SmugMug vs Piwigo

SmugMug8.6Visit Piwigo8.5Visit

Higher score SmugMug #6 in Photo Storage Services 8.6/10 14-day trial Free trial✓ 4 of 6 features Visit SmugMug

vs

Piwigo #7 in Photo Storage Services 8.5/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 3 of 6 features Visit Piwigo

• SmugMug fits best

  Photographers selling prints and downloads

• Piwigo fits best

  Organizations needing gallery governance

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Side by side

Feature	SmugMug 8.6/10 Visit ↗	Piwigo 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	8.6	8.5
Ranking	#6 in Photo Storage Services	#7 in Photo Storage Services
Best for	Photographers selling prints and downloads	Organizations needing gallery governance
Pricing model	Paid	Free plan + paid
Starting price	$20/mo	€32/mo
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	14 days	30 days
Free trial length	14 days · no card needed	30 days · no card needed
Deployment	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Self-hosted, Mobile
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Web, iOS, Android
Support	Email, Docs · 24/7	Email, Phone, Community, Docs
Compliance	GDPR	GDPR, 2FA
Integrations	3 integrations	6 integrations
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features SmugMug 4/6 · Piwigo 3/6
Original-quality storage	✓	✓
Face search	Not checked yet	—
Shared albums	✓	✓
Family sharing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Desktop app	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Video backup	✓	✓
Specs
Free storage	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage with automatic uploads Privacy controls, galleries, folders, and password protection Print and digital sales tools with fulfillment options	Granular permissions, private galleries, and shareable links AI tagging, OCR, metadata tools, geolocation, and search Hosted cloud or self-hosted deployment with plugins and themes
Cons	No permanent free plan Listed prices are monthly equivalents billed annually RAW storage requires the Source add-on	Hosted plans begin at €32 per month, billed annually Face recognition is not currently supported Self-hosting requires your own infrastructure and administration
Our verdict	SmugMug combines online photo storage, organization, sharing, delivery, and sales tools for photographers, families, hobbyists, and photography businesses. Its core offering includes unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage, automatic… Read the review →	Piwigo is photo library and digital asset management software for individuals, photographers, teams, and organizations. It organizes photos, videos, and other files with albums, sub-albums, tags, metadata, filters, text search,… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• SmugMug — where it wins

  • Unlimited full-resolution JPEG storage with automatic uploads
  • Privacy controls, galleries, folders, and password protection
  • Print and digital sales tools with fulfillment options

  Where it doesn't

  • No permanent free plan
  • Listed prices are monthly equivalents billed annually
  • RAW storage requires the Source add-on

• Piwigo — where it wins

  • Granular permissions, private galleries, and shareable links
  • AI tagging, OCR, metadata tools, geolocation, and search
  • Hosted cloud or self-hosted deployment with plugins and themes

  Where it doesn't

  • Hosted plans begin at €32 per month, billed annually
  • Face recognition is not currently supported
  • Self-hosting requires your own infrastructure and administration

• SmugMug8.6/10 · 14-day trial

  A full-resolution photo hub with strong galleries and built-in sales tools.

  Visit SmugMugFull verdict →
• Piwigo8.5/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A flexible photo library for organizations that need permissions, metadata, and deployment choice.

  Visit PiwigoFull verdict →