Capsule vs PhotoCircle
An honest, side-by-side look at Capsule and PhotoCircle 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.
Plans
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
Add-ons
Optional extras, separated from real plans so the base price stays clear.
Storage Fee
- Continued hosted storage after the free 30-day post-event window
- Treat as annual storage TCO, not an event package upgrade
Plans
Friends & Family
Free/personal app experience. FAQ says no imposed overall limit for people, photos, or videos, but default per-upload and video-length limits still apply.
- Private invite-only Circles
- No imposed overall people/photo/video limit in FAQ
- Default 40-photo upload batch limit
- Default 60-second video clips
- Standard media quality: 3 MP photos / 720p videos
Organization Premium Plans
Public plans page describes premium plan categories and paid-seat rules, but does not show self-serve prices in the visible source.
- Workspace portal
- Branding
- Roles and permissions
- Search
- Longer video clips
- Moderation on supported plans
- File upload
- Watermarking
- Canva integration on supported plans
PhotoCircle+
- Ad-free for subscriber only
- Videos up to 4 minutes
- Search by Circle name and captions
- Upload up to 200 photos at a time
- Download all media in a Circle at once
- Web slideshow
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.
| Feature | |  |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| QR code upload Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account. | ||
| No app required Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install. | ~Capsule supports direct website uploads, but its core flow also uses iPhone/Android apps and does not present as a no-app QR gallery. | |
| 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. | Not verified |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise the gallery with your names, colours, logo or theme. | Not verified | |
| Watermarks Add a watermark or overlay to photos in the gallery. | Not verified | |
| Guest experience | ||
| Live slideshow A real-time slideshow of guest photos you can cast to a screen at the reception. | ||
| Real-time photo feed / wall A live feed or wall of photos as guests upload them during the event. | Not verified | |
| Comments & likes Guests can like and comment on photos in the gallery. | ||
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | ~Capsule is framed as collecting wedding photos into one album, but a one-click bulk download workflow was not clearly documented on the current public pages. | |
| Moderation / approval Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly. | Not verified | |
| 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. | ||
| Metrics | ||
| Uploads limit Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | ~No imposed overall Friends & Family limit, but uploads are limited to 40 photos at a time by default and 200 at a time with PhotoCircle+/premium. |
| Storage / active duration How long the gallery stays live and uploads are kept. Blank = unlimited / forever. | Not verified | |
| Guest limit Maximum number of guests/contributors. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | |
| Max video length Longest single video a guest can upload. Blank = no limit. | Not verified | ~Default video length is 60 seconds; PhotoCircle+ and premium users can upload videos up to 4 minutes. |
| Privacy | ||
| Private gallery 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
- ✓Free Friends & Family version with no imposed overall photo, video, or member limit in the FAQ
- ✓iOS, Android, and web access
- ✓Private invite-only Circles for photos, videos, comments, and reactions
- ✓PhotoCircle+ adds download-all, web slideshow, search, longer videos, and larger batch uploads
- ✓Organization premium plans add branding, roles, moderation, file upload, watermarking, and Canva integration
- xGuests generally need the PhotoCircle app/account flow rather than a simple wedding QR upload page
- xFree/default media is compressed to 3 MP photos and 720p videos
- xDefault video length is 60 seconds and default batch upload limit is 40 photos
- xPublic organization pricing is not shown on the visible plans page
- xNot wedding-specific: no built-in printable wedding QR signs, RSVP, or event guestbook positioning found
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
PhotoCircle
4 reviews
Our Event Album beats both
If you are choosing between Capsule and PhotoCircle, compare 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 PhotoCircle?
Capsule has a free tier, plus paid plans. PhotoCircle starts at $1.29 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does Capsule cost?
Capsule has a free tier, plus paid plans.
How much does PhotoCircle cost?
PhotoCircle starts at $1.29 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
Do Capsule or PhotoCircle make guests download an app?
Capsule asks guests to install an app, while PhotoCircle asks guests to install an app. Our Event Album is web-only: guests scan a QR code and upload, no app required.
Is there a better alternative to Capsule and PhotoCircle?
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.
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 - From $39