Format vs SmugMug (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format and SmugMug share a 2.4 GPA, neither has a free plan, and Format starts cheaper, at $10 a month against $20 a month.
Checked Nov 9, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 · graded Oct 18, 2026 and Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Format grades higher on value for money. SmugMug grades higher on 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
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales 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 SmugMug if
- Fits if you are a photographer who wants storage, a site and print sales in one place
- Works for people who edit in Lightroom
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell prints: that needs Portfolio at $23.50 a month
- Watch out: RAW storage is $10 a month up to 1 TB, then $6 for each extra TB
- Tight if you want coupons, packages or several pricelists, which need Pro at $37 a month
- Skip it if you want a free plan, as there is none
- Watch out: the monthly-billing price loads separately and was not readable
How we grade them
| 2.4GPAFormatFair | 2.4GPASmugMugFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. |
| 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 trial of every feature 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. | CUnlimited photo storage and portfolio sites, but print and download sales and templates start at $23.50, and RAW storage is an add-on. |
| 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 set up galleries, a site and pricelists 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. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. |
| Best for | photographers' portfolios with client galleries | photo storage and print sales 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 SmugMug. 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. SmugMug starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7.
SmugMug scores higher, and starts $10 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 3 score higher than SmugMug 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
- SmugMug also covers online store and digital downloads.
At a glance
| Format | SmugMug | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly) | $20 per month, billed annually (Direct) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, no credit card required | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Ideaform Inc. | SmugMug, Inc. |
| Price read from | format.com | smugmug.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.
SmugMug
- RAW file storage is an add-on: $10 a month for up to 1 TB, then $6 a month for each extra TB.
- Selling prints and downloads, and website templates, need the Portfolio plan or higher.
- Multiple pricelists, coupons and packages need the Pro plan at $37 a month.
- The page shows yearly prices only; the monthly-billing price loads separately and was not readable.
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.
SmugMug
- Unlimited JPEG storage
- Every plan stores full-resolution JPEG photos with no compression and no storage cap. RAW file storage is a paid add-on.
- Client galleries and delivery
- Private, password-protected galleries let clients pick favorites, and photos can be delivered as digital downloads or by QR code.
- Print and download sales
- Portfolio and Pro plans sell prints and downloads with automatic tax collection and full-service print lab fulfillment.
- Portfolio website templates
- Drag-and-drop website templates build a portfolio or storefront, and a custom domain can be used.
- Upload and sync tools
- Plugins for Adobe Lightroom and Luminar, automatic uploading on macOS and Windows, and imports from Flickr and Dropbox.
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.
SmugMug
Direct$20
per month, billed annually
Unlimited photo storage, privacy controls, digital delivery, Lightroom integration and 24/7 live support.
Portfolio$23.50
per month, billed annually
Adds print and digital download sales, website templates, watermarks and theft protection, and full-service order fulfillment.
Pro$37
per month, billed annually
Adds multiple custom pricelists, marketing coupons and packages, client favoriting and download limits.
EnterpriseCustom
Tailor-made plan for studios, teams and institutions with serious volume. Arranged through sales.
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.
SmugMug
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Format or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Format is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $20 a month for SmugMug. Format starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($14 billed monthly), and SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct).
Which has a free plan, Format or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Format nor SmugMug has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Format and SmugMug run on?
As of Nov 12, 2026, only SmugMug lists macOS, Windows and Android apps. Both list a web app and an iOS 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.