PhotoDeck vs SmugMug (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SmugMug grades higher than PhotoDeck: 2.4 against 2.0 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
SmugMug 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.
PhotoDeck
Photographer websites with client galleries and print sales
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales 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 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
| 2.0GPAPhotoDeckFair | 2.4GPASmugMugFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 14-day free trial with no card. No free plan. | CA 14-day trial of every feature needs no card, 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. | 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 | CNo store rating on record. You build and style your own site and galleries. | CNo rating on record, and you set up galleries, a site and pricelists yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, and the listing shows no integrations. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. |
| Best for | a website with client galleries for photographers | 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: PhotoDeck and SmugMug. 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. SmugMug starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7.
SmugMug scores higher, and starts $8 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, 29 score higher than PhotoDeck 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
- PhotoDeck also covers print on demand.
- SmugMug also covers templates and no-code.
At a glance
| PhotoDeck | SmugMug | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly) | $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 | PhotoDeck | SmugMug, Inc. |
| Price read from | photodeck.com | smugmug.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PhotoDeck or SmugMug?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PhotoDeck is cheaper to start with: $12 a month, against $20 a month for SmugMug. PhotoDeck starts at $12 per month, billed annually ($15 billed quarterly), and SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct).
Which has a free plan, PhotoDeck or SmugMug?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PhotoDeck nor SmugMug has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do PhotoDeck and SmugMug run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SmugMug lists macOS, Windows, iOS and Android apps. 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.