Google Photos vs Honcho
A side-by-side look at Google Photos and Honcho 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.
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
Pricing at a glance
Published plans are shown separately from add-ons. Verified competitor prices use your selected currency, otherwise their listed currency.
Free Tier
Free Google Account storage is shared across Google Photos, Google Drive, and Gmail.
- ·15 GB free Google Account storage shared across Photos, Drive, and Gmail
- ·Shared albums/conversations for photos and videos
Optional add-ons
Google One Plans
- ·Paid Google One storage adds capacity for Photos, Drive, and Gmail
- ·Prices and tiers vary by region
Free Trial
A 7-day free trial with no credit card required.
- ·3 albums
- ·50 photos per album
- ·20 face searches per album
- ·Online store with 15% sales commission
- ·Photo editor
- ·Wireless printing
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Custom profile in gallery
- ·Form to collect responses in gallery
Indie
- ·100 GB of storage
- ·Unlimited albums
- ·Unlimited photos per album
- ·Unlimited face searches
- ·Online store with 5% sales commission
- ·Photo editor
- ·Wireless printing
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Custom profile in gallery
- ·Custom domain
Pro
- ·1,000 GB of storage
- ·Unlimited albums
- ·Unlimited photos per album
- ·Unlimited face searches
- ·Online store with 3% sales commission
- ·Photo editor
- ·Wireless printing
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Custom profile in gallery
- ·Custom domain
- ·Form to collect responses in gallery
- ·Remove Honcho branding in gallery
Studio
- ·Unlimited storage
- ·Unlimited albums
- ·Unlimited photos per album
- ·Unlimited face searches
- ·Online store with 2% sales commission
- ·Photo editor
- ·Wireless printing
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Custom profile in gallery
- ·Custom domain
- ·Form to collect responses in gallery
- ·Remove Honcho branding in gallery
Our Event Album is $39 USD, one-time
One payment for one event album.
Feature comparison
Marks reflect each company's published pages as we checked them.
| Feature | Google Photos | Honcho |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| QR code upload Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account. | ~Album owners can create a QR code for an album; contributors need a Google Account. | ~Honcho supports QR-code gallery sharing, but the public evidence is about finding/sharing photographer photos, not guest uploads. |
| No app required Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install. | ~People can view shared links without the app; adding to an album needs a Google Account. | ~Attendees can access galleries through QR/links, while the photographer upload workflow uses the Honcho app. |
| NFC support Guests tap an NFC tag or card with their phone to open the upload page. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Photographer upload | Not verified | |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise how the gallery looks, for example with your names, colours, fonts or a theme. | Not verified | |
| Custom domain / URL Use a custom URL or domain for the event gallery. | Not verified | |
| Guest experience | ||
| Live slideshow A real-time slideshow of guest photos you can cast to a screen at the reception. | ~Slideshows on a TV with Chromecast or on photo frames; a live event wall is not mentioned. | |
| Video guestbook Guests record short video messages — a video guestbook for the couple. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Photo challenges / games Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping. | Not verified | 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. | Not verified | |
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | ~Google Photos supports saving/downloading shared media, but it is not a wedding-specific one-click event export workflow. | Not verifiedSelling digital downloads is listed; a download-all is not mentioned. |
| Moderation / approval Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly. | ~Owners can remove people or items from albums; approving uploads first is not described. | |
| 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. | Not verifiedIts site and App Store listing describe photos; video is not mentioned. | |
| Face recognition AI groups photos by face so guests can find shots of themselves. | ||
| Filters / in-app editing In-app filters or basic photo editing before uploading. | 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 |
| 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 can be shared with selected people or links, but this is not a password-protected wedding gallery model. | Not verified |
✓ 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
- ✓Free 15 GB Google Account storage is useful for small collections
- ✓Shared albums are familiar to many guests with Google accounts
- ✓Supports photos and videos across app and browser contexts
- ✓Paid Google One storage can expand capacity when needed
- ✓Good general archive if the couple already uses Google Photos
- xAlbum QR codes exist; event sign templates are not mentioned
- xContributors need a Google Account to add photos
- xSlideshows play on a TV or photo frame; Google’s help describes removing items, not approving them first
- xStorage is shared with Gmail and Drive, so large wedding media can use up the free 15 GB
- xPaid Google One pricing varies by region/account
- ✓Strong live photo delivery workflow for professional photographers and event teams.
- ✓AI face recognition, QR-code gallery sharing, live slideshow, online store, and wireless printing are published features.
- ✓Free trial is available with clear limits: 3 albums, 50 photos per album, and 20 face searches per album.
- xPricing is a monthly or annual subscription, not a one-time wedding album purchase.
- xBuilt around photographer camera-to-cloud delivery rather than guest photo and video uploads.
- xPaid plans take an online-store commission: 5% on Indie, 3% on Pro, 2% on Studio (15% during the trial).
- xIts site does not mention video uploads, a video guestbook, or no-sign-up guest collection.
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“Honcho has been the most exciting addition to our offering this year. Being able to make photos available instantly has been a huge hit with our clients. The built-in stats clearly show the uptake—and at awards events, it’s massive. People get their photos straight away, and they love it.”
“After years of searching, I finally found the perfect way to share my marathon photos. I’m especially loving the notifications feature that lets participants know when new photos of them are found with face recognition.”
“Using Honcho has been a game-changer for us. It allowed us to introduce face recognition into our workflow and has been especially valuable during large sporting events, where it's nearly impossible for participants to browse through hundreds of photos. With Honcho, they can quickly find their pictures with a simple selfie.”
Or consider Our Event Album
If you are choosing betweenGoogle PhotosandHonchoyou 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, Google Photos or Honcho?
Google Photos has a free tier, plus paid plans. Honcho starts at $20 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does Google Photos cost?
Google Photos has a free tier, plus paid plans.
How much does Honcho cost?
Honcho starts at $20 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
What else could I consider besides Google Photos and Honcho?
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.
More head-to-head comparisons
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