Google Photos vs SmugMug
Google Photos
google.com
SmugMug
smugmug.comSide by side
| Figure | Google Photos | SmugMug |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 10 | 12 |
| Spec score · Photo Storage Services | 9.3 (#4) | 8.6 (#11) |
| API authorization | The Photos APIs use OAuth 2.0, require users to sign in to a Google Account and do not support service accounts. | The API uses OAuth 1.0a with read, add and modify permissions; request tokens last five minutes and access tokens do not expire unless revoked. |
| Free plan | Yes | No |
| Integrations | Google Photos lists camera and digitization partners including Canon and Photomyne, print partners including Walgreens and Shutterfly, and TV platforms including Google TV and Samsung. | Official integrations include Adobe Lightroom, Flickr uploads and Dropbox uploads. |
| Product | Google Photos provides tools to edit, organize, search, back up, and share photos and videos. | SmugMug describes its service as an all-in-one platform for storing, sharing, and selling photography. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6M ratings | 4.8 out of 5 from 48K ratings |
| Rating on G2 | 4.5 out of 5 from 814 reviews | 4.2 out of 5 from 39 reviews |
| Rating on Google Play | 4.4 out of 5 from 53,899,623 ratings | 4.5 out of 5 from 7.58K reviews |
| Paid from | 1.99 | 20 |
| Storage | Every Google Account includes 15 GB shared across Google Photos, Gmail, and Google Drive at no cost. | Its plans include unlimited full-resolution JPEG photo storage, and RAW file storage is offered as an add-on. |
Plans
Google Photos
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google AI Pro$19.99 a month
- FreeFree
- Basic$1.99 a month
- Google AI Plus$9.99 a month
- Google One Basic (100 GB)¥290 a month
- Google AI Plus (2 TB)¥1,450 a month
- Google AI Pro (5 TB)¥2,900 a month
SmugMug
- Direct$20 a month
- Portfolio$23.50 a month
- Pro$37 a month
- SmugMug Source RAW add-on$10 a month
- SmugMug Source RAW storage add-on$10 a month
- Direct$20 a month
- Portfolio$23.50 a month
- Pro$37 a month
- Direct$240 a year
- Portfolio$282 a year
In their own words
Google Photos
Google Photos is a service for editing, organizing, searching, backing up, and sharing photos and videos. It runs on Android, iOS, and the web. A Google Account includes 15 GB shared among Photos, Gmail, and Drive at no cost; Original quality backups use that storage. Users can back up media automatically or manually, and share photos, videos, and albums with people who do not use Google Photos. The app lists AI editing tools including Magic Eraser and Photo Unblur. It supports full-resolution RAW image backup and cloud storage for 4K video. Google lists paid monthly plans including Basic at $1.99 a month for 100 GB, Google AI Plus at $9.99 a month for 2 TB, and Google AI Pro at $19.99 a month for 5 TB; each allows up to five additional people. The natural-language search example is limited to eligible US users aged 18 or older who meet specified language and settings requirements. Google says data is encrypted in transit and at rest, and users can delete or export their content.
SmugMug
SmugMug is a photography service for storing, sharing, and selling images. Its plans include unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage; RAW storage is a separate add-on priced at $10 a month for up to 1TB, then $6/mo for each additional TB. The Direct plan is $20 a month billed annually and includes privacy controls, digital delivery, Lightroom integration, and 24/7 live human support. Portfolio costs $23.50 a month billed annually and adds print and digital download sales, website templates, and order fulfillment. Pro costs $37 a month billed annually and adds custom pricelists, coupons and packages, client favoriting, and customer download limits. Subscribers can manage photos with iOS and Android apps, or use macOS and Windows apps for automatic uploads. Integrations include Adobe Lightroom and uploads from Flickr and Dropbox. Privacy settings, passwords, watermarks, and right-click protections help control access to photos and galleries. SmugMug offers a 14-day trial but no free plan.