Capsule vs Joy

A side-by-side look at Capsule and Joy for collecting photos and videos at your event. Prices and features below come from each app's own published pages and link to their sources, so you can compare them directly.

Our Event Album

Or compare both with Our Event Album

Give guests one simple QR code, unlimited uploads, and a polished live album without subscriptions or app downloads.

  • ✓Unique QR code for your event
  • ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
  • ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
  • ✓Custom welcome page
One-time price
$39
USD, one-time
Get your album

Pricing at a glance

Published plans are shown separately from add-ons. Verified competitor prices use your selected currency, otherwise their listed currency.

Free

Free usage for your event and 30 days after the event; continued storage is a separate annual fee.

Freeyearly
  • ·Free event use through the event and 30 days after
  • ·Website, Instagram and digital-camera uploads
  • ·Real-time album viewing and Live TV Slideshow listed on features page
  • ·Comments, captions, likes, prints, and digital photo books listed
Source ↗

Optional add-ons

Storage Fee

+$10yearly
  • ·Continued hosted storage after the free 30-day post-event window
Source ↗

Free

Freefree
  • ·Wedding website, guest list, online RSVP, registry, mobile app, digital invites, multiple editor accounts, support
  • ·Shared Albums help article says each event includes up to 1,000 photos free of charge
  • ·Guests can contribute to shared albums by link or QR code without creating a Joy account
  • ·Optional upgrades exist, but the pricing page does not publish amounts
Source ↗

Our Event Album is $39 USD, one-time

One payment for one event album.

Get your album

Feature comparison

Marks reflect each company's published pages as we checked them.

FeatureCapsuleJoy
Capture
QR code upload

Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account.

Not verifiedUses a join code; QR codes are not mentioned.
No app required

Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install.

NFC support

Guests tap an NFC tag or card with their phone to open the upload page.

Not verifiedNot verified
Offline capture

Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online.

Not verifiedNot verified
Print-sized QR sign/card templates

Downloadable QR sign and card templates sized for printing at home or at a print shop.

Not verified~Help suggests using the QR code on table signs/coasters/thank-you cards; Joy does not appear to sell printed QR signs from the checked sources.
No Sign-Up Required

Guests contribute without creating an account or signing in.

~Guests can contribute from multiple devices, but the current site does not clearly document a no-account guest flow.
Photographer uploadNot verified~Anyone with the shared album link can upload; no dedicated photographer-upload workflow found.
Photo booth modeNot verifiedNot verified
Customization
Custom branding

Personalise how the gallery looks, for example with your names, colours, fonts or a theme.

Not verifiedNot verifiedOptional upgrades include custom domain names and premium designs; gallery branding is not stated.
Custom domain / URL

Use a custom URL or domain for the event gallery.

Not verified~Pricing page says custom domain names are optional upgrades but does not publish price or availability details.
Watermarks

Add a watermark or overlay to photos in the gallery.

Not verifiedNot verified
Guest experience
Live slideshow

A real-time slideshow of guest photos you can cast to a screen at the reception.

Video guestbook

Guests record short video messages — a video guestbook for the couple.

Not verifiedNot verified
Photo challenges / games

Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping.

Not verifiedNot verified
Digital invites / RSVP

Send digital invitations and collect RSVPs.

Not verifiedon Free
Guest messaging / well-wishes

Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos.

Not verified~Joy supports broader guest communication in the app/planning product, but this is not a dedicated guestbook/well-wishes feature for photo collection.
Real-time photo feed / wall

A live feed or wall of photos as guests upload them during the event.

Comments & likes

Guests can like and comment on photos in the gallery.

~App Store review mentions guests posting pics and communicating; current shared-album help does not clearly document gallery comments/likes.
Audio guestbook

Guests leave voice messages (often via a dial-in phone) — an audio guestbook.

Not verifiedNot verified
Management
Download all

Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP).

Not verifiedBulk download is not mentioned on its site.Not verifiedGuests can download photos; a bulk download is not stated publicly.
Moderation / approval

Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly.

~The album creator or the uploader can delete a photo; no approval step is described.~Hosts can set album visibility and allow uploads; no source found for pre-publication approval/moderation workflow.
Photo prints / products

Order physical prints or photo products directly from the gallery.

Not verified
Event albums / photo books

Create a designed event album or printed photo book.

Media
Video support

Guests can upload videos, not just photos.

Not verifiedPublic pages mention photos only.
Face recognition

AI groups photos by face so guests can find shots of themselves.

Not verifiedNot verified
Filters / in-app editing

In-app filters or basic photo editing before uploading.

Not verifiedNot verified
AI culling / curation

AI automatically selects or curates the best shots.

Not verifiedNot verified
MagicFind™ AI Photo-Finding

AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them.

Not verifiedNot verified
Auto categorizationNot verifiedNot verified
Metrics
Uploads limit

Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited.

Not verifiedNot verified
Storage / active duration

How long the gallery stays live and uploads are kept. Blank = unlimited / forever.

Not verifiedNot verified
Other
Multi-language

The guest-facing interface is available in multiple languages.

Not verified
Privacy
Private gallery

The gallery is not public: only people given access, for example through the event's QR code or private link, can view or upload.

~Shared albums must be set to Public with Guest Uploads enabled; anyone with the share link can view photos, so this is link-private rather than a locked private gallery.

✓ supportedx not offered, per the company~ partial? unconfirmedNot verified not verified in the sources we checked

What Our Event Album includes

  • ✓Unique QR code for your event
  • ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
  • ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
  • ✓Custom welcome page

Pros and cons

Pros
  • ✓Free through the event and 30 days after
  • ✓Its site describes website, Instagram and digital-camera uploads
  • ✓Live TV slideshow and real-time album viewing are listed on the features page
  • ✓Comments, captions, likes, prints, and digital photo books are listed
Cons
  • xIts newest gallery post is from 2016 and its FAQ is dated 2012
  • xUses a join code; its site does not mention QR codes
  • xBulk download is not documented on its site
  • xStorage becomes a recurring annual fee after the free post-event window
  • xWe could not find a working sign-up page or a current app in the App Store
Pros
  • ✓Wedding website, guest list, RSVP, registry, digital invites, and mobile apps in one platform
  • ✓Shared Albums can be opened by link or QR code, with no Joy account needed for guest uploads
  • ✓Live slideshow listed on its app page
  • ✓4.8/5 from 8.7K App Store ratings (checked 2026-10-06)
Cons
  • xNot a dedicated event photo-sharing product; photo collection is one part of a larger wedding platform
  • xAnyone with the share link can see photos in that album
  • xExact pricing for optional upgrades is not published on the pricing page
  • xNo current source found for face recognition, NFC, audio guestbook, or photo challenges
  • xIts Shared Albums help article now requires signing in to read

What people say

Real reviews, each linked to its source.

Capsule1 review
Braedon Flynn
Wedding Photographer at Braedon Photography
No rating

“Capsule is an amazing photo-sharing tool to have your guests and friends use at your wedding! You get all of your photos in one place for you and everyone to view.”

Capsule websiteView source ↗
Joy4 reviews
indiareef
Perfect!
No rating

“Plus I love that all my guests can use the app for the schedule as well as post pics and communicate with us!”

App StoreView source ↗
Sarah & Ty’s MIL
Sharing everyone’s event photos - and a great way to keep your guests informed!
No rating

“I'm seeing loads of candid shots taken by wedding guests!”

App StoreView source ↗
luanabear
Great at first, ended with disappointment
No rating

“6 guests who had, without a doubt, previously RSVP'd "yes," had inexplicably disappeared without warning.”

App StoreView source ↗
Karen
Android app loading issue
No rating

“I found that going and doing this from the website itself is easier than the app.”

Google PlayView source ↗

Or consider Our Event Album

If you are choosing betweenCapsuleandJoyyou can also compare Our Event Album: one QR code, no guest app, unlimited uploads, and one flat price.

  • ✓Unique QR code for your event
  • ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
  • ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
  • ✓Custom welcome page
  • ✓6 months of secure hosting
  • ✓Download all photos during your hosting period

Frequently asked questions

Which costs more, Capsule or Joy?

Capsule has a free tier, plus paid plans. Joy has a free tier.

How much does Capsule cost?

Capsule has a free tier, plus paid plans.

How much does Joy cost?

Joy has a free tier.

Do Capsule or Joy make guests download an app?

Capsule says guests can upload from a web browser, and Joy says guests can upload from a web browser. Our Event Album is web-only: guests scan a QR code and upload, no app required.

What else could I consider besides Capsule and Joy?

Our Event Album is another option: QR-code photo and video uploads with no guest app, a live slideshow, unlimited uploads, and a one-time $39 with no subscription.

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Set up your own album today

One QR code. No guest apps. One flat price, no subscriptions.

Get Your Album

How to evaluate Our Event Album vs Capsule vs Joy

Searches for Our Event Album vs Capsule vs Joy, Capsule vs Joy alternative, and Capsule vs Joy alternatives usually come from people who already know the category but are unsure which tool fits their event. The useful comparison is not a feature count. It is whether guests can contribute without friction and whether the host can keep, download, and share the final album easily.

A strong alternative should reduce guest steps, avoid surprise limits, and leave the host with one complete photo collection after the event.

What to compare before switching

  • Check whether the tool you choose for apps like Capsule vs Joy lets guests upload from a browser instead of requiring a mobile app.
  • Compare what is included at the base price: QR code, hosting time, downloads, video support, and printable signage.
  • Look for privacy controls when evaluating wedding photo app comparison, especially for weddings, schools, memorials, and workplace events.
  • Read the setup flow, not just the marketing page. The best alternative is the one a host can launch without support.