Pixieset is one of the few tools in this category that’s hard to argue with on price. Its free plan is real, its paid tiers start at $8/mo, and it does the core job — deliver galleries, sell prints — without much friction. That’s exactly why “Pixieset alternatives” is a strange search: most people don’t leave because Pixieset is expensive or broken.
They leave because of one specific gap: they want to sell prints without a commission, they’ve outgrown the free tier’s storage, or they need a CRM that Pixieset’s gallery-first design doesn’t really provide. This guide is about those specific gaps — and it starts by being honest about when the answer is don’t switch.
Prices below were checked against each vendor’s public pricing page in October 2026. Vendors move them — re-check before you commit.
First, the baseline: what Pixieset actually costs
| Plan | Billed annually (per month) | Billed monthly | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | 3 GB |
| Basic | $8 | $10 | 10 GB |
| Plus | $16 | $20 | 100 GB |
| Pro | $24 | $30 | 1 TB |
| Ultimate | $40 | $50 | Unlimited |
The free plan carries a 15% commission on store sales and caps storage at 3 GB. Every paid tier removes the commission and adds a custom domain. So the honest framing: Pixieset’s paid tiers are already competitive. If you’re paying and happy, a switch is a lateral move.
You’d only leave for these reasons:
- You sell enough prints that you want a store built for selling, not a gallery with a shop attached.
- You want gallery delivery and a full CRM on one bill.
- You’ve hit a storage or workflow wall the tiers don’t solve.
- You want to run everything commission-free from a free or cheap tier.
Here are the four destinations that actually address those.
1. ShootProof — for selling prints commission-free from the start
ShootProof is the closest thing to “Pixieset, but built around print sales.” It recently moved its plans from photo counts to storage tiers:
| Plan | Billed annually (per month) | Billed monthly | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | 3 GB (photos only) |
| Starter | $8.33 | $9.99 | 20 GB |
| Standard | $16.67 | $19.99 | 100 GB |
| Professional | $26.67 | $31.99 | 1 TB photo + 50 GB video |
| Premium | $50 | $60 | Unlimited photo + 150 GB video |
Commission-free sales on every plan, including the free one. That’s the headline difference from Pixieset: you can start selling without the 15% cut. The free tier gives deliberately limited storage (3 GB, photos only) but unlimited client galleries and a simple portfolio site.
Fits: photographers whose income depends on print sales and who want no commission.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who mostly delivers digital files and doesn’t sell prints — you’re paying for store tools you won’t use.
2. Pic-Time — for store design and automated selling
Pic-Time’s pitch is that your gallery sells while you sleep — marketing automation, product upsells, and a store that looks like part of your brand. The gallery tiers:
| Plan | Billed annually (per month) | Billed monthly | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | — | 10 GB |
| Beginner | $7 | $8 | 20 GB |
| Professional | $21 | $25 | 100 GB |
| Advanced | $42 | $50 | Unlimited |
The Free and Beginner tiers carry a 15% commission (calculated on your markup, not the full order); Professional and Advanced are commission-free when you collect payment through your own provider. It also runs a “free HoneyBook for a year” bundle for new HoneyBook users (US/Canada).
Fits: photographers who want their galleries to be an active sales channel, not just a delivery folder.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who bristles at marketing automation — it’s the point of the tool, but it’s also the learning curve.
3. CloudSpot — for galleries, store and studio admin without a bundle
CloudSpot bundles a gallery, a store, and a studio manager (contracts, invoices) in one place — the “one bill” argument, without forcing a printer’s markup on you.
CloudSpot has a free gallery-only plan, with paid plans from $7/mo, currently discounted to $3/mo for the first three months. The paid tiers add the studio manager — contracts, questionnaires, invoicing, and scheduling — and card processing runs at 2.5%, below the 2.9%–3.5% you’d typically pay elsewhere. Budget for the standard rate once the intro period ends.
Fits: photographers who want gallery delivery and basic studio admin on one subscription.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who wants the deepest print-store design — that’s Pic-Time’s territory.
4. Sprout Studio — if you’re also paying for a separate CRM
If your bill today is “Pixieset for galleries + something else for clients,” Sprout is the attempt to collapse it: a CRM with gallery delivery built in. Lite is $19/mo or $209/yr, scaling up to Unlimited at $69/mo.
Fits: studios paying separately for galleries and client management.
Doesn’t fit: anyone who wants the simplest possible gallery tool — Sprout is busier to learn than Pixieset.
When you should not switch
- You’re on a paid Pixieset tier and it works. Every alternative above is a lateral move on features and usually a step up in price. Switching costs you your existing client gallery links.
- You only deliver digital files. Pixieset’s free tier does this; a print-sales tool is wasted money.
- You just want more storage. Upgrading Pixieset is cheaper than migrating anywhere.
What you lose when you move
Clients already hold links to your Pixieset galleries, and those links don’t travel. Any move means re-sharing galleries or leaving a redirect behind, plus rebuilding your website if you used Pixieset’s. Export your photos and client list first — the mechanics are the same as any migration, spelled out in our HoneyBook migration guide (it’s tool-agnostic).
If the reason you’re here is that you’re paying for both a gallery and a CRM, the bigger-picture comparison is worth reading: our HoneyBook vs Dubsado vs Pixieset breakdown covers the three-way overlap, and the cheap CRM guide for solo photographers lines up the entry tiers honestly.
How to decide
- Sell prints, want 0% commission? ShootProof.
- Want your gallery to actively sell? Pic-Time.
- Want galleries plus studio admin on one bill? CloudSpot.
- Already paying for a separate CRM? Sprout Studio.
- Paying for Pixieset and it works? Stay. This is the honest answer more often than the listicles admit.
The bottom line
Pixieset is cheap and competent, which makes most “alternatives” a lateral move. Switch only for a reason you can name — commission on print sales, one-bill studio admin, or store design — and accept that you’re trading one set of strengths for another. If you can’t name the gap, the right alternative is the plan you already have.
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