Lychee vs SmugMug
Lychee
lycheeorg.github.ioSmugMug
smugmug.comSide by side
| Figure | Lychee | SmugMug |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €5/mo | $10/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 12 |
| Spec score · Photo Sharing Software | 9.1 (#3) | 8.6 (#8) |
| API | Lychee documents API v2 routes and requires JSON Accept headers; API documentation is available inside each instance at /docs/api. | SmugMug provides a REST-style API v2 for integrated applications, with an interactive Live API Browser and access for current subscribers. |
| Notable news | The official release documentation lists Lychee version 7.10.0 among the current version-7 releases. | SmugMug acquired Flickr from Yahoo in April 2018; the services remained separate products. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | No rating overview because the app has not received enough ratings or reviews | 4.8 out of 5 from 48K ratings |
| Rating on G2 | 4.1 out of 5 from 10 reviews | 4.2 out of 5 from 39 reviews |
| Storage | The maker says Lychee has no storage limit and does not compress photos or cause data loss. | Its plans include unlimited full-resolution JPEG photo storage, and RAW file storage is offered as an add-on. |
| Support | The maker points users to documentation, GitHub Issues, and Discord for help. | SmugMug advertises 24/7 human customer support and provides a support center and contact channel. |
| What it does | Lychee is a free, open-source photo-management system that runs on a user's server or web space for managing and sharing photos. | SmugMug is a photography platform for storing, sharing, showcasing and selling photos and videos. |
Plans
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
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.