SmugMug vs Zenfolio (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, SmugMug grades higher than Zenfolio: 2.4 against 2.2 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.
SmugMug
Photo storage, portfolio sites and print sales for photographers
Zenfolio
Photographer websites, client galleries and print sales in one plan
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.4GPASmugMugFair | 2.2GPAZenfolioFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CDirect is $20 a month billed yearly, just under the dearer quarter ($20.83) of website builders. | 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 | CA 14-day trial of every feature needs no card, and there is no free plan. | CA free trial with no card, but no free plan. |
| Features | CUnlimited photo storage and portfolio sites, but print and download sales and templates start at $23.50, and RAW storage is an add-on. | 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, and you set up galleries, a site and pricelists yourself. | CNo rating on record. You build the site from templates and set up galleries and a store. |
| Platforms and integrations | AWeb, Mac, Windows, iPhone and Android, with Lightroom, Luminar, Flickr and Dropbox. | BWeb only, with Lightroom, Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay and print labs. |
| Best for | photo storage and print sales for photographers | 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: SmugMug and Zenfolio. How we grade
Price against what you get
SmugMug starts at $20 a month and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Zenfolio starts at $7 a month and scores 2.3.
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 SmugMug 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
- SmugMug also covers no-code.
- Zenfolio also covers appointment booking and print on demand.
At a glance
| SmugMug | Zenfolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free trial | Free trial |
| Starts at | $20 per month, billed annually (Direct) | $7 per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly) |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Free trial | 14-day free trial of every feature, no credit card required | Free trial, no credit card required |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | SmugMug, Inc. | Zenfolio |
| Price read from | smugmug.com | zenfolio.com |
| Checked | Nov 12, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
SmugMug
No public discounts listed.
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, SmugMug or Zenfolio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Zenfolio is cheaper to start with: $7 a month, against $20 a month for SmugMug. SmugMug starts at $20 per month, billed annually (Direct), and Zenfolio starts at $7 per month, billed annually ($9 billed monthly).
Which has a free plan, SmugMug or Zenfolio?
As of Nov 13, 2026, neither SmugMug nor Zenfolio has a free plan. Both have a free trial.
Which platforms do SmugMug and Zenfolio 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.