SendPhoto vs Pixieset: Which Photo Gallery Platform is Right for You?

You are evaluating SendPhoto and Pixieset. Here is what actually matters in making that decision—not a sales pitch, not a feature list dump, but an honest assessment of when each platform makes sense.

This is not a "SendPhoto is better" comparison. Sometimes Pixieset is absolutely the right choice. Sometimes SendPhoto is. The right platform depends on three factors: your business model, how much time you want to spend on gallery management, and whether you need e-commerce.

Let us walk through both platforms honestly, starting with what each one does well.

The Core Difference: Simplicity vs Feature Depth

Before diving into features, understand the philosophical difference between these platforms.

SendPhoto is built around the idea that most photographers just need to deliver photos beautifully and simply. Upload images, organize into collections, share a link. Done. No 2-hour setup process. No template customization decisions. It is photo delivery distilled to its essentials.

Pixieset is built around comprehensive functionality. It wants to be your complete business platform—galleries, e-commerce, client proofing, contracts, questionnaires, and more. If you need those features, that is fantastic. If you do not, you are paying for complexity you will never use.

Neither approach is wrong. The question is which matches your actual workflow.

What SendPhoto Does Well

SendPhoto excels at exactly one thing: making photo delivery frictionless.

You Can Create a Gallery in 5 Minutes

Not marketing exaggeration. Literal 5 minutes from opening the platform to sending your client a link. Upload photos, they auto-organize based on your folder structure, add a password if you want, click share. Done.

Pixieset can do this too, but only if you skip all the customization options it offers. Most photographers spend 1-2 hours setting up their first Pixieset gallery because they want to explore all the branding options. That is not a criticism—some photographers value that control. But if you just want to deliver photos today, SendPhoto removes all those decisions.

Clients Never Get Confused

The client experience is stupidly simple: click link, see photos, download what you want. No account creation. No "where did my photos go?" emails. The interface has basically three things: photos, collections, and a download button.

Pricing Is Straightforward

Free plan with 5GB. Paid plan at $8/month (yearly) with 100GB. That is it. No tiers to compare. No trying to figure out which plan has which features. Storage is the only variable.

What Pixieset Does Well

Pixieset shines when you need more than basic delivery.

E-commerce That Actually Works

If you sell prints, digital downloads, or photo products, Pixieset has you covered. Integrated store, payment processing, print fulfillment partnerships—the entire sales workflow is built in.

SendPhoto has none of this. Zero e-commerce functionality. If your business model involves selling individual images or prints, Pixieset (or a similar platform) is mandatory. SendPhoto is for delivering complete shoots, not monetizing individual images.

Brand Customization Control

Pixieset lets you customize nearly everything: gallery layouts, fonts, colors, spacing, hover effects. If you have a specific brand aesthetic and want your galleries to match perfectly, Pixieset gives you that control.

SendPhoto does not. Your galleries look like SendPhoto galleries—clean, modern, professional, but not deeply customizable. If brand consistency across every touchpoint is critical to your business, that limitation might matter.

Client Proofing and Selection

Need clients to pick their favorite 20 images from a 200-photo proof gallery? Pixieset has favoriting, commenting, and selection tools built in. Clients can mark favorites, leave notes, and you can see exactly which images they chose.

SendPhoto has none of this. It assumes you are delivering final, edited images, not proofing galleries where clients make selections.

Which Platform Should You Choose?

The right choice depends on your specific needs and workflow:

If your primary goal is to deliver finished photos to clients professionally and efficiently, SendPhoto provides everything you need without the complexity or cost of a full e-commerce platform. It is perfect for wedding photographers, portrait photographers, and event photographers who simply want beautiful, easy photo delivery.

If you want to sell prints, offer digital downloads for purchase, or need extensive client proofing tools, Pixieset's additional features justify the higher price point and steeper learning curve. It is a complete business platform for photographers who want to monetize their galleries.

Conclusion

Both SendPhoto and Pixieset are excellent platforms, but they serve different needs. SendPhoto excels at simple, professional photo delivery, while Pixieset offers a comprehensive e-commerce solution for photographers building a full online business.

For photographers who want to focus on their craft and deliver work efficiently without managing a complex platform, SendPhoto provides the ideal balance of professionalism, simplicity, and affordability.