Joy vs Lense
An honest, side-by-side look at Joy and Lense 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.
Free
- ·Wedding website, guest list, online RSVP, registry, mobile app, digital invites, multiple editor accounts, support
- ·Pricing page lists unlimited photo storage
- ·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 current pricing page does not publish amounts
Free
Free event tier for up to 7 guests. Pricing page includes 1 year in-app storage, full album download, optional filter effects, uploads from camera roll, live slideshow, and up to 25 captures per guest.
- ·Up to 7 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download after the event
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Uploads from camera roll
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
25 guests
- ·Up to 25 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
50 guests
- ·Up to 50 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
100 guests
- ·Up to 100 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
150 guests
- ·Up to 150 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
200 guests
- ·Up to 200 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
250 guests
- ·Up to 250 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
500 guests
- ·Up to 500 guests
- ·1 year of in-app storage
- ·Full album download
- ·Optional filter effects
- ·Live slideshow
- ·Up to 25 captures per guest
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.
Guests scan a QR code to upload photos and videos to the event gallery — no app, no account.
Downloadable QR sign and card templates sized for printing at home or at a print shop.
Personalise the gallery with your names, colours, logo or theme.
Choose from templates or themes for the live slideshow and gallery design.
Use a custom URL or domain for the event gallery.
Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos.
Guests can like and comment on photos in the gallery.
Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP).
Hosts can review, approve or hide uploads before they appear publicly.
Order physical prints or photo products directly from the gallery.
Guests can upload videos, not just photos.
AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them.
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
- ✓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
- ✓Up to 1,000 guest-shared photos included free per event according to the help center
- ✓Strong App Store footprint: 4.8/5 from 8.3K ratings on the checked listing
- xNot a dedicated event photo-sharing product; photo collection is one part of a larger wedding platform
- xCurrent shared album help says anyone with the share link can see photos in that album
- xExact pricing for optional upgrades and higher storage tiers is not published on the pricing page checked
- xNo current source found for live slideshow, face recognition, NFC, audio guestbook, or photo challenges
- ✓Guests can scan a QR code or link without downloading an app
- ✓Supports both photos and videos on current public copy
- ✓Disposable-camera style delayed reveal and optional filter effects
- ✓Live photo wall/slideshow included with every event
- ✓Large first-party review collection with current 2026 reviews
- xPricing page lists up to 25 captures per guest, so high-participation events may hit per-guest limits
- xHost setup is app-led even though guests do not need the app
- xPricing page markets unlimited captures but also lists up to 25 captures per guest, so capture limits should be checked at checkout
- xNo sourced face recognition, NFC, video guestbook, comments/likes, or photo challenges found
- xFirst-party rating count differs from older structured data and App Store country-specific rating counts
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“A 2018 App Store reviewer said Joy was easy to use for wedding guest planning, private RSVP, guest schedules, posting pics, and communication, while noting it did not have as many planning tools as some alternatives.”
“A 2024 App Store reviewer said Joy helped them see candid guest photos before professional photos arrived and also worked as a central place for RSVP, registry, food allergy, and event information.”
“A 2017 App Store reviewer liked the website design at first but reported RSVP issues where guests disappeared, which created planning problems close to the wedding. Joy replied that the UI issue had been resolved.”
“A 2025 Google Play reviewer reported the Android app would not load reliably and said the website was easier for them. Joy replied that a glitch had been fixed and recommended updating the app.”
“Used Lense for my friend's bachelorette weekend and it was a hit; setup was easy and photos were visible as they uploaded.”
“The QR code let guests access the camera without downloading the app, and sharing the album with everyone was easy.”
“The reviewer used Lense for a wedding and said the gallery and download process were easy and good value.”
“A wedding reviewer said guests used the QR code and the couple got pictures they likely would not have received otherwise.”
“The reviewer said Lense worked well for 100 wedding guests and captured points of view the photographer could not cover.”
“One reviewer liked the simple setup and QR templates, while another noted only being able to upload 10 pictures at a time; this supports keeping capture/upload limits cautious.”
Our Event Album beats both
If you are choosing betweenJJoyandLLensecompare 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, Joy or Lense?
Joy has a free tier. Lense starts at A$7.99 one-time, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does Joy cost?
Joy has a free tier.
How much does Lense cost?
Lense starts at A$7.99 one-time, with a limited free tier as well.
Do Joy or Lense make guests download an app?
Joy runs in a web browser, so guests just scan a QR code, while Lense runs in a web browser, so guests just scan a QR code. Our Event Album is web-only: guests scan a QR code and upload, no app required.
Is there a better alternative to Joy and Lense?
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.
More head-to-head comparisons
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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