The epic battle for domination of the prosumer photo-sharing segment...who comes out on top?
September 26,2023 Smugmug vs. Zenfolio! The two biggest and best professional photo-sharing sites currently available. A lot of their features are very similar, so which one comes out on top? Read more below to find out about the small differences that could make or break either service, depending on your needs and what you are looking for.
Try PhotoShelter, the most premium of all photo sharing services, now and save up to $55 with our exclusive discount code:
Product
|
Smugmug - Pro Business |
Zenfolio |
|
Full Review | |||
Overall Rating |
3 out of 5 Stars Save 20% on any SmugMug account with this code: PSReviews20 |
4.5 out of 5 Stars Save $10 (up to 33%) on any Zenfolio account with this code: AT7-A7G-82Y |
|
Sell Photos to make a profit? |
Yes - You keep 85% of the Profit above SmugMug's minimum prices |
Yes - You keep 88% to 96% of the profit depending on product type (prints compared to digital downloads) |
|
Highlighted Features |
|
By far, the best bargain. Now includes HD Video too. Great looking galleries right out of the box. Organize folders and galleries anyway you like, unlimited nested folders. Easily create a client access page with password. Apply client logo and branding throughout entire checkout process (only site that can do this). Create smart discounts or coupons for your clients. And still at only $120 a year, you can sell your photos and digital downloads from your custom branded page. |
|
Customizable Galleries? |
Yes, fully customizable
galleries from many styles pre-made, and the ability to import your own
CSS style sheets and change just about anything you want. |
7 clean looking main layout options with many customizable variables, including logo, about me page, photographer photo. Can modify text colors and styles. Cannot arrange layouts or modify any CSS. |
|
Replace Site logo with your
own? |
Yes, including custom
headers and footers. Still, SmugMug will appear at the bottom of your page on the footer |
Yes, you can replace the name and
basic info,as well as add your logo in various places. Cannot fully modify header or footer. |
|
Web 2.0 and social features |
Easy integration with facebook, twitter, and many other social bookmarking sites like reddit and digg. Users can comment
on your photos, and send links to friends. RSS feeds available. Create cool custom badges and slideshows for sharing. |
|
|
Disk Space, Max Size of
Photo Upload |
Unlimited Storage and bandwidth. Photo size up to 50 megabytes and 100 Megapixels |
Unlimited Storage and Bandwidth with unlimited and premium plans. 64 MB photo upload limit with pro. |
|
File Types |
JPEG, GIF, PNG (RAW, TIFF, PSD with
SmugVault at extra cost) |
JPEG, TIFF, PNG, GIF |
|
Sell Photo Books
and other gifts? |
Yes, wide selection. Four photo fulfillment labs to choose from. |
Yes, wide Selection. Can also self-fulfill products with a lab of your choice or on your own if you don’t want to use the default photo labs offered. |
|
Add Videos? |
Yes, up to 20 minutes in HD quality (up to 3 GB max size). |
Yes, Zenfolio now supports HD 1080p video files up to 2GB in size and up to 20 minutes long. No limit on the number of video clips you can upload. |
|
Sell Digital
Downloads? |
Yes, multiple sizes with different license terms available with the Pro Business Account |
Yes, multiple sizes with different license terms available. | |
Customize Domain Name? |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Watermarks and copyright
protection |
Yes, make any watermark you wish and apply it to photos or galleries. Right click protect your photos to prevent visitors from saving a copy. |
Yes, best and easiest to use watermark manager we have used, with 4 defaults to choose from, or create your own. Can apply to photos instantly, or easily remove them. Right click protect your photos to prevent visitors from saving a copy. |
|
Geotagging capabilities |
Automatically accesses Geotag info, or manually geotag your photos to see them on a map. | None |
|
Keywords and Search |
Add keywords to any photos. Search box only searches photos on your site so you can sell more. Smart galleries can automatically upload keyword tagged photos to galleries. | Yes, keyword tag your photos. |
|
Privacy |
Can password protect galleries
or just "hide" them so you need the link in order to view. |
Can password protect galleries. Private galleries, or add only certain people to a list (nice feature) |
|
Cost (per year) | $20 a month / $150 a year for a "Portfolio" Account $35 a month / $300 a year to sell photos SmugMug doubled "Pro" prices in 2012, making Zenfolio significantly cheaper for more features. Save 20% on Any New SmugMug Account with this code:
|
$60 / year (Unlimited Storage, but cannot sell pictures) $120 / year Premium (Unlimited Storage, Sell Pictures) Save $10 (up to 33%) on any Zenfolio account with this code: AT7-A7G-82Y
|
|
Give 'em a spin! |
Best Offer - Try Smugmug |
Best Offer - Try Zenfolio Professional |