Pixieset alternatives, pricing, and how it compares to Squarespace and other platforms in 2026

The main Pixieset alternatives are SmugMug, Zenfolio, Format, Pixpa, Squarespace, and Heya. Pixieset has a $0/mo Free plan with a 15% store commission and paid plans from $8/mo to $40/mo billed annually. This guide compares pricing, photo storage, client galleries, and website features across all seven tools.

See the comparison Start with the template

Heya is ours, so read its row with that in mind. Every other number comes from each company's own pages, checked on October 29, 2026.

The short answer

Best for unlimited storage SmugMug includes unlimited full-resolution JPEG photo storage on all plans, starting with the Direct plan at $20.00 per month billed annually.
Best low-cost all-in-one Pixpa starts at $4.05 per month billed 2-yearly (55% off $9) and includes unlimited client gallery albums and gallery links with zero sales commission.
Best general website builder Squarespace starts at $19 per month and pairs portfolio building with Acuity Scheduling, invoicing, and an online store in one platform.
Best simple portfolio page Heya has a $0 Free plan and Pro Standard at $6 a month for a photography portfolio that links out to your booking and gallery tools.

Pixieset vs alternatives side-by-side

Compare starting prices, free plans, storage limits, and sales commissions across Pixieset and six alternatives.

Platform	Free plan or trial	Starting paid price	Photo storage	Client galleries	Store commission
Pixieset	Free plan ($0/mo)	$8/mo billed annually	3 GB to Unlimited	Included	15% on Free; commission-free on paid
SmugMug	14-day free trial	$20.00/mo billed annually	Unlimited JPEG storage	Included	Not stated
Zenfolio	Free trial (no card)	$7/mo (normally $9/mo)	15 GB to Unlimited JPEG	Unlimited galleries	Not stated
Format	14-day free trial	$10/mo billed annually	70 to Unlimited images	3 to 250 galleries	Commission-free
Pixpa	15-day free trial	$4.05/mo billed 2-yearly	3 GB to 100 GB original files	Unlimited albums	Zero commission
Squarespace	14-day free trial	$19/mo	Not stated	Not stated	2% on Basic; none on Core
Heya	Free plan ($0)	$3/mo	Up to 200 files/site (20 MB each)	Link to your gallery host	Link to your store page

Swipe the table sideways to see every column.

Not stated means the product's provided documentation did not specify a figure for that feature.

Detailed look at each Pixieset alternative

SmugMug

14-day trial; from $20.00/mo billed annually

SmugMug has three main plans billed annually: Direct at $20.00 per month, Portfolio at $23.50 per month, and Pro at $37.00 per month, plus a custom Enterprise tier. SmugMug offers unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage, and Direct, Portfolio, and Pro include Lightroom integration and 24/7 live human support.

Better at: Unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage on every plan and full-service print order fulfillment.
Watch out: No permanent free plan, and website templates require at least the $23.50/mo Portfolio tier billed annually.

Zenfolio

Free trial; from $7/mo (normally $9/mo)

Zenfolio offers Basic at $7/mo (normally $9/month), Professional at $11.50/mo (normally $23/month), and Advanced at $20/mo (normally $40/month), with promotional annual savings for the first year only. You get unlimited client galleries, proofing, and 15GB to unlimited JPEG storage.

Better at: Built-in client proofing, unlimited client galleries on all tiers, and optional AI culling.
Watch out: First-year promotional pricing doubles at renewal on the Professional and Advanced plans.

Format

14-day trial; from $10/mo billed annually

Format has an Enthusiast beginner plan, plus Basic at $10 per month billed annually (normally $14 per month), Pro at $12 per month billed annually (normally $24 per month), and Pro Plus at $15 per month billed annually (normally $36 per month). Format includes a commission-free online store supporting 15 Products or 1000 Products.

Better at: Includes CRM Light, client contracts, and a commission-free online store.
Watch out: Client galleries are capped at 3 on Basic, 50 on Pro, and 250 on Pro Plus.

Pixpa

15-day trial; from $4.05/mo billed 2-yearly

Billed 2-yearly at 55% off, Pixpa offers Basic at $4.05/mo (off $9), Creator at $6.75/mo (off $15), Professional at $9/mo (off $20), and Advanced at $11.25/mo (off $25). Every tier includes 200+ templates, client proofing, and zero store commission.

Better at: Starting at $4.05/mo when billed 2-yearly, with zero sales commission and unlimited gallery albums.
Watch out: Lowest advertised rates require a 2-year commitment, and original file storage tops out at 100 GB.

Squarespace

14-day trial; from $19/mo

Squarespace costs $19 per month for Basic, $29 per month for Core, $49 per month for Plus, and $99 per month for Advanced, with up to 36% off when paying annually. It offers Fluid Engine editing and portfolios, and every plan has selling functionality.

Better at: Strong general website builder with built-in invoicing, proposals, scheduling, and memberships.
Watch out: Starts at $19 per month with no permanent free plan, and Basic charges a 2% store fee.

Heya

Free ($0); paid from $3/mo

Heya is our no-code builder for one-page and small sites, with a $0 Free plan and paid tiers from $3 a month. You can link a button to your Pixieset client galleries or store page, and embed a Calendly scheduling page for bookings.

Better at: Free plan with no time limit, mobile editing, no account needed to start, and a ready-made photography template.
Watch out: Free sites show a small badge and allow up to 5 pages per site; connecting a custom domain requires Pro Standard ($6/mo).

Pixieset pricing and why photographers look for alternatives

Pixieset has a $0/mo Free plan (with a 15% store commission) and four commission-free annual plans: Basic at $8/mo ($10/month billed monthly), Plus at $16/mo ($20/month billed monthly), Pro at $24/mo ($30/month billed monthly), and Ultimate at $40/mo ($50/month billed monthly). If you want the full Pixieset Suite with Client Gallery, Studio Manager, Website, Store, and the Mobile Gallery App, it starts from $28/month with up to 37% off.

Photographers often look elsewhere when they hit Pixieset's tiered limits: storage runs from 3 GB to Unlimited (up to 1,000 GB for RAW), video goes from 30 minutes HD to 5 hours 4K, and emails cap at 100 to 10,000 per month. Adding the Photo Editor for RAW culling costs $12/month, extra video storage is $5/month per hour, and 5,000 extra emails cost $10/month.

Pixieset vs Squarespace: photography suite vs general website builder

Pixieset is built for photography workflows, bundling Client Gallery, Studio Manager, Website, Store, and a Mobile Gallery App in its Suite from $28/month, or individual plans from $0/mo to $40/mo billed annually. Its store is commission-free on paid plans (15% on Free).

Squarespace is a general website builder at $19 per month (Basic), $29 per month (Core), $49 per month (Plus), and $99 per month (Advanced), with up to 36% off for annual billing. Basic charges a 2% store fee, while Core and up charge none. Pick Pixieset for tiered photo and 4K video galleries with print fulfillment, or Squarespace for gated blogs, memberships, and general ecommerce.

Using Heya for a photography portfolio alongside a gallery tool

We built Heya for photographers who want a simple portfolio site that links out to tools like Pixieset, ShootProof, Calendly, or HoneyBook.

You can start from our photography template on a phone without making an account. It's already set up with a photo header, side-by-side pricing for portraits, families, and elopements, sample photos with client reviews, a 4-step sessions guide with FAQs, and an about page, plus an embed block for Calendly, YouTube, Vimeo, or Google Maps. Heya Free is $0 for up to 3 sites (5 pages each at yourname.heya.bio), and Pro Standard is $6 a month with 1 custom domain.

Open the photography template in the editor or see what it includes.

How we checked

We compared Pixieset, SmugMug, Zenfolio, Format, Pixpa, Squarespace, and Heya using each platform's published plan prices, storage limits, gallery capabilities, and website features as of October 29, 2026. The facts come from format.com/pricing-portfolio, pixieset.com/pricing, pixieset.com/website, pixpa.com/pricing, smugmug.com/plans, squarespace.com/pricing, squarespace.com/websites, zenfolio.com/plans-pricing, heya.page/pricing, heya.page/docs.

Plans change often. If a number here is out of date, email hello@heya.page and we'll fix it.

FAQ

How much does Pixieset cost per month?

Pixieset has a $0/mo Free plan, and four paid tiers billed annually: Basic at $8/mo ($10/month billed monthly), Plus at $16/mo ($20/month billed monthly), Pro at $24/mo ($30/month billed monthly), and Ultimate at $40/mo ($50/month billed monthly). The all-in-one Pixieset Suite starts from $28/month with up to 37% off.

Does Pixieset take a commission on sales?

Yes on the $0/mo Free plan, where Pixieset Store charges a 15% commission fee, while paid plans are commission-free. For comparison, Pixpa charges zero commission on sales on all plans, and Format includes a commission-free online store supporting 15 Products or 1000 Products. Squarespace charges a 2% online store transaction fee on its $19 per month Basic plan and no fees on online store transactions on Core ($29 per month), Plus ($49 per month), or Advanced ($99 per month).

Which Pixieset alternatives offer unlimited photo storage?

SmugMug includes unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage on all plans, starting at $20.00 per month billed annually on Direct. Zenfolio has unlimited JPEG storage on Advanced ($20/mo promo, normally $40/month), and Format offers unlimited high-resolution images on Pro Plus ($15 per month billed annually, normally $36 per month), though its table also lists 100GB and 1TB limits.

Is Pixieset or Squarespace better for photographers?

It depends on whether you want dedicated client photo delivery or a general website builder. Pixieset starts at $0/mo (or $8/mo to $40/mo billed annually) with 3 GB to Unlimited photo storage and an integrated print store, while Squarespace starts at $19 per month with Fluid Engine design, memberships, Acuity Scheduling, and invoicing.

How many photos can I upload to a Heya photography portfolio?

Heya supports up to 200 images per site, up to 20 MB per file. Uploaded images are automatically resized to 2048 pixels on the long edge and converted to WebP for fast loading, and you can link buttons to your client galleries or print store.

Which photography website builders have a free plan rather than a time-limited trial?

Only Pixieset and Heya have a permanent $0 free plan among these seven platforms. Pixieset's Free plan is $0/mo with a 15% store commission, and Heya Free is $0 for up to 3 sites and 5 pages per site at yourname.heya.bio, while SmugMug, Format, Squarespace, Pixpa, and Zenfolio only offer free trials.

Try Heya free

Start building a photography portfolio on Heya for $0 with no account required to draft, or connect your own custom domain on Pro Standard for $6 a month.

Make a free site See pricing