SmugMug vs Zenfolio
SmugMug
smugmug.com
Zenfolio
zenfolio.comSide by side
| Figure | SmugMug | Zenfolio |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | $10/mo | $7/mo |
| Free plan | — | — |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| API | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 12 | 6 |
| Spec score · Portfolio Website Builders | 9.0 (#11) | 9.2 (#2) |
| Spec score · Photography Website Builders | 8.6 (#8) | 8.3 (#20) |
| Spec score · Photo Sharing Software | 8.6 (#8) | 8.3 (#15) |
| Free plan | No | No |
| Intended users | SmugMug says photographers use the service for hobbies, side-hustles, and businesses. | Zenfolio says it serves photographers and videographers at every career level and focuses on helping them build and grow photography businesses. |
| Mobile apps | iOS and Android apps provide viewing, organizing, downloading, editing, automatic upload and offline viewing. | Zenfolio provides an uploader app. |
| Paid from | 20 | Paid plans start at $9 per month. |
| Support | SmugMug advertises 24/7 human customer support and provides a support center and contact channel. | The plans page says every plan includes 24/7 customer support. |
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
Zenfolio
- Basic$9 a month
- Professional$23 a month
- Advanced$40 a month
- Basic$84 a year
- Professional$138 a year
- Advanced$240 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.
Zenfolio
Zenfolio is a photography platform for building websites and client galleries, organizing and sharing images and video, and selling prints, downloads, and video. Plans include customizable websites, custom domains, client proofing, portfolio analytics, and video hosting. Storage starts at 15GB on Basic, about 4,500 photos; Professional provides 150GB, about 60,000 photos; Advanced offers unlimited JPEG storage and 150GB for video. MP4 and MOV are supported. Photographers can accept payments through Stripe, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay, with print fulfillment through integrated labs including Miller’s, Mpix, Bay Photo, Fujifilm, and nPhoto. A Lightroom Classic plugin supports direct uploads, publishing edits, and replacing images. AI-assisted gallery creation and tagging are available, as is PhotoRefine.ai for grouping, rating, and culling images. BookMe handles bookings, availability syncing, invoicing, and payment collection. Basic costs $9 a month, Professional $23 a month, and Advanced $40 a month. There is no free plan, but a free trial is offered. Annual plans have reduced monthly rates, with a stated promotion of up to 50% savings through September 30, 2026. Commerce orders have a 7% fee, plus digital download fees.