The best photo proofing site depends on who is choosing. If an art director or picture editor is approving frames, use a review tool: picdrop has the deepest feedback features, and Picflow is the cheaper way to a terabyte. If a couple or a family is picking favourites, use a client gallery platform with proofing switched on, such as Pixieset, ShootProof or CloudSpot, because the same gallery then delivers the finished photos and can sell prints.
Those two jobs share the word proofing and very little else. Below is what each kind does well, how the main sites compare, and what to test before you pick one. If you are setting up your first proofing gallery rather than choosing software, what a client proofing gallery is and how to set one up covers the steps. We make Xposure, which is one of the entries below; its gaps are named the same way as everyone else's.
The proofing sites, side by side
| Site | Built for | Free plan | Entry paid plan | Sells from the gallery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| picdrop | Agency and editorial review | 1 GB, 3 galleries | €14.99/mo plus VAT, 500 GB | No |
| Picflow | Commercial approval rounds | 2 GB | $12/mo yearly, 100 GB | No |
| Pixieset | Private clients | 3 GB, 15% of sales | $8/mo yearly, 10 GB | Yes |
| ShootProof | Private clients | 3 GB, photos only | $8.33/mo yearly, 20 GB | Yes |
| CloudSpot | Private clients, plus studio tools | 5 GB, 3 galleries | $7/mo, 15 GB, JPEG only | Yes |
| Pixpa | Portfolio site with galleries | None listed | $9/mo, 3 GB | Yes |
| Xposure | Private clients, plus site and bookings | No client galleries | €8 ($9)/mo, 25 GB | Yes |
Rival figures are from the data behind our comparison pages, read off each platform's pricing page. Each compare page carries its source.
Which kind of proofing do you need?
Ask who opens the link. An art director wants to mark frames yes, no or maybe, draw on the image to show the crop, and leave a note for the retoucher. Several people in a team review the same set, and nobody buys anything. That is review.
A couple wants to scroll 400 photos on a phone, heart the ones they love, leave a note on three of them, and later order an album. The gallery needs a selection limit, a way for family to look without changing the picks, and a store. That is client proofing, and it usually happens in the same gallery you deliver from.
picdrop: the deepest review tools
picdrop is the strongest review surface here: colour flags for yes, no and maybe, drawing directly on an image, comments per file, and team seats with shared inboxes from Advanced at €39.99 a month. It also hosts video. Prices are net, so VAT is added on top.
It states that selling photos is not on its agenda and it does not offer websites, so it cannot be your delivery platform if any income comes from prints or downloads. See Xposure vs picdrop and picdrop vs CloudSpot.
Picflow: review with room to store
Picflow is a proofing and approval tool for commercial and agency work, with storage tiers sized for working files: 100 GB on Plus at $12 a month and 1 TB on Pro at $18, both billed yearly. Custom domains start on Pro.
It has no store and no public portfolio, so it is not a Pixieset replacement for a wedding or portrait photographer. If you do both jobs you are looking at two subscriptions. See Xposure vs Picflow and Picflow vs Pixieset.
Pixieset, ShootProof and CloudSpot: proofing inside delivery
All three include client proofing and favourites in their galleries, so picks and the final delivery live in one place, and all three sell prints from the gallery.
They differ in how they bill. Pixieset meters storage, from 10 GB at $8 a month yearly, with 0% commission on paid plans. ShootProof meters storage too, from 20 GB of photo and video at $8.33 a month yearly, and takes 0% on every plan. CloudSpot takes 15% on Free and Entry and accepts JPEG only below Lite at $17 a month, which matters if you proof from anything else. See Pixieset, ShootProof and CloudSpot.
Pixpa and the portfolio builders
Pixpa bundles client galleries with proofing, comments and ratings into a portfolio website builder at 0% commission, from $9 a month for 3 GB. SmugMug offers client favouriting on its Pro plan, Zenfolio includes proofing and favourites, and Format bundles proofing in its standard plans. If you already run your site on one of these, check its proofing before buying a separate tool. See Xposure vs Pixpa.
Xposure: proofing in the delivery gallery
We make this one. Proofing is a switch on any gallery from Starter at €8 ($9) a month. Clients open it with a link and a PIN and no account, heart frames and leave notes on individual photos. You can cap the number of picks, and a separate guest PIN lets family browse and buy without touching the selection. Picks are grouped by person with a tally per frame, and the client sends the selection when they are done.
Where it falls short: one heart per frame, not yes, no and maybe flags, and no drawing on the image, so it is the wrong tool for agency review. There is no proofing on the free plan, no team seats below Studio, and uploaded films are Pro and Studio only, capped by monthly minutes. It is a young product, founded in 2026, with fewer integrations than the established platforms.
What to test before you choose
Run one real shoot through your top two as if you were the client, on a phone:
- Can you open it without creating an account?
- Can you leave a note on one photo, not only a message on the gallery?
- Does it show how many picks are left when the package has a limit?
- Can a second person view without their hearts landing in the selection?
- Do you get told when the client has finished, or are you guessing?
- Does it accept the file type you actually proof from?
The site that passes all six for your clients is the right one, whatever the table says. If clients regularly come back unhappy after delivery, the notes they left during proofing are your record, and what to do when a client is unhappy with their photos covers how to use it. For the delivery side on its own, the best client gallery for photographers compares the same platforms on price and sales fees.
