ShootProof vs Pixieset: Formats, Plans and Workflow

ShootProof vs Pixieset is a choice about supported files, active storage, sales and the business tools you need around delivery. Both provide client galleries and selling tools. The useful comparison is the package that meets the same job, rather than a presumed winner for every wedding or portrait studio.

Public offers checked October 5, 2026. The table uses month-to-month dollar prices, not discounted annual equivalents. Check currency, taxes, existing-account terms and your actual checkout before buying.

The sources are ShootProof's current plans and Pixieset Client Gallery pricing. Older ShootProof photo-count comparisons are no longer a sound basis for choosing today's public offer. Photo storage alone does not describe every file or video entitlement.

Table of Contents

• Introduction: Compare the Work You Need Done
• ShootProof and Pixieset at a Glance
  • Product Scope and Package Boundaries
  • Define the Same Job Before Comparing Features
• Gallery Delivery and Client Experience Compared
  • Compare the Recipient's Tasks
  • Branding, Access and Watermark Controls
• Selling Prints, Contracts and Studio Workflow
  • Separate Commission From the Rest of the Bill
  • Map Manual Work Before Paying for Automation
• Pricing and Storage Models Explained
  • Use Supported Formats and Peak Hosted Storage
  • Compare Equivalent Workloads
• Choosing the Right Platform by Photographer Type
  • Volume, File Types and Sales Define the Brief
  • Decision Matrix by Studio Type
• Migration Tips and Transition Checklist
  • Preserve Active Client Work During the Move
  • A Practical Transition Checklist
• Final Recommendation and When SendPhoto Fits Better

Introduction: Compare the Work You Need Done

Start with three questions: what must clients receive, how much stays hosted at the busiest point, and which sales or admin tasks must the software handle? A platform can be inexpensive for one brief and unsuitable for another. RAW delivery is a different requirement from sharing edited JPEGs; a gallery subscription is a different purchase from a gallery, website and booking system together.

This is a comparison of current published capabilities and plan terms, with explicitly hypothetical storage calculations. It does not report a logged-in trial, timed usability comparison, checkout or migration. Product history, user totals and cumulative sales do not establish which tool makes your clients' work easier, so they are not used to rank the platforms.

Practical rule: compare the same deliverables, storage period and business tasks before comparing subscription prices.

Write down the few requirements that would rule a product out. For example: a supported camera RAW format, a particular lab, an existing website you want to keep, or enough contract capacity for your booking volume. Then compare the remaining choices on full cost and setup effort.

ShootProof and Pixieset at a Glance

Product Scope and Package Boundaries

ShootProof combines gallery delivery and selling with business tools. Its contracts page describes reusable digital contracts and linking them to invoices; its invoices page says invoicing is included with paid plans. Purchased contract templates and other optional services can still cost extra.

Pixieset offers Client Gallery, Website and Studio Manager separately, as well as Suite bundles. That means Client Gallery pricing alone is not a quote for every Pixieset tool. It also does not mean Pixieset lacks contracts or invoices: Studio Manager's published plans include a Free option with unlimited invoices, three contracts and three quotes or questionnaires. Plus adds unlimited contracts and document reminders; its current price is $15 month-to-month or a displayed $12 monthly equivalent billed annually.

Neither package structure proves a smoother workflow. An included tool is valuable when it meets your requirements and replaces another cost. A separate product may fit just as well if its free allowance or existing subscription covers the job. Do not pay twice for capabilities already handled by your current booking or accounting system.

Define the Same Job Before Comparing Features

Make a short brief before judging either product. A useful example is: deliver edited JPEGs, let a client choose ten favorites, allow the agreed final download size, sell one print product, and issue the required contract and invoice. Record which subscription and settings cover each step.

Do not infer a faster client experience from screenshots, a vendor's design language or a founding date. Compare whether the requested task is supported and what the client must understand. If you later try the products yourself, use the same files and instructions and record the result; an attractive demo alone does not establish fewer support messages or saved time.

For a studio that keeps a separate business system, gallery quality and file handling may decide the purchase. For a studio replacing several systems, document limits, payment handling and remaining manual work deserve equal attention.

Gallery Delivery and Client Experience Compared

Compare the Recipient's Tasks

ShootProof's gallery features describe photo/video delivery, favorites-based proofing, appearance controls and print/digital selling. Compare those jobs with the exact Pixieset package you would buy, rather than assuming one brand is for operations and the other for presentation.

Use this four-task brief to make the comparison concrete:

• Open the intended gallery: distinguish a viewing password from an email request, download PIN or checkout. These are different steps, not interchangeable evidence of a required new platform account.
• Return a selection: agree how many images the client should choose and how you will identify them. A favorite is a preference signal; it is not automatically final approval, an order or permission to publish.
• Receive the agreed files: compare allowed formats, resolution, purchase versus free-download settings and the instructions needed to use a ZIP file. Gallery appearance does not prove that the delivered file is an unchanged master.
• Complete a purchase if needed: compare the actual product, fulfillment route and total price. Viewing or selecting a photo is not the same action as buying it.

ShootProof's access documentation distinguishes an optional gallery password from email entry for actions such as favoriting or downloads. Pixieset's protection guidance distinguishes a collection viewing password from its download PIN. Do not score either as account-free or account-required without specifying the action and configuration.

Branding, Access and Watermark Controls

List the branding you actually need: a logo, colors, a gallery address or removal of the provider's branding. Then match that list to the chosen plan. Pixieset's paid Client Gallery plans advertise custom branding and custom domains. A custom address requires your own domain and correct configuration; it is not a guarantee that old gallery URLs will redirect after a move.

Watermarks also need an output-specific comparison. ShootProof's watermark rules say integrated lab prints and ShootProof-fulfilled purchased digital files are supplied without the gallery watermark; free-download rules can allow it to remain. Pixieset's digital-download documentation says its applied watermark does not appear on original or 3,600-pixel high-resolution downloads, while web-size downloads can include it.

These are documented output rules, not a comparison of watermark strength. A mark already baked into an uploaded file is a separate matter. Passwords and download settings cannot recall files already copied or prevent every screenshot. Keep publication permission and the agreed image license separate from access to a gallery.

For a delivery-focused reference, see SendPhoto's gallery delivery overview. Compare it on the same access and file requirements rather than treating any provider's feature list as proof of speed or absolute privacy.

Selling Prints, Contracts and Studio Workflow

Separate Commission From the Rest of the Bill

ShootProof advertises zero sales commission. Pixieset lists zero commission for upgraded accounts and a 15% store commission for its Free account. Commission-free selling is therefore not unique to ShootProof, and it does not mean an order is free to process or fulfill.

Build the sale cost from separate entries: platform commission, payment processing, lab/product costs, shipping, applicable tax and any paid services. Compare the same product, country and fulfillment route. Do not apply a U.S. card rate to every region or payment method, or assume a free gallery's store has the same economics as its paid version.

Check the document workflow separately from the store. ShootProof's paid invoicing and contracts may suit a studio replacing those tools. Pixieset's free Studio Manager allowance may cover occasional contracts; a busier studio should price the tier that meets its actual document and reminder needs. In either case, importing an old gallery does not automatically transfer signed contracts, orders or financial history.

Map Manual Work Before Paying for Automation

A market survey cannot tell you which product will reduce your own admin time. Map one completed job instead: inquiry, agreement, invoice, selection, final delivery, optional print sale and closeout. Beside each step, note the person responsible, the system used and any follow-up that still needs a human.

For example, a payment reminder may be automated while a missing image selection still needs a conversation. Decide whether a proposed reminder saves effort, duplicates another system or could confuse a client who has already replied elsewhere. Avoid enabling overlapping campaigns simply because both products offer them.

Use a small worksheet with task, current tool, required plan and remaining manual action. This is a planning method, not a claim that either platform automates every step. A package is worth considering when it replaces costs you can identify and still provides a clear owner for exceptions.

Pricing and Storage Models Explained

Use Supported Formats and Peak Hosted Storage

Both current public offers are storage-based. Count the files that remain hosted concurrently, including previous jobs still promised to clients. Annual delivery totals alone do not determine the required plan. Measure your real export folder sizes and leave space for upcoming work; do not delete an agreed gallery early merely to fit a cheaper tier.

ShootProof's file requirements, updated September 23, specify JPEG photo uploads up to 50 MB and 100 megapixels. It accepts MOV, QT, M4V and MP4 video, subject to video limits. Camera RAW files cannot simply be counted as supported ShootProof gallery photos.

Pixieset's file requirements include JPEG/PNG up to 100 MB and GIF up to 85 MB. Its RAW upload guide restricts RAW to eligible Pro and Ultimate Gallery/Suite plans, supported formats and a 100 MB per-file limit. Its Lightroom Classic plug-in supports JPEG, so RAW uploads use the browser uploader. Print products require JPEG files.

Genuine Chrome capture of ShootProof's public plans page, October 5, 2026. The crop shows plan names and prices; storage allowances are in the opening table. It is not an account renewal quote, checkout result or side-by-side usability test.

Video is another separate comparison. ShootProof uses combined photo/video GB on Starter and Standard and separate allowances on higher tiers. Pixieset lists video allowances and add-ons in time units. Photo capacity, video duration and supported output quality need separate entries in your brief; an unlimited-photo label is not unlimited RAW or video storage.

Compare Equivalent Workloads

Consider this hypothetical wedding workload, using our decimal assumptions of 1 GB = 1,000 MB and 10 MB per edited JPEG. These are planning calculations, not uploaded files or measured client results.

• One 2,000-photo JPEG delivery: 2,000 × 10 MB = 20 GB. ShootProof Starter's combined allowance would be fully consumed under those assumptions; Pixieset Basic's 10 GB would be too small. With no room for previous jobs, video or the next delivery, the cheapest nominal fit is not necessarily a useful operating plan.
• The same JPEG files with room up to 100 GB: ShootProof Standard is $19.99 per month and Pixieset Plus is $20 per month. That one-cent subscription difference does not establish a lower full workflow cost. Check photo/video sharing of storage and required business tools.
• Those JPEGs plus 400 GB of supported RAW files: the modeled photo workload is 420 GB. Pixieset Pro's 1,000 GB photo allowance and RAW entitlement may fit if each file meets the documented limits. ShootProof is not an equivalent RAW-hosting option; store those masters separately or compare another RAW-capable service. Do not pretend its lower tier can host the same files.
• 420 GB consisting entirely of compliant JPEGs instead: ShootProof Professional's photo allowance and Pixieset Pro's photo allowance can be compared at $31.99 versus $30 month-to-month. This is a different workload from RAW delivery, and the business/video entitlements still differ.

Annual billing has a different commitment from paying monthly. Compare the actual annual checkout total, renewal terms and planned period of use, rather than assuming a rounded monthly equivalent multiplied by twelve is an exact invoice. Recheck prices when buying; these examples describe the offers checked on the date above.

Pixieset Suite can combine products, but Website pricing alone is not a Suite quote. Compare the exact bundle's gallery, document and website limits with the separate subscriptions it would replace. The Pixieset pricing guide and ShootProof pricing guide provide more detail; your current account terms remain the purchase reference.

Choosing the Right Platform by Photographer Type

Volume, File Types and Sales Define the Brief

Studio type helps you describe the job, but it does not identify a winner by itself. Two wedding studios can have different requirements: one sells lab products and needs contracts, while the other keeps business tools elsewhere and delivers edited files only. A commercial studio may need supported RAW delivery; another may have agreed to deliver JPEGs and retain masters privately.

Write down peak hosted storage, supported file types, document volume, required sales products and which existing subscriptions you would cancel. Then consider time needed to configure the new system and the overlap while active clients continue using old galleries. Label estimated time and revenue as assumptions until your own experience supports them.

Decision Matrix by Studio Type

The matrix is a shortlist method, not a usability ranking. Where both products meet the brief, choose based on the complete package cost and your own preference for the documented workflow. Keep a separate backup regardless of which gallery provider you select.

Migration Tips and Transition Checklist

Preserve Active Client Work During the Move

Inventory active selections, delivered galleries still promised to clients, unpaid or unfulfilled orders and retained business records. Keep an independent copy of your files before changing providers. Record which links are still being used, rather than assuming a new upload preserves an old URL or its history.

Budget for an overlap period. Check supported formats, measured folder sizes, plan capacity and necessary settings before a bulk move. Favorites, passwords, order records and signed agreements may require separate handling; a new gallery does not prove that those records have been imported. Preserve client access for the agreed period while resolving outstanding work.

A Practical Transition Checklist

• Preserve client records first: keep permitted names, contact details, gallery status, selections, orders and signed documents in an access-controlled record. Use the provider's available exports or your existing records; do not assume a universal export/import path. Avoid putting credentials in a broadly shared spreadsheet.
• Recreate access and watermark choices: match the intended audience, optional viewing password and output-specific watermark rules in the destination. Use a long unique password within the provider's supported limits and an agreed separate channel when sharing it. A download PIN is not a substitute for a viewing password.
• Check the download brief: review permitted file types, sizes, watermarks and free versus purchased outputs before sending links. Do not infer master delivery from a button labelled “original,” or copy a blanket “nothing more” guarantee from a settings list.
• Plan expiring links: state the client's delivery window, retain promised access and keep masters separately. Ending online access is not the same as deleting stored files or withdrawing a copy already downloaded. Resolve unfinished selections or orders before closing the old gallery.
• Update custom domains carefully: follow the chosen provider's current domain settings and keep a direct working gallery address available. Do not assume DNS changes redirect old links, migrate galleries or preserve their permissions.
• Communicate the change clearly: give the new link, what remains available at the old link, the agreed access period and a contact for problems. Send the actual handoff only after the destination files and settings meet the brief; avoid repeated conflicting instructions.

Record anything that remains in the old system and who will resolve it. A staged move can help preserve client work, but it does not guarantee a seamless migration or eliminate every follow-up.

Final Recommendation and When SendPhoto Fits Better

Choose ShootProof when its supported JPEG/video delivery, selling and paid business tools meet your brief at a suitable total cost. Choose the appropriate Pixieset package when its supported formats, eligible RAW delivery or combination of Gallery, Website and Studio Manager meets that brief better. Neither is the default winner for every photographer, and commission-free paid sales alone does not separate them.

If your business tools already live elsewhere and the main job is gallery delivery, include SendPhoto vs Pixieset in the shortlist. SendPhoto offers browser-based client galleries, collections, favorites, optional passwords and configurable downloads. These help with handoff; favorites are not signed approval and collections are not separate access boundaries.

SendPhoto's current pricing lists Free with 5 GB, one gallery and a 10 GB lifetime upload allowance. Examples of paid plans are Starter with 20 GB at $3 monthly or $30 yearly, Standard with 200 GB at $10 monthly or $100 yearly, and Pro with 1 TB at $32 monthly or $320 yearly. Paid branding removal covers the public gallery home page and invitation emails. Include any separate contract, invoicing, selling and migration costs in your comparison.

Use the formats and export sizes your chosen provider actually supports, and keep masters backed up. In SendPhoto, sharing expiry disables sharing rather than deleting the files. A download labelled Original can be a watermarked image derivative when watermarking applies, with collection-level exceptions; image watermarking does not cover videos. A working browser link or a password does not prevent recipients forwarding credentials or keeping downloaded copies.

Review SendPhoto if a delivery-focused service meets your requirements. Make the decision from the same file, access and workflow brief used for ShootProof and Pixieset, with the full subscription and replacement-tool cost included.