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Photography · head to head

Pic-Time vs Pixieset

Pic-Time logo

Pic-Time

Photography

Client galleries with an automated print store and marketing campaigns built in

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Pixieset logo

Pixieset

Photography

Client gallery, store and studio management platform priced by storage volume

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Pic-Time the commission on store sales means the true cost rises with your success, so a photographer with strong print revenue may pay far more than the subscription implies and should price the top tier against the percentage before choosing.; Pixieset pricing is by storage, so cost tracks the size of your accumulated archive rather than current work, and a photographer five years in pays more than a new one shooting the same volume unless old galleries are archived off the platform.
  • They diverge on capability: Pic-Time covers Designed galleries, Pixieset covers Client galleries.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Pic-Time and Pixieset actually diverge.

Attributes where Pic-Time and Pixieset differ
AttributePic-TimePixieset
Pricing modelPer month by photo countPer month by storage volume

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), platforms (Web, iOS, Android), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Photography).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Pic-Time

  • Designed galleries
  • Automated store campaigns
  • Wall art visualiser
  • Album proofing
  • Regional lab fulfilment
  • Digital delivery

Only in Pixieset

  • Client galleries
  • Store
  • Studio Manager
  • Website
  • Download controls
  • Mobile app
  • Client proofing
  • Analytics

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Pic-Time

  • A wedding photographer who wants print revenue from past clients without writing and sending the promotions personallynot Pixieset
  • Studios where the gallery itself is part of the perceived product and a plain grid of thumbnails undersells the worknot Pixieset
  • Album based workflows that need clients to comment on spreads rather than exchange PDFs by emailnot Pixieset
  • Photographers with clients in several countries who need orders fulfilled by a lab local to the clientnot Pixieset

Pixieset

  • Delivering a wedding gallery with a pin code, a print store attached and download limits set per collectionnot Pic-Time
  • Selling prints without holding stock, using an integrated lab that ships directly to the clientnot Pic-Time
  • Running contracts, invoices and booking enquiries alongside delivery instead of paying for a separate studio CRMnot Pic-Time
  • Giving a client a favourites list to choose album images without exchanging files by email or WeTransfernot Pic-Time

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Pic-Time

  • The commission on store sales means the true cost rises with your success, so a photographer with strong print revenue may pay far more than the subscription implies and should price the top tier against the percentage before choosing.
  • Storage is counted by photo, so high volume delivery pushes you up the tiers even when the files themselves are small.
  • There is no contracts, invoicing, booking or CRM module, so a working studio still pays for a separate management tool and reconciles two systems.
  • Lab coverage is uneven by country and some regions have a single partner, which removes any ability to shop for print quality or price.
  • The automated campaigns go out under your studio name on Pic-Time schedules, and photographers with a small or recently marketed client list can look pushy unless every sequence is edited by hand.

Pixieset

  • Pricing is by storage, so cost tracks the size of your accumulated archive rather than current work, and a photographer five years in pays more than a new one shooting the same volume unless old galleries are archived off the platform.
  • The free plan takes a percentage commission on store sales, which means the photographers most likely to start free, those selling prints, are the ones the commission costs most, and the effective rate should be compared against ShootProof and Pic-Time before committing.
  • Print fulfilment is restricted to the labs Pixieset has integrated, so a studio with an existing lab relationship or specific paper stock cannot use its own supplier through the store.
  • There is no customer-selectable hosting region, so photographers working under contracts that require client images to stay in a specific jurisdiction cannot satisfy that requirement on Pixieset.
  • The website builder is a portfolio tool rather than a site platform, with limited page structure, no blogging depth and no real SEO control, so most studios that grow move the public site elsewhere and keep Pixieset for delivery.
  • Consolidating galleries, store, invoicing and site with one vendor means a pricing change, an outage or a policy change hits every part of the business at once, and exporting client and sales history out is a manual process.

Pricing, plan by plan

Pic-Time

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Small photo allowance for evaluating the platform
    • Store available with the commission that applies to this tier
  • Paid tiers$undefined/month
    • Priced by the number of photos stored
    • The sales commission differs by tier and falls on the higher plans
    • Automated marketing campaigns included from the paid tiers upward

Pixieset

Free
  • FreeFree
    • 3 GB of storage
    • Client galleries with download pins
    • Commission charged on store sales
  • Basic$8/month
    • 10 GB of storage
    • No commission on store sales
    • Custom logo and gallery colours
  • Plus$16/month
    • 100 GB of storage
    • Custom domain
    • Client proofing and favourite lists
  • Ultimate$undefined/month
    • Highest storage tier for archives that outgrow Plus
    • All gallery, store and branding features
    • Billed annually

Which should you pick?

Choose Pic-Time if

  • You need designed galleries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want automated store campaigns.
Pic-Time review

Choose Pixieset if

  • You need client galleries.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, iOS, Android.
  • You also want store.
Pixieset review

Questions people ask

Is Pic-Time or Pixieset better?
Neither clearly leads. Pic-Time starts at Free and Pixieset at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Pic-Time or Pixieset?
Pic-Time starts at Free and Pixieset at Free.
Does Pic-Time or Pixieset run on more platforms?
Both run on Web, iOS, Android, so platform support will not decide this one for you.
Can I use Pic-Time for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Pic-Time best used for?
Pic-Time is most often used for a wedding photographer who wants print revenue from past clients without writing and sending the promotions personally, studios where the gallery itself is part of the perceived product and a plain grid of thumbnails undersells the work, album based workflows that need clients to comment on spreads rather than exchange pdfs by email, photographers with clients in several countries who need orders fulfilled by a lab local to the client. Of those, a wedding photographer who wants print revenue from past clients without writing and sending the promotions personally and studios where the gallery itself is part of the perceived product and a plain grid of thumbnails undersells the work are not what Pixieset is typically brought in for.
What can Pic-Time do that Pixieset cannot?
Pic-Time covers Designed galleries, Automated store campaigns, Wall art visualiser, Album proofing. Pixieset covers Client galleries, Store, Studio Manager, Website.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Pic-Time: Does Pic-Time take a percentage of print sales?

Yes, and the rate depends on the plan you are on, with the higher tiers reducing it. Check the current rate for your tier, because it usually outweighs the monthly price difference.

Pixieset: Is the free plan actually usable for a working photographer?

For delivery, yes, at 3 GB. For sales, it is expensive, because the commission on every store order continues indefinitely while a paid plan removes it.

Pic-Time: Can it replace my studio management software?

No. There is no contract signing, invoicing or booking. Pic-Time covers delivery and sales only.

Pixieset: What counts towards my storage?

Every file uploaded to a collection, including galleries delivered years ago. Archiving or deleting old collections is the only way to bring the number down.

Pic-Time: Do clients need an account to view a gallery?

No. Galleries open from a link with an optional password, and an email is only requested when a client downloads or orders.

Pixieset: Can clients download full resolution files?

Yes, if you enable it. Download size, pin protection and expiry are set per collection, so you can release web sizes immediately and full resolution after payment.

Pixieset: Can I use my own print lab?

No. Store fulfilment goes through the labs Pixieset has integrated, and self-fulfilment means handling orders outside the platform.

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