Comparison
PicPeak vs Pixieset
Pixieset is polished SaaS with a print shop — for $8–30 a month and storage starting at 3 GB. PicPeak delivers client galleries without fees and without storage tiers, on your server.
- instead of $8–30/month
- $0
- instead of $8–30/month
- your data, GDPR in your hands
- 100%
- your data, GDPR in your hands
- storage instead of a 3 GB entry tier
- ∞
- storage instead of a 3 GB entry tier
Choose PicPeak if …
- you don't want monthly fees
- you need full data control and GDPR
- you want storage without tier upgrades
- you need auto-expiring galleries
- you want white label included for free
- you need guest uploads for weddings and events
Choose Pixieset if …
- you need an integrated print shop and e-commerce
- you want a website builder and booking in one place
- you prefer managed SaaS without server administration
- you need mobile apps for iOS and Android
- you want a designer UI out of the box
- the convenience is worth $8–30/month to you
| Feature | PicPeak — free & self-hosted | Pixieset — SaaS, $8–30/month |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | photo delivery to clients | galleries + e-commerce shop |
| Monthly cost | $0 | $8–30/month |
| Self-hosted | yes | no — SaaS only |
| Open source | MIT license | proprietary |
| Storage | unlimited | 3 GB – 1 TB, plan-dependent |
| Data ownership | 100% yours | on Pixieset servers |
| White label | included | paid tiers only |
| Expiring galleries | built in, configurable | not available natively |
| Guest uploads | yes | no native guest upload |
| Client proofing | yes — favorites & selections | yes — favorites & proofing |
| Print shop / e-commerce | not included (delivery focus) | integrated |
| Online booking | not included | integrated |
| Website builder | not included | included |
| Docker | one-command setup | — (SaaS) |
| Vendor lock-in | none — export anytime | tied to the platform |
Why photographers switch
No SaaS fees
Pixieset costs $96–360 per year, with storage limits from 3 GB. PicPeak is free — only your own hosting (from $5/month) remains.
Data control & GDPR
With Pixieset, client photos sit on their servers. With PicPeak, they never leave yours — decisive for European studios.
Storage without tiers
3 GB on Starter, 1 TB for $30/month — PicPeak has no such limits. Thousands of exports, bounded only by your disk.
Expiring galleries
Deadlines for client deliveries with automatic expiry are built into PicPeak — Pixieset doesn't offer this natively.
The cost comparison
- Pixieset Starter
- $96/year$8/month · 3 GB storage
- Pixieset Professional
- $360/year$30/month · 1 TB storage
- PicPeak (self-hosted)
- $0/yearunlimited storage
PicPeak is free; you only pay for your own server (~$5/month for a VPS).
Pixieset does shops and booking.Your galleries you can host yourself.
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