Client gallery software in 2026: 6 platforms compared (Pixieset, ShootProof, Pic-Time, Zenfolio, CloudSpot, Chromafolio)

Three weighted criteria: (1) gallery delivery quality — speed, branding, proofing UX, mobile experience; (2) commercial model — pricing, hidden fees, transaction take rates; (3) ecosystem — print fulfillment, contracts, leads marketplace.

Every platform was scored against the same 12 features and verified against the public pricing pages as of May 2026. We do not score features we couldn't verify ourselves.

Solo wedding photographer, 20-50 sessions/year, no print sales: Pixieset Pro or Chromafolio Pro. Both deliver clean galleries; Chromafolio adds the leads marketplace if you want acquisition help.

Family/portrait studio, print-store-heavy: Pic-Time or ShootProof. Pic-Time's print pricing is more aspirational; ShootProof's is more workhorse.

Photographer who needs both galleries AND new clients: Chromafolio is the only platform that bundles a leads marketplace with the gallery product.

Volume-shoot studio (sports, schools, events): CloudSpot's AI tagging is the differentiator; ShootProof if you need facial recognition for school/team sales.

Pixieset's storefront fees: 15% on free plan, 0% on paid plans. ShootProof: 0% commission but transaction fee depends on tier. Pic-Time: storefront is free but their lab prices are 30-50% above ProDPI on identical products. Chromafolio: no commission on gallery downloads; leads marketplace uses pay-per-lead credits (no take rate on bookings).