Honcho vs Joy
A side-by-side look at Honcho 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.
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 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
Free
- ·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
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 | Honcho | Joy |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| QR code upload Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no 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. | ~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 |
| Offline capture Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online. | Not verified | Not 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. | Not verified | |
| Photographer upload | ~Anyone with the shared album link can upload; no dedicated photographer-upload workflow found. | |
| Photo booth mode | Not verified | Not verified |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise how the gallery looks, for example with your names, colours, fonts or a theme. | Not 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. | ~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 verified | 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. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Photo challenges / games Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Digital invites / RSVP Send digital invitations and collect RSVPs. | Not verified | on 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. | Not verified | ~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 verified | Not verified |
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | Not verifiedSelling digital downloads is listed; a download-all is not mentioned. | 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. | ~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 verifiedIts site and App Store listing describe photos; video is not mentioned. | Not verifiedPublic pages mention photos only. |
| 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 | Not verified |
| MagicFind™ AI Photo-Finding AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them. | Not verified | Not verified |
| Auto categorization | Not verified | Not 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. | Not verified | ~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
- ✓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.
- ✓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)
- 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.
“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.”
“Plus I love that all my guests can use the app for the schedule as well as post pics and communicate with us!”
“I'm seeing loads of candid shots taken by wedding guests!”
“6 guests who had, without a doubt, previously RSVP'd "yes," had inexplicably disappeared without warning.”
“I found that going and doing this from the website itself is easier than the app.”
Or consider Our Event Album
If you are choosing betweenHonchoandJoyyou 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, Honcho or Joy?
Honcho starts at $20 monthly, with a limited free tier as well. Joy has a free tier.
How much does Honcho cost?
Honcho starts at $20 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does Joy cost?
Joy has a free tier.
What else could I consider besides Honcho 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.
More head-to-head comparisons
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Set up your own album today
One QR code. No guest apps. One flat price, no subscriptions.
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