Pic-Time vs SmugMug (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pic-Time and SmugMug share a 2.4 GPA, and only Pic-Time has a free plan.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 and Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pic-Time 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.
Pic-Time
Client galleries and a print store for photographers
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales for photographers
Which one is for you
Pick Pic-Time if
- Fits if you deliver photos to clients and want a print store attached
- Works for a new photographer who can start on the free plan
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you rely on the free plan, since photo storage falls from 10 GB to 3 GB after 3 months
- Skip it if you need client selections or album proofing without paying for Professional at $21
- Watch out: prices are for individual photographers, with agencies quoted separately
- Watch out: extra brands on Advanced are $6 a month each
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
| 2.4GPAPic-TimeFair | 2.4GPASmugMugFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BA free plan plus Beginner at $7 a month billed annually, close to the $6.75 cheaper-quarter line for website builders. Professional is $21. | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. |
| Free plan and trial | CA free plan with 10 GB of photo storage, reduced to 3 GB after 3 months, and 1 GB of video. Most working photographers will outgrow it. | CA 14-day trial of every feature needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CGalleries, a print store, sales automations, an album designer and AI gallery search. Client selections, album proofing and custom products need Professional or above. | 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 set up galleries, branding and a print store. | CNo rating on record, and you set up galleries, a site and pricelists yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | BWeb, iOS and Android, with Lightroom and Studio Ninja integrations. There is no desktop app. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. |
| Best for | client galleries and a print store 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: Pic-Time and SmugMug. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pic-Time starts at $7 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 $13 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, 3 score higher than Pic-Time 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
- Pic-Time also covers marketing automation and print on demand.
- SmugMug also covers templates, no-code and digital downloads.
At a glance
| Pic-Time | SmugMug | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free trial |
| Starts at | $7 per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly) | $20 per month, billed annually (Direct) |
| Free plan | 10 GB photo storage (reduced to 3 GB after 3 months), 1 GB video storage and unlimited galleries. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pic-Time | SmugMug, Inc. |
| Price read from | pic-time.com | smugmug.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Pic-Time
- Free-plan photo storage drops from 10 GB to 3 GB after 3 months.
- Client selections, album proofing and custom products need Professional or above.
- The listed prices are for individual photographers; agencies and collectives are quoted separately.
- Extra brands on Advanced cost $6 a month each.
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
Pic-Time
- Client galleries
- Deliver photos and video in branded galleries with download permissions and a Lightroom integration.
- Print store
- Sell prints through a built-in store tied to more than 30 global print labs, with online payments and automatic fulfillment.
- Sales automations
- Ready-made campaigns, coupons and gift cards aimed at lifting print sales from each gallery.
- Album designer
- Builds a personalized album layout from the gallery's photos using AI.
- AI gallery search
- Clients can search by keyword, person or selfie; the search for clients needs Professional or Advanced.
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
Pic-Time
Free$0
10 GB photos (3 GB after 3 months), 1 GB video, galleries, print store and basic design tools.
Beginner$7
per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly)
20 GB photos, 5 GB video, custom branding and chat support for clients.
Professional$21
per month, billed annually ($25 billed monthly)
100 GB photos, 30 GB video, premium galleries and print store, blogs and slideshows.
Advanced$42
per month, billed annually ($50 billed monthly)
Unlimited photo storage (terms apply), 60 GB video and multi-brand support.
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, Pic-Time or SmugMug?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Pic-Time is cheaper to start with: $7 a month, against $20 a month for SmugMug. Pic-Time starts at $7 per month, billed annually ($8 billed monthly), and SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct).
Which has a free plan, Pic-Time or SmugMug?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Pic-Time has a free plan. SmugMug does not, though it has a free trial.
Which platforms do Pic-Time and SmugMug run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only SmugMug lists macOS and Windows apps. Both list a web app and iOS and Android apps. 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.