ShootProof vs Pixieset: A Photographer's Comparison (2026)

If you've spent any time researching client gallery platforms, two names keep coming up: ShootProof and Pixieset. Both have built loyal followings among professional photographers, both deliver client galleries that look great on the front end, and both bundle the kind of business tooling — contracts, invoicing, sales — that most photographers eventually need.

The harder question is which one fits your workflow. They share a lot of surface features, but the underlying philosophies are different. ShootProof leans into a flat, feature-equal pricing structure with a strong focus on selling prints. Pixieset spreads features across tiers and bundles them into a broader Suite that covers websites, CRM, and a mobile app.

This guide compares ShootProof and Pixieset on the things that matter day to day: pricing, gallery experience, sales features, branding, contracts, mobile, and integrations. The aim is to help you choose between two genuinely good products, not to crown a winner. Pricing and feature details are accurate as of mid-2026 — both platforms iterate quickly, so always double-check the current plans on shootproof.com and pixieset.com before signing up.

ShootProof at a Glance

ShootProof has been around since 2010 and positions itself as an all-in-one business platform for working photographers. The core product is the client gallery, but the pitch has always been broader: contracts, invoicing, e-signatures, email campaigns, and a print store sit alongside the gallery in every paid plan.

The brand voice is practical and business-first. You'll notice the marketing leans heavily on "no feature gates" and "every paid plan includes everything" — and that's largely accurate. The plan you pick mostly determines how many photos you can store, not which features you can use.

Who it tends to suit:

• Wedding, family, and portrait photographers who sell prints and digital products
• Studios that want contracts and invoicing in the same tool as galleries
• Photographers who prefer predictable, photo-count-based pricing over storage-by-GB

Pixieset at a Glance

Pixieset launched in 2013 and grew quickly thanks to a clean, modern gallery design that looked better than most of what was around at the time. Over the years it has expanded from a pure client gallery into the Pixieset Suite — a bundle of Client Gallery, Website, Store, Studio Manager (CRM), and a Mobile Gallery App.

The aesthetic and product instincts skew toward simplicity and design polish. Galleries feel modern out of the box, and the Suite is positioned as an alternative to running multiple subscriptions (gallery + website + CRM) from different vendors.

Who it tends to suit:

• Wedding and lifestyle photographers who want gallery design to do a lot of the selling
• Photographers who want a single subscription covering gallery, website, and CRM
• Anyone who values a clean client-facing experience over deep business tooling

Pricing and Plans

Pricing is where the two diverge most clearly.

ShootProof uses a photo-count model. As of mid-2026, the public plans are roughly:

• Free — up to 100 photos / 5 GB
• 1,500 photos — around $10/month
• 5,000 photos — around $20/month
• 25,000 photos — around $30/month
• Unlimited — around $60/month

Every paid plan includes contracts, invoicing, the print store, branding controls, the mobile app, and email campaigns. The plan you pick almost only changes how many photos you can host.

Pixieset uses a storage-by-GB model with feature gating between tiers:

• Free — 3 GB, includes the storefront with a 15% commission on sales
• Basic — around $10/month, 10 GB, removes commission and Pixieset branding
• Plus — around $20/month, 100 GB
• Pro — around $50/month, 1 TB, adds automatic fulfilment and coupons
• Ultimate — unlimited storage at the top tier
• Suite plans — bundle Client Gallery, Website, Store, Studio Manager, and Mobile App; pricing starts around $28/month

If you want every feature Pixieset offers — CRM, website, gallery, and store — you're looking at the Suite tier. If you want every feature ShootProof offers, any paid plan works.

Storage and Gallery Limits

The unit of measurement matters.

ShootProof counts photos. A 30 MB RAW-quality JPEG and a 2 MB web-resolution image both count as one photo. That means file size doesn't push you up a tier — your shoot volume does.

Pixieset counts gigabytes. If you upload high-resolution or RAW files, you'll consume storage faster than a photographer uploading web-sized exports. Pixieset has also added RAW file support inside galleries, which is useful for delivering originals but can chew through GB quickly.

Both platforms support gallery expiry dates and automatic archive reminders. ShootProof emphasises seasonal sales workflows tied to expiry; Pixieset has Collection Expiry Reminders that automatically email clients before a gallery closes.

For high-volume wedding shooters with many large RAW files, ShootProof's photo-count model can work out more predictable. For portrait and lifestyle photographers delivering mainly web-sized JPEGs, Pixieset's GB tiers can be more generous on the lower plans.

Client Experience

Both platforms have invested heavily in the client-facing side, but they feel different.

Pixieset galleries are known for their clean, modern aesthetic. Clients land on a cover image, browse a beautifully laid out grid, and can favourite images, leave comments on the favourites list, and download with a PIN if you require one. The mobile experience is solid, and there are several gallery layouts to choose from.

ShootProof galleries are more functional than fashionable. They look professional and behave reliably, but the visual polish out of the box is one notch below Pixieset. Where ShootProof wins is in granular control — Digital Rules, custom download sizes per gallery, watermark behaviour by use case, and print rules give you fine-grained say over what each client can do.

For client favouriting:

• Pixieset has favourite lists with optional photo limits, comments tied to favourites, and an easy share link
• ShootProof has favouriting with sharing back to you, plus the ability to convert favourites to print or download orders

If you want client-side help in narrowing down an album for retouching, both work. Neither offers true two-sided collaborative selection where photographer and client each contribute picks side by side — that's a gap I'll come back to later.

Sales and the Print Store

This is the area both platforms market most aggressively, and it's where the workflow differences are most visible.

ShootProof Print Store integrates a network of professional labs with a built-in design tool, lets clients order prints and products directly from the gallery, and ships orders white-labelled (no lab branding or wholesale pricing visible to your client). ShootProof also takes a 20% commission on Print Store orders by default — that's the trade-off for the lab integration and order fulfilment.

Pixieset Store also connects to a print lab network, supports prints, canvases, albums, and digital downloads, and offers automatic fulfilment on higher tiers. Crucially, on upgraded plans Pixieset charges 0% commission on store sales — you keep what your clients pay (after card processing fees and the lab cost of the product). The free plan carries a 15% commission, which is a meaningful tax on early sales.

Both let you set custom price lists, mark up products, run discount codes, and tie favourites to ordering. Pixieset's commission-free upgraded plans are attractive for high-volume sellers; ShootProof's 20% on Print Store orders is offset by the fact that contracts, invoicing, and email campaigns are bundled into the same flat plan.

If sales are central to your business model, model out a typical month on both pricing structures before committing.

Watermarks and Branding

Both platforms support watermarks and white-labelling, with broadly similar rules.

ShootProof:

• Custom logo, colours, fonts, and watermark
• Watermarks always removed on paid digital download fulfilment
• Watermark behaviour on free downloads controlled by Digital Rules
• White-label print fulfilment (no lab branding in the package)

Pixieset:

• Profile icon on all plans, full branding (logo, cover logo, custom favicon, removed Pixieset branding) on paid plans
• Up to three separate watermark files per Client Gallery account
• Watermarks always removed on print orders and on high-resolution downloads (3,600 px and original resolution)
• Web-sized downloads (640 / 1,024 / 2,048 px) have watermark removed by default but can be configured to keep watermarks in place

ShootProof gives you slightly more granular Digital Rule control. Pixieset's branding is cleaner out of the box once you're on a paid plan. The free Pixieset tier does retain some Pixieset branding, which is worth knowing if you're testing.

Contracts and Invoicing

ShootProof's strongest differentiator from Pixieset historically has been built-in contracts and invoicing on every paid plan.

ShootProof:

• Contract templates (your own or purchasable templates from ShootProof's marketplace)
• E-signatures
• Invoicing with deposits, retainers, tipping, and multiple payment methods (cash, credit, debit, check, Apple Pay, Google Pay)
• Contracts and invoices can be linked to specific clients and galleries
• Included in every paid plan starting at the entry tier

Pixieset:

• Contracts, invoices, and questionnaires live inside Studio Manager (the CRM product)
• Studio Manager is part of the Pixieset Suite — not the standalone Client Gallery plans
• Booking site, calendar sync (Google Calendar), Zoom and Google Meet integration

If you specifically want gallery + contracts + invoices in one tool at the entry price, ShootProof is engineered for that. If you want a fuller CRM with booking, calendar sync, and a website builder, Pixieset Suite is the broader package — at a higher price.

Mobile Apps

Both platforms have invested in mobile.

ShootProof offers a custom-branded mobile gallery app: clients can install an app with your studio branding and access their gallery from their phone. There's also a photographer-side mobile app for managing galleries and orders.

Pixieset offers a Mobile Gallery App that clients can use to view and download collections, and in 2025 launched a Studio Manager mobile app that lets photographers run the CRM side of the business from a phone — bookings, invoices, and client communication on the go.

The Studio Manager mobile app is a meaningful addition if you do a lot of business management away from your desk. ShootProof's strength is the client-side branded gallery app.

Integrations

Neither platform is plugin-heavy in the way Notion or Zapier ecosystems are, but both have the integrations photographers most often ask for.

ShootProof integrates with major print labs through its Print Store, supports Stripe and PayPal for payments, and offers email campaigns natively. Lightroom upload is supported via export workflows.

Pixieset has an official Lightroom Classic plugin for direct upload, integrates with Google Calendar / Zoom / Google Meet through Studio Manager, and supports Stripe for payments.

For most working photographers, the relevant integration is "does it talk to Lightroom and a print lab?" — and the answer is yes for both, just via slightly different paths.

Best for ShootProof

Pick ShootProof if any of these describe you:

• You want contracts, invoices, and galleries in one tool at a lower entry price
• You sell prints heavily and want a strong, white-labelled print store with lab fulfilment
• You prefer predictable photo-count pricing over storage-by-GB
• You don't need a website builder or CRM bundled in
• You want every paid plan to unlock every feature — no upgrade tricks

Best for Pixieset

Pick Pixieset if any of these describe you:

• Gallery design and aesthetics matter more than business automation
• You want 0% commission on store sales on upgraded plans
• You want website, gallery, store, and CRM under one subscription (Suite)
• You shoot lifestyle, wedding, or branding work where polished client experience drives referrals
• You're already on Lightroom Classic and want a native upload plugin

A Third Option: Collaborative Review

Both ShootProof and Pixieset are excellent at what they're built for: delivering finished galleries to clients, selling prints, and running the business side of photography. Neither is built for the part of the workflow that comes before delivery — the back-and-forth of selecting which photos to edit when both you and your subject have opinions.

For portrait, fashion, editorial, and creative collaboration work, that selection step is often the most time-consuming part of the job. You drop 200 RAWs into a folder. The model or client wants to see them. You want their input but also need to filter the unusable shots. They mark favourites, you mark yours, and you have to merge two lists somehow.

This is the gap Cullengo was designed to fill. It's not a print store or a CRM — it's a collaborative review tool where photographer and subject each contribute selections per photo, leave threaded comments tied to specific images, compare similar shots side by side, and align on a final edit list before retouching starts. You can read more about photo selection workflows and collaborative proofing if that's the part you're trying to solve.

If your bottleneck is delivery, ShootProof or Pixieset will probably serve you well. If your bottleneck is everything before delivery, a tool built for collaborative review is worth considering alongside, not instead of, a delivery platform.

How to Migrate Between Platforms

If you're already on one and considering a move, here's a sane migration path:

1. Export your client list from your current platform's CRM or contacts
2. Audit active galleries — which ones are still being viewed? Which have expired?
3. Re-upload only active galleries to the new platform — don't migrate dead galleries
4. Recreate templates for contracts and invoices in the new tool (templates rarely export cleanly)
5. Update redirects or stored links if any clients have bookmarked old gallery URLs
6. Run both in parallel for a billing cycle before fully cutting over — it's cheaper than a botched migration

For a more thorough breakdown of switching gallery platforms, the guide on how to send edited photos to clients covers the delivery side, and the client gallery comparison goes deeper on platform fit. If you're weighing other tools too, the Pic-Time alternatives guide and the picdrop vs Pixieset comparison cover adjacent options.

FAQ

Is ShootProof better than Pixieset?

Neither is universally better. ShootProof is stronger on contracts, invoicing, and print sales at a lower entry price, with flat feature pricing. Pixieset is stronger on gallery design, has a larger free tier, offers a wider Suite (website + CRM + gallery), and charges 0% commission on store sales on paid plans. The right pick depends on whether you optimise for business tooling and print sales (ShootProof) or design polish and a bundled Suite (Pixieset).

Does ShootProof have a free plan?

Yes. ShootProof's free plan covers up to 100 photos and around 5 GB of storage, with unlimited client galleries and basic features. It's enough to test the platform and run a single small project, but most working photographers move to a paid plan once they exceed the photo cap.

Which is cheaper, ShootProof or Pixieset?

It depends on usage. ShootProof's 1,500-photo plan starts at around $10/month and unlocks every business feature. Pixieset's $10/month Basic plan removes the 15% sales commission and Pixieset branding but limits storage to 10 GB and gates contracts behind Studio Manager / Suite plans. For photographers who sell prints heavily, the maths can be similar; for photographers who only need delivery, Pixieset's free or Basic plan is often cheaper. Always model your real volume against both pricing structures.

Can clients order prints with both platforms?

Yes. Both ShootProof and Pixieset have built-in print stores connected to professional lab networks, with white-labelled fulfilment. Pixieset offers 0% commission on upgraded plans (you pay only the lab cost and card processing); ShootProof takes a 20% commission on Print Store orders. Both support custom price lists, products like prints and albums, and discount codes.

What's a good alternative to ShootProof and Pixieset?

For pure delivery, picdrop, Pic-Time, and SmugMug are the most common alternatives — each with different pricing models and feature sets. For collaborative review and two-sided photo selection (which neither ShootProof nor Pixieset does deeply), Cullengo is purpose-built for that workflow. The Pixieset alternatives guide covers the landscape in more detail.

Final Thoughts

ShootProof and Pixieset are both strong choices in 2026. Most photographers who pick one stay with it for years, and the differences come down to workflow philosophy rather than feature checkboxes. ShootProof rewards photographers who want every business tool in a single flat plan and sell prints actively. Pixieset rewards photographers who value design polish, a bundled Suite, and commission-free sales on upgraded plans.

If your workflow involves a lot of pre-delivery collaboration — moodboards, two-sided selection, threaded comments tied to specific photos — neither platform is built for that part of the job. That's where a collaborative review tool like Cullengo sits alongside your gallery platform rather than replacing it.

Test both with a real project. The right answer almost always reveals itself within a single shoot cycle.