Fotify vs iCloud Shared Albums
An honest, side-by-side look at Fotify and iCloud Shared Albums 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 Event
Free test event. Visible pricing card lists 20 digital invites, 50 photos, unlimited guests, 7-day upload/gallery access, no bulk download, basic moderation, stories, no full-HD images, and Fotify branding. Fotify JSON-LD and embedded public pricing catalog instead say the free event manages up to 20 guests, so guest capacity is treated as conflicting public data rather than a settled claim.
- Live Photo Carousel
- Max Digital Invites: 20
- Max Photos: 50
- Max Guests: conflicting public data (visible card says unlimited; schema/catalog say 20)
- Photo Upload Window: 7 days
- Gallery Access: 7 days
- Bulk Download: no
- Photo Moderation: Basic
- TikTok Style Photo Stories
- Full HD Quality Images: no
- Fotify branding remains
Photo Gallery
- Unlimited photos
- Unlimited guests on visible card
- Photo Upload Window: 30 days
- Gallery Access: 90 days
- Bulk upload and bulk download
- AI-powered moderation
- Public album sharing
- DJ song requests
- Full HD quality images
- No Fotify branding
Premium Event
- Unlimited digital invites
- Unlimited photos
- Unlimited guests
- Photo Upload Window: 90 days
- Gallery Access: 365 days
- RSVP management
- Multiple moderators
- Branding options
- Custom frame overlays
- Bouncer control
- Video uploads
Add-ons
Optional extras, separated from real plans so the base price stays clear.
Match & Connect
Optional Match & Connect add-on shown on pricing page for guest networking/matching.
- Swipe-based guest matching
- Privacy-first social reveals
- Real-time match notifications
Plans
Free
Free iCloud storage tier; Shared Albums have separate album limits and do not work like a wedding QR gallery.
- Shared Albums do not count against iCloud storage
- 5,000 photos/videos per shared album
- 100 subscribers per shared album
- Videos up to 15 minutes and delivered up to 720p
- Shared photos may be reduced to 2048px on the long edge
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. | ||
| NFC support Guests tap an NFC tag or card with their phone to open the upload page. | Not verified | |
| Offline capture Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online. | Not verified | |
| Printed QR signs / cards Provides printable QR signs, table cards or stickers to display at the event. | Not verified | |
| No Sign-Up Required Guests contribute without creating an account or signing in. | Not verified | |
| Photographer upload | Not verified | |
| Photo booth mode | Not verified | |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise the gallery with your names, colours, logo or theme. | Not verified | |
| Slideshow themes / templates Choose from templates or themes for the live slideshow and gallery design. | Not verified | |
| Custom domain / URL Use a custom URL or domain for the event gallery. | ~Embedded public pricing catalog includes a Premium custom-domain flag; not emphasized on visible pricing card. | 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. | ||
| Video guestbook Guests record short video messages — a video guestbook for the couple. | ~Public embedded pricing catalog includes Premium voice/audio guestbook metadata, but visible cards emphasize video uploads rather than a video guestbook. | Not verified |
| Photo challenges / games Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping. | Not verified | |
| Digital invites / RSVP Send digital invitations and collect RSVPs. | Not verified | |
| Guest messaging / well-wishes Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos. | Not verified | |
| 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. | ||
| Audio guestbook Guests leave voice messages (often via a dial-in phone) — an audio guestbook. | ~Embedded public pricing catalog lists Premium hasAudioGuestbook/allowsVoiceMessages, but the visible pricing card does not highlight it. | Not verified |
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | ~Shared Albums store copies and may reduce media quality; downloaded content may not contain the same information as the original. | |
| Moderation / approval Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly. | ~The owner can manage subscribers and delete photos/videos, but there is no pre-publication moderation queue. | |
| 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. | Not verified | |
| Media | ||
| Video support Guests can upload videos, not just photos. | ||
| Face recognition AI groups photos by face so guests can find shots of themselves. | Not verified | |
| Filters / in-app editing In-app filters or basic photo editing before uploading. | Not verified | |
| AI culling / curation AI automatically selects or curates the best shots. | Not verified | |
| MagicFind™ AI Photo-Finding AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them. | Not verified | |
| Auto categorization | Not verified | |
| Metrics | ||
| Uploads limit Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Storage / active duration How long the gallery stays live and uploads are kept. Blank = unlimited / forever. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Guest limit Maximum number of guests/contributors. Blank = unlimited. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Max video length Longest single video a guest can upload. Blank = no limit. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Other | ||
| Multi-language The guest-facing interface is available in multiple languages. | Not verified | |
| Privacy | ||
| Password protection Protect the gallery with a password or access code. | Not verified | |
| Private gallery The gallery is private — only invited guests can view or upload. | ~Shared Albums use subscribers/invites, but they are not a password-protected public wedding gallery. | |
✓ 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
- ✓No guest app download or account creation required
- ✓Free Event tier for testing small events
- ✓Live photo wall/carousel and real-time uploads
- ✓AI-powered plus manual photo moderation
- ✓Digital invitations, RSVP tracking, guest check-in, and guest management on higher tiers
- xFree Event is heavily limited: 20 digital invites, 50 photos, 7-day upload window, 7-day gallery access, no bulk download, no full-HD images, and Fotify branding
- xVideo uploads are only listed on Premium Event, not the free or Photo Gallery plans
- xIt is broader and more complex than a simple wedding photo gallery if you only need QR uploads and downloads
- xSome public data conflicts on free guest capacity, so free-tier scale should be described conservatively
- xReview content is first-party/on-site; no independent aggregate rating was verified
- ✓Free Shared Albums do not count against iCloud storage
- ✓Built into Apple Photos for iPhone/iPad/Mac users
- ✓Supports comments and likes on shared photos/videos
- ✓Apple documents clear limits: 5,000 items per album and 100 subscribers
- ✓Useful for small Apple-heavy groups that already use Photos
- xNot a wedding QR gallery and not friendly for mixed Android/Google guest lists
- xHard 5,000 photo/video limit per shared album and 100 subscriber limit
- xShared media may be downscaled; downloaded content may not contain the same information as the original
- xNo live slideshow, moderation queue, custom branding, or event upload signage workflow
- xiCloud+ storage prices are monthly subscriptions if the couple also needs more Apple storage
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
Fotify
6 reviews
iCloud Shared Albums
2 reviews
Our Event Album beats both
If you are choosing between Fotify and iCloud Shared Albums, 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, Fotify or iCloud Shared Albums?
iCloud Shared Albums is the cheaper of the two, starting at $0.99 against Fotify's $29.99. For comparison, Our Event Album is $39 one-time with no subscription.
How much does Fotify cost?
Fotify starts at $29.99 one-time, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does iCloud Shared Albums cost?
iCloud Shared Albums starts at $0.99 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
Do Fotify or iCloud Shared Albums make guests download an app?
Fotify runs in a web browser, so guests just scan a QR code, while iCloud Shared Albums 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 Fotify and iCloud Shared Albums?
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