The frustrating reality: most gallery software companies publish their pricing in monthly increments, making it easy to underestimate the annual cost. $10 a month sounds reasonable until you realize you are paying $120 a year regardless of whether you shot zero events or twenty.
Platform pricing breakdown
These are the real numbers as of 2026, based on the lowest and highest published tiers for each platform:
What you actually pay for
The number on the pricing page is rarely the number you pay. On most platforms the entry tier is feature-gated: a custom domain, white-label branding, a storefront, or extra storage each push you to a higher plan or an add-on. By the time you have the setup a working studio actually needs, the $10/mo plan is a $30–40/mo plan.
Pixbox prices as box + tools: Hobby free (1 box · 5 GB), Solo $19/mo (1 TB), Studio $49/mo (unlimited* + team). Website, Store, Studio Manager, Card, and Editor are $5/mo each — only when you need them. No suite SKU. No per-event fee.
Hidden costs to factor in
The monthly fee is not the whole story. Three other costs frequently catch photographers off guard:
Commission on sales
Pixieset charges 15% on digital downloads on their free plan. If you sell a $500 package through your gallery, they take $75. Pic-Time, ShootProof, Sprout Studio, and Pixbox all charge 0% — but make sure you verify the exact plan you are on.
Custom domain costs
Most platforms only allow a custom domain (studio.com instead of studio.pixieset.com) on mid- or high-tier plans. On Pixbox, a custom domain and full white-label are included in Studio at $49/mo — no separate add-on, no per-feature upsell. Budget roughly $10–15/yr for the domain registration itself on top, but there's no extra plan tier to climb.
Storage overages
Entry-tier plans often include 5–15 GB — barely one wedding. Pixbox storage is the box itself: Hobby 5 GB (one box), Solo 1 TB at $19/mo, Studio unlimited* at $49/mo. Tools (website, store, studio) are $5/mo each on top — not a surprise ladder of feature gates.
Which is cheaper for you?
The honest comparison is total cost with the features you actually need turned on:
A working studio often lands on Solo $19 (1 TB) or Studio $49 (team + unlimited*), then adds Website/Store/Studio Manager at $5/mo each. Pixieset still stacks $10–40/mo plus add-ons and free-plan commission.
See full pricing and run the math yourself
Pixbox pricing page includes a full comparison table and India pricing in INR.