Digitally Delivering Client Galleries

Digitally Delivering Client Galleries

For photography businesses, digital delivery has become a very popular option for sending clients their galleries.

Digitally delivering galleries can be as simple as sending a link to your clients where they can download their edited digital images, or as intricate as offering a place where your clients can proof and select their favorite images, download digital files, and even purchase prints directly from the site!

Since there are so many options out there, I decided to take a poll in my Facebook Group and ask photographers to chime in with their favorite online gallery delivery options and to share their experiences.

Below is the list I compiled of these photographers’ top-rated choices along with feedback given on each one!

#1. Pixieset

The most popular option among those polled was Pixieset. According to their website, Pixieset has a free plan option (with a 15% commission fee on prints ordered) as well as options for upgraded plans (with no commission fee) starting from $8-10 per month.

Their features are said to include: unlimited galleries, password protection, client access area, built-in social sharing, mobile readiness, proofing system, instant photo download, the ability to sell prints & downloads, customer support, and more.

Read more about the features of Pixieset here.

Feedback from a Pixieset user:

“Besides Pixieset, I’ve delivered via Dropbox. Both were easy but I love that with Pixieset, it has a cleaner more professional feel to it than Dropbox. I also like that I can password protect galleries, make them private so they don’t show up unless you have a direct link to them (that’s sent via email to the client), I can change the look of each gallery and they now have an option that clients can make purchases via their gallery too! I also like that they can download directly from there too AND you have control over the quality of image they download (high resolution, web quality, etc) I’ve never used the others but hear that ShootProof is pretty great too!” – Brittani Hunsaker, Brittani Hunsaker Photography

#2. ShootProof

The second most popular option among those polled was ShootProof. According to their website, they have a free plan option (for up to 100 photos), with no commission fees, and additional options for upgraded plans starting at $10 per month.

Their features are said to include: social sharing, password protected galleries, private URLs, the ability to add custom playlists to galleries, custom mobile apps for your clients, proofing system, and more.

Read more about the features of ShootProof here.

Feedback from a ShootProof user:

“I used PASS for years, but moved to Shootproof in November. It’s incredibly cheaper (I shoot weddings, so a lot of my galleries were over 100 photos), and I love that I can also bill my clients via shootproof and it’s incredibly user friendly. My clients are loving the change.” – Jaimi Weatherspoon, Essentia Photography

#3. Dropbox

Dropbox was the third most popular choice among those polled. Unlike the others listed, Dropbox is not a program that is strictly photography-based, or even strictly image-related. Dropbox is a popular choice because it also doubles as a cloud storage service. It allows you to access your files and documents on a variety of devices, and in addition to being a handy way to send links to your clients images, it can also be used to backup and protect your images and other files. I, personally, have been a Dropbox user since I had a hard drive crash on me a few years back.

Read more about the features of Dropbox here.

Feedback from a Dropbox user:

“Two years ago I made the decision to no longer use CDs/DVDs to deliver high-resolution digital images to my clients. I ordered custom USB drives for my wedding clients and also certain senior session packages and engagements, but found that mode of delivery to be out of my budget for mini session clients, etc. That’s when I discovered DropBox. I love it because I can send a gallery full of large files to my clients along with messaging/instructions on how to download and what print labs I recommend. My clients like it because they can create their own DropBox accounts to backup their files once they have downloaded them to their home PC/MAC. And last but not least….I use DropBox to backup my files, too!” – Kelly Maher Poynter, Blueberry Fields Photography

#4. Zenfolio

Zenfolio was the fourth most popular option among those polled. According to their website, Zenfolio can be more than just a client gallery service — you can actually use it as your business website. You can add your personal branding, you get unlimited custom pages, and an integrated blog. They also offer SEO tools and the ability to sell prints. Prices start at $5-7 per month for the starter package, and up to $30-42 per month for the most Advanced package.
Read more about the features of Zenfolio here.

Feedback from a Zenfolio user:

“Zenfolio is your own portfolio website with selling and ordering, unlimited storage, password-protection, and more. It’s great because when I send my client their gallery they can order prints as well as other picture products directly from their gallery. The products can be sent directly to the customer (unmarked packaging so the vendors aren’t listed) from whichever preferred vendor I have chosen. I create my own price lists and assign them to each gallery.I can also choose whether or not to allow the images in the gallery to be downloadable based on the package the client purchased.” – Kylee Lowande, Kylee Lowande Photography

#5. PASS

PASS was the fifth most popular option among those polled. According to their website, you can set your own print and product pricing, they take no commissions on sales, they offer 10 years of cloud storage, and all galleries under 100 images are free, with any galleries over 100 images being $29 each.

Read more about the features of PASS here.

Feedback from a PASS user:

“I love the look of PASS. You get 10 years of cloud storage, (no worries about having a hard drive or computer fail and losing them all!), galleries are free unless more than 100 photos, they can order prints with you setting the pricing, password protected. Those are some of the reasons why I love pass!” – Valerie Cartwright, Valerie Cartwright Photography

#6. SmugMug

The sixth choice among those polled was SmugMug. According to their website, their plans range from $3.34 – $5 per month for the basic package, up to $25-$35 for the business package. Their features are said to include: unlimited storage, customizable privacy settings, and the option to sell prints and gifts.

Read more about the features of SmugMug here.

“SmugMug gives you several privacy options that you can apply to any Gallery, Page, or Folder on your site. You can mix and match how visible or locked down you want your photos to be by tweaking your Visibility and Access settings.SmugMug provides all the features that are necessary for building an elegant and beautiful portfolio site for many of your photography needs including, but not limited to, eCommerce, templates, unlimited photo uploads, gorgeous full-screen galleries, customizable websites, and unlimited traffic.” – Georgi Krivoshiev, Georgi Krivoshiev Photography

The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions held by the author of this post. As such, the opinions expressed in this post are strictly for informational purposes. Morgan Burks (MorganBurks.com) does not make any guarantees, warranties, or promises, with respect to the companies and/or services listed above.