PhotoShelter vs Zenfolio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zenfolio grades higher than PhotoShelter: 2.2 against 1.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Zenfolio grades higher on value for money and the free plan. They get the same grade on features, ease of use and platforms.
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
Zenfolio
Photographer websites, client galleries and print sales 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 Zenfolio if
- Fits if you deliver galleries to clients and want a site on the same plan
- Works for photographers who sell prints through a lab
Look elsewhere if
- Pricey if you sell: a Zenfolio commerce fee comes on top of Stripe's 2.9% + $0.30 or PayPal's 3.49% + $0.49
- Tight if you shoot a lot, with 15 GB on Basic, 150 GB on Professional and extra storage sold as an add-on
- Watch out: booking and scheduling cost $10 a month extra on Basic and Professional
- Watch out: refunds are a courtesy within 30 days, and monthly plans are not refunded
- Watch out: the page also showed a 60% first-year sale, so check the price at checkout
How we grade them
| 1.8GPAPhotoShelterWeak | 2.2GPAZenfolioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | C$7 a month yearly for Basic, $11.50 for Professional and $20 for Advanced. That is just above the cheaper quarter of $6.75, and selling starts on the middle plan. |
| Free plan and trial | DA 14-day trial, then it charges you automatically, and there is no free plan. | CA free trial with no card, but 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. | CSite and blog, client galleries, selling prints and digitals, and AI tagging. The gaps are in the extras: booking is $10 a month on Basic and Professional, and storage stops at 15 GB and 150 GB. |
| Ease of use | CNo rating on record. You build a site, upload images and set up a store. | CNo rating on record. You build the site from templates and set up galleries and a store. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb only, with Instagram, WordPress, Vimeo, Lightroom, Photo Mechanic, Stripe and PayPal. | BWeb only, with Lightroom, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and print labs. |
| Best for | photographers who want storage, site and store together | a photographer's site, galleries and print sales on one bill |
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 Zenfolio. 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. Zenfolio starts at $7 a month and scores 2.3.
They score the same, and Zenfolio starts $3 a month lower. Of the other website and landing page builders on the chart, 5 score higher than PhotoShelter for less, and 3 score higher than Zenfolio 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
- Zenfolio also covers appointment booking.
At a glance
| PhotoShelter | Zenfolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly) | $7 per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial, then charged automatically | Free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| Made by | PhotoShelter, Inc. | Zenfolio |
| Price read from | go.photoshelter.com | zenfolio.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 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.
Zenfolio
- Selling adds a Zenfolio commerce fee plus payment processing (Stripe 2.9% + $0.30, PayPal 3.49% + $0.49), and downloads carry a small per-file fee.
- Booking and scheduling costs $10 a month extra on Basic and Professional.
- Refunds are described as a courtesy within 30 days of signup or annual renewal; monthly plans are not refunded.
- Storage is 15 GB on Basic and 150 GB on Professional, with extra storage sold as an add-on.
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.
Zenfolio
- Customizable website and blog
- Build a photographer site from templates and blocks, with a custom domain, blogging and built-in SEO settings on every plan.
- Client galleries and proofing
- Unlimited client galleries with favorites, comments, watermarks and delivery of files, including by SMS.
- Selling prints and digitals
- Professional and Advanced plans sell prints, digitals and packages from a branded store, with lab fulfillment or self-fulfillment.
- Booking and scheduling
- Calendar, invoicing and online payments for sessions. It is a $10 a month add-on on Basic and Professional and is included in Advanced.
- Volume tools for events
- Volume Wizard and QR code workflows for sports, school and event jobs: up to 5 uses on Professional, unlimited on Advanced.
- AI tagging and culling
- AI gallery descriptions and image tagging; AI culling through PhotoRefine is a $7 a month add-on and included in Advanced.
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.
Zenfolio
Basic$7
per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly)
15 GB storage (about 4,500 photos), HD video, unlimited client galleries, custom website, 500 SMS deliveries a month and 3 custom watermarks.
Professional$11.50
per month, billed annually ($23 billed monthly)
150 GB storage, selling of prints and digitals, branded store, 2,500 SMS a month.
Advanced$20
per month, billed annually ($40 billed monthly)
Unlimited JPEG storage plus 150 GB of video with 4K, booking and scheduling included, 5,000 SMS a month.
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.
Zenfolio
- Annual discount
Save about 22 to 50% with annual billing
Zenfolio lists annual prices of $7, $11.50 and $20 a month against $9, $23 and $40 on monthly billing.
- Other savings
Cyber November sale: 60% off first year
The page advertises 60% off the first year of an annual Professional or Advanced plan, to be claimed by November 25 (2026).
Common questions
Which is cheaper, PhotoShelter or Zenfolio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zenfolio is cheaper to start with: $7 a month, against $10 a month for PhotoShelter. PhotoShelter starts at $10 per month, billed annually ($12.99 billed monthly), and Zenfolio starts at $7 per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, PhotoShelter or Zenfolio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither PhotoShelter nor Zenfolio 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.