PhotoDeck vs PhotoShelter (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PhotoDeck grades higher than PhotoShelter: 2.0 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PhotoDeck grades higher on value for money and the free plan. PhotoShelter grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on features and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
PhotoDeck
Photographer websites with client galleries and print sales
PhotoShelter
Photo storage, delivery and portfolio sites for photographers
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.0GPAPhotoDeckFair | 1.8GPAPhotoShelterWeak | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | CA 14-day free trial with no card. No free plan. | DA 14-day trial, then it charges you automatically, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. You build and style your own site and galleries. | CNo rating on record. You build a site, upload images and set up a store. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and the listing shows no integrations. | BWeb only, with Instagram, WordPress, Vimeo, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Stripe and PayPal. |
| Best for | a website with client galleries for photographers | 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: PhotoDeck and PhotoShelter. How we grade
Price against what you get
PhotoDeck starts at $12 a month and scores 2.0 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. PhotoShelter starts at $10 a month and scores 2.3.
PhotoShelter scores higher and starts $2 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 29 score higher than PhotoDeck 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
- PhotoShelter also covers templates.
At a glance
| PhotoDeck | PhotoShelter | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly) | $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 | ||
| Made by | PhotoDeck | PhotoShelter, Inc. |
| Price read from | photodeck.com | go.photoshelter.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
PhotoDeck
No public discounts listed.
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, PhotoDeck or PhotoShelter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PhotoShelter is cheaper to start with: $10 a month, against $12 a month for PhotoDeck. PhotoDeck starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly), and PhotoShelter starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, PhotoDeck or PhotoShelter?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PhotoDeck nor PhotoShelter has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
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.