa also covers online store, digital downloads and popups.
At a glance
| Format | Pixpa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 15-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| iOS | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | Pixpa |
| Price read from | format.com | pixpa.com |
| Checked | Nov 9, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
Pixpa
- Basic stops at 10 pages, 200 images and 3 store products.
- The store product limit rises by plan, from 3 on Basic to unlimited on Advanced.
- A domain is free for the first year through Ionos, with Ionos renewal pricing after that.
- A designer-built site setup is a separate add-on at a one-time $199 fee.
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.
Pixpa
- Portfolio website builder
- A visual editor with more than 200 premium templates, mobile-optimized sites, a free SSL certificate and hosting on every plan.
- Client galleries
- Unlimited private albums on every plan for proofing, favorites, comments and secure file delivery, plus standalone gallery links of up to 250 images.
- Store with zero commission
- Sell products, services and digital files with checkout on your own domain. Selling photos as prints or downloads is not capped by the product limit.
- Print lab fulfillment
- Print orders can be fulfilled automatically through WHCC or a custom lab, or fulfilled by you.
- Blog and marketing tools
- Built-in blogging, forms, marketing popups, an announcement bar and SEO tools are included, without adding plugins.
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.
Pixpa
Basic$5.40
per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly)
10 pages, 200 images, 1 blog, up to 3 store products and 3 GB of client-gallery storage.
Creator$9
per month, billed yearly ($15 billed monthly)
Unlimited pages and images, up to 10 store products and 5 GB of storage for original files.
Professional$12
per month, billed yearly ($20 billed monthly)
Marked most popular. Up to 100 store products and 25 GB of storage; adds advanced forms and coupon rules.
Advanced$15
per month, billed yearly ($25 billed monthly)
Unlimited store products and 100 GB of storage for original files.
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.
Pixpa
- Annual discount
40% off on yearly billing
The pricing page shows yearly plans at 40% off the monthly rates, and 2-yearly plans at 55% off (Basic at $4.05 a month).
- Education
Up to 55% off for students and educators
Pixpa's menu says Edu discounts give up to 55% off all plans to students and educators.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or Pixpa?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixpa is cheaper to start with: $5.40 a month, against $10 a month for Format. Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and Pixpa starts at $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, Format or Pixpa?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Format nor Pixpa has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and Pixpa run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.