PhotoShelter vs Pixpa (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pixpa grades higher than PhotoShelter: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
PhotoShelter grades higher on platforms. Pixpa grades higher on value for money and the free plan. 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.
PhotoShelter
Photo storage, delivery and portfolio sites for photographers
Pixpa
Portfolio sites, client galleries and a store in one plan
Which one is for you
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
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
| 1.8GPAPhotoShelterWeak | 2.2GPAPixpaFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | 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. | 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 | DA 14-day trial, then it charges you automatically, and there is no free plan. | CA 15-day trial needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | 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. | CPortfolio, galleries, blog and store, but Basic has 3 store products and the store limit rises by plan. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You build a site, upload images and set up a store. | CNo rating on record, and you build pages and galleries yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Instagram, WordPress, Vimeo, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Stripe and PayPal. | CWeb only, with WHCC (print lab) and Ionos (domains) listed as links. |
| Best for | photographers who want storage, site and store together | 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: PhotoShelter and Pixpa. How we grade
Price against what you get
PhotoShelter 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.
PhotoShelter 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, 5 score higher than PhotoShelter for less, and 10 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
- PhotoShelter also covers print on demand.
- Pixpa also covers popups.
At a glance
| PhotoShelter | Pixpa | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly) | $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, then charged automatically | 15-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PhotoShelter, Inc. | Pixpa |
| Price read from | go.photoshelter.com | pixpa.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, PhotoShelter or Pixpa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pixpa is cheaper to start with: $5.40 a month, against $10 a month for PhotoShelter. PhotoShelter starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly), and Pixpa starts at $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, PhotoShelter or Pixpa?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PhotoShelter nor Pixpa 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.