SendPhoto vs Flickr: Which Photo Platform is Right for You?
Compare SendPhoto and Flickr for professional photography. Understand the differences between client delivery and portfolio platforms, and choose the right solution for your business.
Quick Comparison
| Feature |  | Flickr |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Purpose | Client delivery | Portfolio & community |
| Privacy Control | Password-protected | Public/Limited private |
| Client Experience | Professional delivery | Social browsing |
| Watermarks | ||
| Bulk Downloads | Easy & fast | Limited |
| Branding | Custom watermarks | Flickr branding |
| Storage (Free) | 5GB | 1000 photos |
| Social Features | ||
| Comments/Likes | ||
| Best For | Professional delivery | Portfolio showcase |
Feature Breakdown
See how SendPhoto and Flickr stack up across key features
Purpose & Design
Built exclusively for client delivery. Private galleries, password protection, professional interface. Focused on getting photos to clients efficiently.
Built for portfolio showcasing and community engagement. Social features, public profiles, comments, and discovery. Not designed for private client deliveries.
Privacy & Security
Every gallery is private by default. Password protection built-in. No public profiles or social features. Complete privacy control.
Designed for public sharing. Privacy settings exist but complex. "Unlisted" albums are technically public. Real privacy requires Flickr accounts for viewers.
Client Downloads
One-click download of entire gallery as ZIP file. Simple, fast, professional. No confusion or multiple steps.
Bulk downloads are clunky. Designed for downloading a few favorites, not entire shoots. Requires multiple selections and clicks.
Watermark Support
Built-in watermarking. Upload once, watermarks appear in gallery, downloads are clean. Perfect for proofing workflows.
No watermark support. Must watermark in Lightroom before upload, then re-upload clean versions later. Doubles work and storage.
Portfolio Showcase
Not designed for public portfolios. All galleries are private. No discovery features or public profiles.
Excellent for portfolio building. Public profiles, explore pages, search by tags. Great for attracting new clients and getting discovered.
Community & Discovery
No social features, comments, or community. Purely focused on private client delivery.
Rich community features: groups, comments, favorites, follows. Connect with other photographers and get feedback on work.
Real-World Scenarios
See which platform works best for different photography workflows
Wedding Photo Delivery
Delivering 500 wedding photos to a couple
Upload photos, organize by ceremony/reception, password protect, share link. Couple downloads entire gallery with one click. Professional presentation with custom watermark.
Upload to album, set as unlisted. Couple sees social interface with Flickr branding. Difficult bulk downloads. Risk of accidental public sharing if link spreads.
Building Public Portfolio
Showcasing 50 best images to attract clients
Not designed for this. SendPhoto galleries are private. No public profiles, discovery features, or portfolio showcasing.
Perfect use case. Create public photostream, get featured on explore pages, join photography groups, attract potential clients through search and discovery.
Client Portrait Session
Delivering 100 portraits with watermarked proofs
Upload once, watermarks applied automatically. Password-protected gallery. Client views proofs with watermarks, downloads finals without. Streamlined workflow.
Watermark in Lightroom first. Upload watermarked versions. Later, re-upload clean finals. Privacy via "unlisted" albums (not truly private). Confusing for clients.
Photography Community Engagement
Connecting with photographers and getting feedback
No community features. SendPhoto is for client delivery, not photographer networking or portfolio critique.
Excellent for community. Join groups, participate in discussions, get feedback on technique. Large active photography community.
You are comparing SendPhoto and Flickr, but here is the truth: these platforms solve fundamentally different problems. This is not really a fair comparison—it is like comparing a delivery truck to a billboard. Both involve photos, but the purpose is completely different.
Flickr is a portfolio and community platform. It is designed to showcase your best work to the world, get discovered, connect with other photographers, and build an online presence. SendPhoto is a client delivery platform. It is designed to get finished photos from you to your clients in a professional, private, branded way.
Let us walk through what each platform actually does, when you would use each one, and why many photographers use both for different purposes.
The Core Difference: Portfolio vs Client Delivery
Before diving into features, understand the fundamental purpose of each platform.
Flickr: Built for Portfolio and Community
Flickr launched in 2004 as a photo-sharing community. Its DNA is social—likes, comments, groups, favorites, explore pages. When you upload to Flickr, you are participating in a public ecosystem where other photographers view, comment on, and discover your work.
The interface is designed for browsing. You see thumbnails, metadata, EXIF data, tags, albums. You can follow other photographers, join groups, get featured on explore pages. It is fantastic for building a photography portfolio and connecting with the photo community.
What Flickr is not built for: delivering 500 wedding photos to a bride who just wants to download her images and go.
SendPhoto: Built for Client Delivery
SendPhoto has one job: get finished photos from photographer to client professionally. No social features. No likes or comments. No public profiles. Just clean, password-protected galleries that clients access via private links.
The interface is designed for delivery. Upload photos, organize into collections, add custom watermarks, set a password, share the link. Client opens the gallery, browses their photos, downloads what they need. Done.
What SendPhoto is not built for: showcasing your portfolio to attract new clients or connecting with other photographers.
Why Flickr Does Not Work for Client Delivery
Many photographers have tried using Flickr to deliver client work. Here is why it creates friction:
Privacy is Limited and Complicated
Flickr has privacy settings, but they were designed to control who sees your portfolio, not to create secure client galleries. You can make albums "private" or "friends and family only," but the process is clunky and clients often need Flickr accounts to access private content.
Most photographers end up making galleries "unlisted"—technically public, but hidden unless someone has the direct link. That works until a client accidentally shares the link on social media, and suddenly 500 unedited proofs are public.
The Interface Confuses Clients
When a wedding couple opens a Flickr album, they see a social media interface: likes, comments, photo metadata, "add to favorites," explore buttons, ads (on free accounts). It is overwhelming for someone who just wants to download their wedding photos.
You will get questions: "How do I download all photos?" "Why is there an ad on my wedding gallery?" "Who are these other people in the sidebar?" These are support emails you should not have to answer.
Bulk Downloads are Painful
Flickr allows downloads, but the process is designed for downloading a few favorite images, not entire shoots. Want to download 300 photos? You are clicking through albums, selecting batches, and managing multiple ZIP files.
Compare that to SendPhoto: one button, entire gallery downloads as a single ZIP. That is the experience clients expect from a professional photographer.
No Watermark Support
If you need to proof images with watermarks before delivering finals, Flickr offers no built-in watermarking. You would need to watermark every image in Lightroom before uploading, then re-upload clean versions for final delivery. That doubles your upload time and storage usage.
Why SendPhoto Does Not Replace Flickr
SendPhoto is purpose-built for client delivery, which means it deliberately excludes features that Flickr excels at.
No Public Portfolio Features
Every SendPhoto gallery is private by default. There is no "explore" page where strangers discover your work. No public profile showcasing your best images. No social engagement features.
If you want potential clients to browse your portfolio online, SendPhoto is not the tool for that job. You would use Flickr, Instagram, a photography website, or a dedicated portfolio platform.
No Community or Discovery
Flickr has groups, forums, comments, favorites—the entire social ecosystem that helps photographers connect and learn from each other. SendPhoto has none of this because those features would distract from the core purpose: professional client delivery.
Real-World Use Cases: When to Use Each Platform
Use Flickr When:
- Building a public portfolio: Showcase your best 50-100 images to attract potential clients
- Connecting with other photographers: Join groups, participate in discussions, get feedback
- Getting discovered: Flickr's explore page and search can bring new eyes to your work
- Long-term archiving: Store high-resolution images with full metadata for your own reference
- Sharing personal work: Family photos, travel photography, personal projects you want to share publicly
Use SendPhoto When:
- Delivering client work: Wedding photos, portrait sessions, event coverage—any paid work going to clients
- Proofing with watermarks: Let clients preview images before final delivery or print selection
- Password protection needed: Keep client photos completely private and secure
- Professional branding matters: Custom watermarks reinforce your brand without Flickr's interface
- Simple client experience: No account creation, no confusion, just click and download
The Hybrid Approach: Using Both Platforms
Many successful photographers use both platforms because they serve different purposes:
Flickr: Maintain a curated portfolio of your 20-30 best images from each genre you shoot. Update it monthly with standout work. Use it as a discovery tool and portfolio showcase. Link to it from your website and social media.
SendPhoto: Deliver every client job through private galleries. Wedding? SendPhoto. Portrait session? SendPhoto. Corporate event? SendPhoto. Clients never see your Flickr, and your Flickr portfolio never contains full client deliveries.
This separation keeps your public portfolio curated (only your best work) while keeping client deliveries private and professional.
Pricing Comparison
Flickr Pricing
Flickr offers a free plan limited to 1,000 photos with ads. Flickr Pro ($8.25/month annually or $11.99/month) removes ads, provides unlimited storage, advanced statistics, and partner discounts. For portfolio building, Flickr Pro is cost-effective.
SendPhoto Pricing
SendPhoto offers 5GB free storage for testing the platform. Paid plans start at $8/month (billed annually) with 100GB storage, unlimited galleries, password protection, custom watermarks, and all professional features. No ads, no account requirements for clients.
Which Platform Should You Choose?
The answer depends entirely on your goal:
If you want to showcase your work publicly, build a portfolio, and connect with the photography community, choose Flickr. It is one of the best portfolio platforms available, especially for the price.
If you need to deliver client work professionally, maintain privacy, and provide a seamless download experience, choose SendPhoto. It is purpose-built for exactly this workflow.
Most professional photographers benefit from using both: Flickr for public portfolio and community, SendPhoto for client delivery. They serve different purposes and complement each other perfectly.
Conclusion
SendPhoto and Flickr are not really competitors—they solve different problems. Flickr is a portfolio and community platform designed for public showcasing and photographer networking. SendPhoto is a client delivery platform designed for private, professional photo delivery.
If you are delivering client work and want password protection, custom watermarks, and a professional download experience, SendPhoto is the clear choice. If you are building a public portfolio and engaging with the photography community, Flickr excels.
Use the right tool for the right job—and for many photographers, that means using both.
Choose SendPhoto if:
- You want simple, professional photo delivery
- You value ease of use and quick setup
- You prefer affordable, straightforward pricing
- You need password protection and custom watermarks
Choose Flickr if:
- You need built-in e-commerce functionality
- You want extensive customization options
- You require a full business management platform
- You sell prints or digital downloads