Head to head
SmugMug vs Zenfolio
The two veterans of photo hosting, and the two most likely to be holding a photographer's entire back catalogue. Both do websites, galleries and selling; the real question is archive versus workflow.
The short answer
SmugMug is the better archive: unlimited storage on every plan, including the cheapest, which nothing else here matches. Zenfolio is the better working platform, with booking available, culling included and stronger tools for volume photographers. If you are choosing where twenty years of photos will live, SmugMug. If you are choosing how this season's work gets delivered and sold, Zenfolio.
Side by side
| SmugMug | Zenfolio | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry paid plan | $20/mo | €6/mo |
| Free plan | None | None |
| Metered by | storage | storage |
| Platform fee on sales | Print and download sales available on Portfolio and above | Sales included on paid plans |
| Billing currency | USD | EUR |
| Top tier | Unlimited | Unlimited JPEG + 150 GB video |
SmugMug checked 2026-08-14 against its pricing page; Zenfolio checked 2026-08-15 against its pricing page. Both platforms can change pricing at any time.
Choose SmugMug when
SmugMug is the better fit
- You want unlimited storage and never want to think about capacity again.
- You are consolidating a large back catalogue into one place.
- You want 24/7 human support from a company with a long record.
- Your public portfolio and your archive should be the same system.
Choose Zenfolio when
Zenfolio is the better fit
- You want booking and scheduling available at all, which SmugMug does not offer.
- You need video hosting.
- You shoot sports, schools or events and want tools built for volume.
- You want culling in the same subscription as delivery.
What neither of them does
Both are built around owning your whole photographic life, which is a lot of platform if all you need is to send this week's gallery to a client cleanly.
For the record, we build Xposure, which bundles a portfolio, client galleries and a booking manager into one plan from €8/mo. That is the only mention it gets on this page. If you want it argued properly, read Xposure vs SmugMug or Xposure vs Zenfolio.