Pixpa vs SmugMug (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 12, 2026, SmugMug grades higher than Pixpa: 2.4 against 2.2 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 12, 2026 · graded Nov 12, 2026 by ToolGPA
Pixpa 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.
Pixpa
Portfolio sites, client galleries and a store in one plan
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales for photographers
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.2GPAPixpaFair | 2.4GPASmugMugFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | BBasic is $5.40 a month billed yearly, inside the cheaper quarter ($7.42), though it caps at 10 pages and 200 images. | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. |
| Free plan and trial | CA 15-day trial needs no card, and there is no free plan. | CA 14-day trial of every feature needs no card, and there is no free plan. |
| Features | CPortfolio, galleries, blog and store, but Basic has 3 store products and the store limit rises by plan. | 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 rating on record, and you build pages and galleries yourself. | CNo rating on record, and you set up galleries, a site and pricelists yourself. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWeb only, with WHCC (print lab) and Ionos (domains) listed as links. | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. |
| Best for | portfolio sites and client galleries in one plan | 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: Pixpa and SmugMug. How we grade
Price against what you get
Pixpa starts at $5.40 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 $14.60 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 Pixpa 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
- Pixpa also covers popups.
- SmugMug also covers no-code.
At a glance
| Pixpa | SmugMug | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly) | $20 per month, billed annually (Direct) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 15-day free trial, no credit card; 30-day money-back guarantee | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Pixpa | SmugMug, Inc. |
| Price read from | pixpa.com | smugmug.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 12, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Ways to pay less
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.
SmugMug
No public discounts listed.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Pixpa or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, Pixpa is cheaper to start with: $5.40 a month, against $20 a month for SmugMug. Pixpa starts at $5.40 per month, billed yearly ($9 billed monthly), and SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct).
Which has a free plan, Pixpa or SmugMug?
As of Nov 12, 2026, neither Pixpa nor SmugMug has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do Pixpa and SmugMug run on?
As of Nov 12, 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.