Capsule vs Joy
An honest, side-by-side look at Capsule and Joy for collecting photos and videos at your event. Every figure below comes from each app's own pricing and our verified feature checks, so you can compare cost, features and real reviews without the marketing spin.
Skip the comparison. Our Event Album beats both.
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
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.
- ·Free event use through the event and 30 days after
- ·iPhone, Android, Instagram, digital camera, app, and website uploads
- ·Real-time album viewing and Live TV Slideshow listed on features page
- ·Comments, captions, likes, prints, and digital photo books supported
Optional add-ons
Storage Fee
- ·Continued hosted storage after the free 30-day post-event window
- ·Treat as annual storage TCO, not an event package upgrade
Free
- ·Wedding website, guest list, online RSVP, registry, mobile app, digital invites, multiple editor accounts, support
- ·Pricing page lists unlimited photo storage
- ·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 current pricing page does not publish amounts
Our Event Album is $39 USD, one-time
No subscription, no per-guest fee, and no add-on sorting needed for the core album experience.
Feature comparison
Rows come from the verified feature catalog, not the stored page copy.
Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account.
Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install.
Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online.
Downloadable QR sign and card templates sized for printing at home or at a print shop.
Guests contribute without creating an account or signing in.
Personalise the gallery with your names, colours, logo or theme.
Use a custom URL or domain for the event gallery.
Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping.
Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos.
Guests can like and comment on photos in the gallery.
Guests leave voice messages (often via a dial-in phone) — an audio guestbook.
Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP).
Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly.
Order physical prints or photo products directly from the gallery.
Guests can upload videos, not just photos.
AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them.
Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited.
How long the gallery stays live and uploads are kept. Blank = unlimited / forever.
The gallery is private — only invited guests can view or upload.
✓ supportedx not supported~ partial? unconfirmed
The matrix is easier when the essentials are included
- ✓Unique QR code for your event
- ✓Printable sign templates (PDF)
- ✓Unlimited photo & video uploads
- ✓Custom welcome page
Pros and cons
- ✓Free through the event and 30 days after
- ✓Supports iPhone, Android, Instagram, digital camera, and website uploads
- ✓Live TV slideshow and real-time album viewing are listed on the features page
- ✓Comments, captions, likes, prints, and digital photo books are supported
- xThe site feels old and some product details are thin
- xNo current no-app QR upload flow was verified
- xBulk download behavior and guest account friction are not clearly documented
- xStorage becomes a recurring annual fee after the free post-event window
- xNot as polished as a modern wedding QR gallery for live event use
- ✓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
- ✓Up to 1,000 guest-shared photos included free per event according to the help center
- ✓Strong App Store footprint: 4.8/5 from 8.3K ratings on the checked listing
- xNot a dedicated event photo-sharing product; photo collection is one part of a larger wedding platform
- xCurrent shared album help says anyone with the share link can see photos in that album
- xExact pricing for optional upgrades and higher storage tiers is not published on the pricing page checked
- xNo current source found for live slideshow, face recognition, NFC, audio guestbook, or photo challenges
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“Capsule publishes a first-party wedding testimonial describing it as an amazing photo-sharing tool for guests and friends at a wedding.”
“A 2018 App Store reviewer said Joy was easy to use for wedding guest planning, private RSVP, guest schedules, posting pics, and communication, while noting it did not have as many planning tools as some alternatives.”
“A 2024 App Store reviewer said Joy helped them see candid guest photos before professional photos arrived and also worked as a central place for RSVP, registry, food allergy, and event information.”
“A 2017 App Store reviewer liked the website design at first but reported RSVP issues where guests disappeared, which created planning problems close to the wedding. Joy replied that the UI issue had been resolved.”
“A 2025 Google Play reviewer reported the Android app would not load reliably and said the website was easier for them. Joy replied that a glitch had been fixed and recommended updating the app.”
Our Event Album beats both
If you are choosing betweenCCapsuleandJJoycompare them with the simpler option: 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 anytime
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 asks guests to install an app, while Joy runs in a web browser, so guests just scan a QR code. Our Event Album is web-only: guests scan a QR code and upload, no app required.
Is there a better alternative to Capsule and Joy?
Our Event Album is the alternative most couples choose over both: 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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Our Event Album beats both. Start your album in 5 minutes.
One QR code. No guest apps. One flat price, no subscriptions.
Get Your Album