iCloud Shared Albums vs PhotoCircle
A side-by-side look at iCloud Shared Albums and PhotoCircle 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
5 GB of free iCloud storage.
- ·5 GB free iCloud storage
- ·Shared albums created on iOS 27 or later count toward the owner's storage
- ·Up to 100 participants per shared album
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
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
Business
- ·Workspace portal
- ·Branding
- ·Roles and permissions
- ·Moderation
- ·File upload
- ·Watermarking
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 | iCloud Shared Albums | PhotoCircle |
|---|---|---|
| Capture | ||
| QR code upload Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account. | Not verifiedAlbums are shared by invitation or link; QR codes are not mentioned. | ~Members can be added by a shareable link or a scannable QR code; they join a Circle in the app. |
| No app required Guests contribute via a web browser; there is nothing to download or install. | ~Free plan: "Web App: Not included". The web app comes with PhotoCircle+ and premium plans. | |
| Customization | ||
| Custom branding Personalise how the gallery looks, for example with your names, colours, fonts or a 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. | Not verified | ~PhotoCircle+ web slideshow with music, layouts and titles; not a live event slideshow. |
| 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). | Not verifiedSaving individual items is documented; a bulk export is not. | on PhotoCircle+ ($1.29) |
| Moderation / approval Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly. | ~The owner can delete anyone's photos; from iOS 27 the owner can approve participants (people, not uploads). | |
| 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. | ||
| 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 not public: only people given access, for example through the event's QR code or private link, can view or upload. | ~Shared Albums use subscribers/invites, but they are not a password-protected public wedding 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
- ✓People can join and contribute on the web, even without an Apple Account (albums created on iOS 27 or later)
- ✓Built into Apple Photos for iPhone/iPad/Mac users
- ✓Supports comments and likes on shared photos/videos
- ✓New albums store originals at full resolution
- ✓Useful for groups that already use Apple Photos
- xUp to 100 participants per album, including the owner
- xNew albums count toward the owner's iCloud storage
- xAlbums created on iOS 26 or earlier are limited to 5,000 items and downscale shared media
- xInvitations are by link; Apple doesn't mention QR codes or event signs
- xiCloud+ storage is a monthly subscription
- ✓Free Friends & Family version with no imposed overall photo, video, or member limit in the FAQ
- ✓iOS and Android apps; web app with PhotoCircle+ or premium plans
- ✓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
- xOn the free plan guests use the app: its plan table says "Web App: Not included"
- xFree/default photos are compressed to about 3 MP and videos to 720p
- xDefault video length is 60 seconds and default batch upload limit is 40 photos
- xOrganization plans are priced per seat per year
- xNot wedding-specific: no printable wedding QR signs or RSVP found
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“I used this app for cataloging and for approvals on sorting while being able to share within the catatogories To invite accordingly. It was simple and handy.”
“Second, the limit to how many photos you can upload or how long videos are is incredibly small.”
Or consider Our Event Album
If you are choosing betweeniCloud Shared AlbumsandPhotoCircleyou 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, iCloud Shared Albums or PhotoCircle?
iCloud Shared Albums is the cheaper of the two, starting at $0.99 against PhotoCircle's $1.29. For comparison, Our Event Album is $39 one-time with no subscription.
How much does iCloud Shared Albums cost?
iCloud Shared Albums starts at $0.99 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does PhotoCircle cost?
PhotoCircle starts at $1.29 monthly, with a limited free tier as well.
What else could I consider besides iCloud Shared Albums and PhotoCircle?
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
Keep comparingiCloud Shared AlbumsandPhotoCircleagainst other event photo sharing apps.
| Comparison | Page |
|---|---|
PhotoCirclevsCamdeed | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsKululu | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsDropbox | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedibox | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedbox | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsSelfBooth | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedding Photo Swap | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsJoy | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedTrove | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsGoogle Photos | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedTrove | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWeddingMix | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsPOV Camera | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsKululu | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedUploader | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsGuestlense | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsPixelParty | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsFotify | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsGoogle Photos | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsGuesticon | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsSelfBooth | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsGuesticon | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsHoncho | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsCluster | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsScanova | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsScanova | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsGuestCam | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsCluster | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedbox | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsKwikpic | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsPixelParty | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsReplayMyDay | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsHoncho | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsDots Memories | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedPicsQR | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsCamdeed | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsDropbox | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedPicsQR | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedding Photo Swap | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsJoy | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsGuestCam | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsWedibox | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsLense | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWeddingMix | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsCapsule | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsKnipsmig | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsKwikpic | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsFotify | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsPOV Camera | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsWedUploader | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsEventoly | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsReplayMyDay | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsGuestlense | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsKnipsmig | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsDots Memories | Open → |
PhotoCirclevsLense | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsEventoly | Open → |
iCloud Shared AlbumsvsCapsule | Open → |
Set up your own album today
One QR code. No guest apps. One flat price, no subscriptions.
Get Your Album
