13 Best Online Proofing Galleries for Photographers in 2026

An online proofing gallery is where a shoot turns into decisions. Clients mark favorites, leave notes, and approve selections, and you get a clean list to edit, print, or design an album from, instead of an email thread full of filenames.

Every platform in this guide handles the basics, but they split sharply after that. Some are built for selecting from RAW files before you edit, some for album approvals, some for selling prints long after delivery, and some wrap contracts and invoices around the client photo gallery. Pricing models differ just as much: gigabytes, photo counts, or gallery counts, with or without a cut of your sales.

We compared 13 online proofing galleries on proofing tools, client experience, delivery and downloads, branding, video support, and what they actually cost once commissions are included.

Quick answer: The best online proofing gallery depends on where proofing sits in your workflow. For selections and delivery connected to your culling and editing, choose Aftershoot Galleries. For polished delivery with a usable free plan, Pixieset. For album proofing and automated print sales, Pic-Time. For contracts and invoices alongside your galleries, ShootProof. For pre-edit RAW proofing with detailed markup, picdrop.

What Is an Online Proofing Gallery?

An online proofing gallery is a private, branded web gallery where clients review images, mark favorites, leave feedback, and approve selections before final delivery or printing. Most platforms then deliver the finished files in the same gallery, with download controls and an optional print store.

“Proofs” are the preliminary images a client chooses from. They can be unedited previews, lightly edited JPEGs, or album spreads awaiting approval.

Your clients need an exceptional post-shoot experience. This is why choosing the best online gallery is important to create exceptional gallery experiences for your clients. 

Proofing Gallery vs. Delivery Gallery

A delivery gallery hands over finished work. A proofing gallery collects decisions first: which frames to retouch, which images go in the album, which prints to order. Most platforms do both, but proofing depth varies a lot. Some offer only a heart icon. Others offer color labels, selection limits, comments on individual frames, drawn markup, and selection lists you can paste straight into Lightroom or Capture One. If you mainly need a clean way to hand over finished images, our guide to the best client gallery for photographersfocuses on delivery.

13 Best Online Proofing Galleries at a Glance

Platform	Best For	Free Plan	Paid From (Billed Annually)	Sales Commission
Aftershoot Galleries	Proofing tied to culling/editing; face search	Yes, 10 GB photo + 1 GB video	Launch pricing; see pricing page	0%*
Pixieset	Familiar, polished delivery	Yes, 3 GB	$8/mo	15% on free, 0% on paid
Pic-Time	Album proofing, print automation	Yes, 10 GB (drops to 3 GB)	$7/mo	None on self-collected payments (Professional+)
ShootProof	Galleries + contracts + invoices	Yes, 3 GB	$8.33/mo	0%
CloudSpot	Branded client mobile apps	Yes, 5 GB (3 galleries)	$7/mo (Entry)	15% on Free/Entry, 0% from Lite
picdrop	Pre-edit RAW proofing, drawn markup	Yes, 1 GB (3 galleries)	See pricing page (prices ex-VAT)	No store
SmugMug	Unlimited storage and archive	No (14-day trial)	$20/mo	15% of markup
Pixpa	Website + galleries on one bill	No (15-day trial)	$4.80/mo	0%
Zenfolio	Website + BookMe scheduling	No (14-day trial)	$9/mo (monthly list price)	7% commerce fee
Picflow	Team and art-director review	Yes, 2 GB	See pricing page	No store
Lightfolio	Pre-edit selection + messaging	Yes, 1 GB	See pricing page	15% on free, 0% on paid
Pixellu Galleries	Album-first wedding workflows	3 galleries, 14 days each	See pricing page	No store
PhotoShelter	Archive + RAW delivery	No	See pricing page	Applies; see pricing page

How We Evaluated These Online Proofing Galleries

We checked every platform’s live pricing page, plan documentation, and help center in September 2026, and cross-checked features against recent photographer reviews. [Only include this next sentence if the team actually did it: “We also set up trial galleries on each platform to test the client side on desktop and mobile.”] We scored each one on six things:

• Proofing tools: favorites, labels, comments, selection limits, drawn markup, and whether selections export to Lightroom or Capture One
• Client experience: how easy the gallery is to browse, search, and use on a phone
• Delivery and downloads: download controls, resolution options, and video support
• Branding: custom domain, logo, watermark, and removal of platform branding
• Sales: store, lab fulfillment, and the commission on the plan you’d actually buy
• Storage model: gigabytes, photo count, or gallery count, and what unlimited really costs

Prices shown are annual billing unless noted. Monthly billing usually costs 15–30% more. We re-check pricing every quarter.

13 Best Online Proofing Galleries for Photographers

Let’s take a look at some of the best online galleries for photographers:

1. Aftershoot Galleries

Aftershoot Galleries is the newest platform on this list, and the one most tied to what happens before delivery. If you cull, edit, or retouch in Aftershoot, finished images move straight into a client gallery without exporting and re-uploading. It also works as a standalone gallery if you edit elsewhere.

Clients can favorite, comment, and download inside the gallery. Face detection and keyword search let a bride pull up every frame with her grandmother in it, and Face Gating limits guests to the photos they appear in, which makes a 2,000-image wedding gallery far easier to navigate. Photos and video sit in the same gallery, and a built-in store handles print and digital sales with lab fulfillment.

Aftershoot Galleries starts with a free plan that includes 10 GB of photo storage and 1 GB of video. Paid plans are currently on limited-time launch pricing. Free migration is available from Pixieset, Pic-Time, and ShootProof.

“My favorite part? Clients can search for their own face instantly.” (Lori Granquist Day, professional photographer)

Pros

• Face detection, keyword search, and Face Gating for large galleries
• Photos and video in one gallery
• Built-in print and digital store with lab fulfillment
• No export or re-upload step for photographers already editing in Aftershoot
• Free migration from Pixieset, Pic-Time, and ShootProof
• 0% store commissions

Cons

• Newer platform with fewer independent reviews than established players
• No contracts, invoicing, CRM, or album design tools

Best For

Wedding and event photographers who want selections and delivery connected to their culling and editing, and anyone delivering large guest-list galleries.orm with AI-powered search, unlimited galleries, built-in proofing, and a seamless client delivery experience.

2. CloudSpot

CloudSpot’s standout is the client’s phone. Galleries can install as branded mobile apps, and clients can favorite, download, share, and buy from the app just as they would on the web. The store includes AR previews so clients can see a print on their own wall. Full Suite plans add contracts, invoicing, and a CRM, though invoicing and payments are US-only.

The free plan (5 GB, three galleries) and Entry plan ($7 a month, 15 GB) are gallery-only and JPEG-only, and both take 15% of sales. Full Suite plans remove the commission and accept all file types, including RAW: Lite ($17 a month, or $144 a year, 100 GB), Pro ($34, 500 GB), and Unlimited ($50). Promotions change often, so check the renewal price. Read our full CloudSpot review.

Pros

• Branded client mobile apps
• AR print previews
• RAW support and studio tools on Full Suite plans

Cons

• 15% commission on the two cheapest tiers
• Invoicing and payments only work in the US

Best For

Portrait and family photographers whose clients view, share, and buy mostly on their phones.

Check out our full Cloudspot review, and how Aftershoot compares to Cloudspot so you can choose the right online proofing gallery for your business.

3. ShootProof

In addition to helping you turn your passion into profit with beautiful online galleries and a store, ShootProof ShootProof pairs galleries with the paperwork most gallery tools leave out. Every paid plan includes e-sign contracts and invoicing, online booking is an add-on, and no plan takes a commission on sales. Clients select with favorites and labels, which works well for in-person sales sessions and hybrid online ordering.

ShootProof has moved new plans from photo counts to storage. The free plan includes 3 GB (photos only). Paid plans billed annually are Starter at $8.33 a month (20 GB), Standard at $16.67 (100 GB), Professional at $26.67 (1 TB photo plus 50 GB video), and Premium at $50 (unlimited photos plus 150 GB video). There’s a 14-day trial with no card required. Compare options in our ShootProof alternatives roundup.

Pros

• Contracts and invoicing on every paid plan
• 0% commission on every plan, including free
• Video delivery up to 4K on paid plans

Cons

• Gallery design is less editorial than Pic-Time or Pixieset
• No AI or face search
• Basic portfolio website

Best For

Portrait, family, and school photographers who want galleries, contracts, and invoices in one subscription.

See How Aftershoot Galleries Compares With ShootProof

4. Pixieset

Pixieset is the gallery most clients have already used, and that familiarity is a real advantage: nobody needs instructions to favorite or download. Galleries are minimal and fast, and the store handles prints with lab fulfillment. The Client Gallery is one app in a suite that also includes a website builder, Studio Manager (contracts, invoices, scheduling), a store, and a mobile gallery app. Pixieset has also added culling and editing add-ons.

The free plan includes 3 GB and unlimited galleries but takes 15% of store sales. Paid gallery plans run $8, $16, $24, and $40 a month billed annually, and the $40 plan has unlimited storage. Every paid plan removes the commission. Suite plans bundling all Pixieset apps start at $28 a month. If you’re weighing a switch, see our Pixieset alternatives guide.

Pros

• The most familiar client experience in the category
• Usable free plan with unlimited galleries
• Mobile gallery app included in Client Gallery plans

Cons

• 15% commission on the free plan
• Contracts and invoicing require Studio Manager or a Suite plan
• No face search for clients

Best For

Portrait and family photographers who want polished delivery and print sales with almost no client learning curve.

Discover How Aftershoot Galleries Stands Out From Pixieset

5. Pixpa

Pixpa is a portfolio website builder with client galleries built in, so your website, blog, proofing galleries, and store run on one subscription. Proofing covers favorites and favorite lists, comments, labels, and star ratings. Selections export as filename lists for Lightroom or Capture One, and store sales carry no platform commission.

Standalone Client Gallery plans run from $4.80 a month (20 GB) to $21.60 a month (unlimited), billed annually. Website bundles start at $5.40. There’s no free plan, just a 15-day trial, and discounts are available for students and educators. Pixpa is also a good option if you’re still building a photography portfolio.

Pros

• Website, galleries, and store on one bill
• 0% commission
• Selection export to Lightroom and Capture One

Cons

• No free plan
• No RAW
• No contracts or invoicing

Best For

Photographers who want their portfolio site and proofing galleries under one subscription.

6. SmugMug

SmugMug makes sense when the gallery also needs to be your archive. Every plan includes unlimited photo storage, galleries have granular privacy and password controls, and a Lightroom plugin publishes straight from your catalog.

Two details matter before you buy. RAW storage is a paid add-on, not part of the base plans. And SmugMug keeps 15% of your markup on print and digital sales, on top of the subscription. Plans billed annually are Direct at $20 a month, Portfolio at $23.50, and Pro at $37. Selling starts on Portfolio. There’s a 14-day trial and no free plan.

Pros

• Unlimited photo storage on every plan
• Strong privacy controls
• Lightroom integration

Cons

• 15% fee on your markup
• RAW storage costs extra
• Video capped at 1080p
• Lighter proofing tools than dedicated platforms

Best For

Event, sports, and volume photographers who want unlimited storage and a portfolio site in one place.

See What Sets Aftershoot Galleries Apart From SmugMug

7. Pixellu

Pixellu comes at galleries from the album side: it’s the company behind SmartAlbums. Galleries are minimal and fast, plans are priced by number of active galleries rather than storage, and the All Apps Bundle combines Galleries with SmartAlbums, Cloud Proofing for online album approvals, and SmartSlides.

The free plan allows 3 galleries at a time, each with a 14-day limit. Paid plans scale by gallery count.

Pros

• Tasteful, fast galleries
• Album design and album proofing in one bundle

Cons

• No store
• No face search
• The free plan’s galleries expire after 14 days

Best For

Wedding photographers who design albums in SmartAlbums.

Best for:

Photographers who offer albums in their deliverables.

8. Pic-time

Pic-time is built around what happens after the gallery goes live. Automated campaigns, such as early-bird offers and anniversary or holiday promotions, keep selling against delivered galleries, and the store connects to 30+ labs worldwide. It’s also one of the strongest options for album proofing: on Professional and Advanced, clients can make selections and approve album designs inside the gallery. A Lightroom integration syncs client selections and favorites back to your catalog, so you can edit and republish without re-uploading.

AI search depends on the plan. Photographers get smart image search from Professional up. Client-side search by face, keyword, or selfie is on Advanced only.

Pic-time beginner plan is at $7/mo annually with 20 GB, Professional $21 with 100 GB, Advanced $42 with unlimited storage; the free plan’s 10 GB is reduced to 3 GB after a few months; commission is waived for self-collected payments on Professional and Advanced; face recognition and selfie search for clients are Advanced-only. Multi-brand is on the Advanced plan, at $6 a month for each additional brand.

Pic-Time takes a commission on your markup when it collects payment. On Professional and Advanced there’s no commission if you collect payments yourself. A 30-day trial unlocks Advanced features. See how Pic-Time compares with Pixieset.

Pros

• Album proofing and client selections built into the gallery
• Automated print marketing
• Lightroom sync for client selections

Cons

• Selections, album proofing, and client face search require higher plans
• No website builder, contracts, or invoicing (it integrates with HoneyBook, Studio Ninja, and others instead)
• JPEG-based, with no RAW proofing

Best For

Wedding photographers who sell albums and prints and want the gallery to keep selling after delivery.

Explore The Key Differences Between Aftershoot Galleries and Pic-Time

9. Zenfolio

Zenfolio combines a photography website, client galleries, and a store backed by an established lab network. Its plans are now called Basic, Professional, and Advanced. Selling starts on Professional, and Advanced adds unlimited photo storage, 4K video, and BookMe scheduling.

List prices are $9, $23, and $40 a month billed monthly, with discounts for annual billing. Every order carries a 7% commerce fee plus payment processing. There’s a 14-day trial and no free plan. See our Zenfolio alternatives for zero-commission options.

Pros

• Website, galleries, and booking from one vendor
• Video hosting

Cons

• 7% commerce fee on every order
• Basic can’t sell
• Reviewers report slow galleries

Best For

Photographers who want a website, galleries, and scheduling in one tool.

10. PhotoShelter

PhotoShelter is closer to a digital asset manager than a consumer gallery. It supports RAW files, has strong organization and search, and offers Lightroom and Photo Mechanic plugins. That makes it a fit for sports, editorial, and commercial photographers delivering to organizations rather than couples. There’s no free plan.

Pros

• RAW support
• Archive-grade organization and search
• Import plugins for Lightroom and Photo Mechanic

Cons

• No free plan
• Built for organizations more than consumer clients

Best For

Photographers who need a searchable archive that also delivers to editors and brand teams.

11. Lightfolio

Lightfolio is designed for selection before editing. Clients make picks, save them across devices, and message you inside the gallery. An optional studio manager bundle adds projects, contracts, invoices, questionnaires, and client portals.

The free plan includes 1 GB and takes 15% of sales. Paid plans remove the commission and scale from 30 GB to unlimited.

Pros

• Built for collaborative, pre-edit selection
• In-app messaging with clients
• Optional CRM bundle

Cons

• Very small free plan
• Smaller user base than the bigger platforms

Best For

Photographers who run a client selection round before editing.

See How Aftershoot Galleries and Lightfolio Compare

12. picdrop

picdrop offers online proofing galleries built for photographers by photographers and focuses on the demands picdrop has the deepest feedback tools on this list. Clients can select with color markers, vote, comment, and draw directly on an image to show exactly what they want retouched. It accepts practically every file type, including RAW and video, so clients can proof before you edit. Collaboration mode runs the feedback rounds, and Presentation mode handles the final delivery.

picdrop restructured its plans in May 2026. Lite was retired, Pro became the entry paid plan, and a new Advanced tier sits between Pro and Business. The free plan remains, with 1 GB and three galleries. Prices are listed before VAT, so check the pricing page for your region.

Pros

• Drawn markup, color markers, and voting
• RAW and video proofing
• Based in Europe, a plus for clients who care where their data is hosted

Cons

• No store or print sales
• No website builder

Best For

Commercial, editorial, and portrait photographers who need precise retouching feedback or pre-edit RAW proofing.

13. Picflow

Picflow is an online proofing gallery platform for professional creatives that aims to balance the presentation and the ease of collaborating with clients.

Picflow is built for review rounds rather than print sales. Clients and collaborators can flag, comment on, and approve images, with activity tracked per gallery. That’s useful when an art director, a client, and a retoucher all weigh in on the same set. Galleries can be password-protected, watermarked, and set to expire.

The free plan includes 2 GB with no time limit. Paid plans come with a 14-day trial and 20% off annual billing. Picflow has changed its tiers several times, so check its pricing page for current numbers.

Pros:

• Advanced client review tools with flags, and activity tracking
• Customizable, mobile-friendly galleries with multiple layout options
• Allows password protection, build expiring links, and watermark images
• Workflow tools, including bulk editing and over 25 keyboard shortcuts
• Free plan available with 2 GB storage and unlimited galleries
• Strong review and approval tools
• Activity tracking per gallery

Cons:

• Free plan has limited review options.
• No built-in invoicing or studio management features.
• No integrated print sales feature.
• No store or print sales
• No store or print sales

Best for:

Commercial and editorial photographers proofing with teams.

Online Proofing Gallery Pricing Compared

Platform	Free Plan	Starting Price	Unlimited Storage	Transaction Fee
Aftershoot Galleries	10 GB photo + 1 GB video	Launch pricing (limited time)	Yes (fair use)	0%*
Pixieset	3 GB	$8/mo	$40/mo	15% free, 0% paid
Pic-Time	10 GB (drops to 3 GB)	$7/mo	$42/mo	On markup; 0% self-collected (Professional+)
ShootProof	3 GB	$8.33/mo	$50/mo	0%
CloudSpot	5 GB	$7/mo (monthly)	$50/mo (monthly)	15% Free/Entry, 0% Lite+
SmugMug	None	$20/mo	Included on all plans	15% of markup
Pixpa	None	$4.80/mo	$21.60/mo	0%
Zenfolio	None	$9/mo (monthly)	$40/mo (monthly)	7%
picdrop	1 GB	See pricing page	No	No store

Commission matters more than the subscription once you sell. On $3,000 of print markup in a season, a 15% fee is $450, more than a year on most mid-tier plans.

Best Online Proofing Gallery by Photographer Type

Photographer Type	Best Pick	Why
Wedding, large guest lists	Aftershoot Galleries or Pic-Time (Advanced)	Face search helps guests find their own photos
Wedding, album-first	Pic-Time or Pixellu	Album proofing inside the gallery, or via SmartAlbums
Portrait and family (IPS or print)	ShootProof or Pixieset	Favorites and labels for sales sessions; strong stores
Commercial and editorial	picdrop or Picflow	Drawn markup, approvals, team review
Pre-edit RAW proofing	picdrop or CloudSpot (Full Suite)	RAW uploads without a paid add-on
Sports, school, and volume events	SmugMug or ShootProof	Unlimited storage and volume-friendly plans
Want website + galleries together	Pixpa or Zenfolio	One subscription covers both

Which Online Proofing Gallery Should You Choose?

Do Clients Select Before or After You Edit?

If before, you need RAW support or fast preview exports. picdrop takes RAWs on every plan, and CloudSpot does on Full Suite plans. SmugMug needs a paid RAW add-on. On JPEG-only platforms, export quick previews for selection.

Do You Sell Prints or Albums?

For albums, prioritize album proofing (Pic-Time, Pixellu). For prints, compare the commission on the exact plan you’d buy, not the headline rate.

Do You Need Contracts and Invoices in the Same Tool?

ShootProof includes them on every paid plan. CloudSpot’s Full Suite does too, if you’re in the US. Otherwise, pair your gallery with a photography CRM.

How Big Are Your Galleries?

Hundreds of guests means face search is worth paying for. A 40-image headshot session doesn’t need it.

Where Do You Edit?

If you already cull and edit in Aftershoot, Galleries skips the export step. If you’re in Lightroom, look for selection sync (Pic-Time) or filename export (Pixpa, picdrop).

Common Mistakes When Choosing a Client Proofing Gallery

• Comparing subscriptions without the commission. A cheap plan with a 15% cut costs more once you sell.
• Buying the wrong storage model. Photo-count, gigabyte, and gallery-count plans reward different shooting styles. Check last year’s deliveries before you choose.
• Treating a free plan as a plan. Free tiers can shrink storage, expire galleries, or take commission.
• Uploading RAWs to a JPEG-only platform. Decide whether proofing happens before or after editing first.
• Ignoring the phone. Most clients open the gallery on mobile, so test favoriting and downloading there before committing.
• Forgetting the exit. Check bulk export and migration support before you have 300 galleries on a platform. For setup tips, see how to set up online galleries for your clients.

Other Dedicated Album Proofing Tools

If your deliverable is an album, you need approval on spreads, not just favorites. These tools handle that step.

1. Album Parrot

Album Parrot is a user-friendly online proofing software designed to simplify client collaboration while offering powerful marketing tools.  It is a tool designed specifically for wedding photographers.

A standout feature is the ability to share completed albums as a shareable app, making it easy for clients to showcase your work to their friends and family. Clients can leave precise feedback by adding comments directly on the design, streamlining the revision process. Plus, custom domain support ensures a fully branded experience.

Best for:

Photographers looking for a simple, all-in-one album proofing solution with built-in client-sharing and marketing features.

2. Banti

Banti is an easy-to-use album-proofing platform that provides smooth integration with your website so that it looks and feels like a native tool on your own domain. This makes it a great option for photographers who need a pro, branded proofing experience.

One of its major features is Banti’s Adobe extension which enables you to directly reply to client remarks from within InDesign, ideal for photographers who use the Adobe software to design their albums. The platform offers adjustable view options, such as flip-book mode and overviews in full spreads to offer your clients an easy means of reviewing and approving designs.

Best for:

Photographers who want a streamlined, Adobe-integrated album proofing solution with the ability to host proofing directly on their website.

3. Pass

Pass Gallery is similar to Smugmug, an online gallery that allows you to share, deliver, and sell your work online. It has a simple interface, print ordering, and branding options available too.

“Over the years, Pass has helped me with amazing features like an organized and aesthetic gallery, high-res and web-sized photo downloads, and selling prints to clients”, explains Georgia, wedding photographer. Check out her review here

Pass Gallery streamlines the client experience with robust tools for photographers, such as branded layouts, effortless client engagement, embedded print sales, no gallery expirations, and detailed stats to monitor engagement.

Best for:

Photographers who want a simple, customizable gallery platform that makes client proofing and print sales effortless.

4. Photonesto

Photonesto has a unique approach to their plans, but we’ll do our best to break it down.

They offer two types of client galleries for photographers. One refers to each gallery as an album and is for showcasing, sharing, and delivering your images online.

The other is the actual “proofing gallery” for proofing, selling, and delivering images with watermarks. 

There aren’t subscriptions in either case. Instead, you pay for each gallery you want to publish – with the price varying depending on the number of images and for how long it needs to be available. 

For example, if you want to publish a proofing gallery with over 300 photos online for 3 months, it will cost $4. 6 months will cost $4.50, and one year will cost $6.

Best for:

The photographer who only needs to upload a limited number of sessions or images in an allocated period of time.

Choosing the Right Online Proofing Gallery

There are many photography gallery websites or proofing galleries to choose from, but we’ve searched far and Every gallery here handles favorites and downloads. The real differences are where proofing happens (before or after editing), what you sell (prints, albums, or nothing), and what each platform takes from those sales. Decide those three things first and the shortlist gets short fast.

If your gallery is the final step of a workflow that already runs through Aftershoot, Galleries removes the export-and-upload step and gives clients face search on large sets. You can try it on a real client gallery with the free 10 GB plan.

FAQ on Online Proofing Gallery