Joy vs PixelParty
A side-by-side look at Joy and PixelParty 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
- ·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
Free event
PixelParty's FAQ says it offers free and paid plans; its pricing data lists a free event for 8 guests and 20 uploads (2026-10-06).
- ·Up to 8 guests
- ·Up to 20 uploads
Classic
- ·Up to 500 guests
- ·Unlimited photo and video uploads
- ·1 year upload and download window
- ·Live realtime slideshow
- ·1 co-host
- ·QR code and event link included
Plus
- ·Unlimited guests
- ·Unlimited photo and video uploads
- ·2 year upload and download window
- ·Live realtime slideshow
- ·Unlimited co-hosts
- ·Priority support
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 | Joy | PixelParty |
|---|---|---|
| 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 | Not verified |
| Offline capture Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online. | Not verified | Not verifiedFAQ: guests need an internet connection to upload photos. |
| Print-sized QR sign/card templates Downloadable QR sign and card templates sized for printing at home or at a print shop. | ~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. | ||
| Photographer upload | ~Anyone with the shared album link can upload; no dedicated photographer-upload workflow found. | Not verified |
| 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. | |
| 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. | ~Pricing page says custom domain names are optional upgrades but does not publish price or availability details. | Not verified |
| 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. | on Free | |
| Guest messaging / well-wishes Guests leave written well-wishes or messages alongside their photos. | ~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. | ~App Store review mentions guests posting pics and communicating; current shared-album help does not clearly document gallery comments/likes. | Not verified |
| Audio guestbook Guests leave voice messages (often via a dial-in phone) — an audio guestbook. | Not verified | |
| Management | ||
| Download all Download all photos and videos from the event at once (e.g. a single ZIP). | 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 | 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 verifiedPublic pages mention photos only. | |
| Face recognition AI groups photos by face so guests can find shots of themselves. | Not verified | 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 | ||
| Password protection Protect the gallery with a password or access code. | Not verified | Not verified |
| 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 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
- ✓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
- ✓Guests can upload photos, videos, and messages without app download or signup
- ✓All plans allow unlimited uploads and downloads
- ✓Private gallery, moderation controls, and full-album export are supported
- ✓Live slideshow on both paid packages; audio guestbook and disposable camera mode are offered
- ✓A free event is available to try it
- xFree event is limited to 8 guests and 20 uploads
- xGuests need an internet connection to upload
- xSome customer reviews mention upload problems, so test the guest flow and venue connection before the event
- xClassic includes 1 co-host; unlimited co-hosts and priority support need Plus
What people say
Real reviews, each linked to its source.
“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.”
“Everything was very easy to use.”
“This was amazing. We added the qr code to multiple things around the wedding. Cards, signs, and menus. It made it very easy to get all of the photos people took of our wedding”
“We are very disappointed as the app did not allow most of our guests to upload their photos so they had to share via different apps.”
“Straightforward set up, easy access for admin and guests. Easy to view and download photos. QR codes provided for upload. Very positive experience.”
“The ease of use for guests was a welcomed convenience. The ability to have an aggregate of each person's perspective of my event shared in one place made photo sharing extremely easy and convenient.”
“We used this service for a funeral for the family to gather photos to be shown at the service. It was easy to use and easy to share.”
Or consider Our Event Album
If you are choosing betweenJoyandPixelPartyyou 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, Joy or PixelParty?
Joy has a free tier. PixelParty starts at $43.99 one-time, with a limited free tier as well.
How much does Joy cost?
Joy has a free tier.
How much does PixelParty cost?
PixelParty starts at $43.99 one-time, with a limited free tier as well.
Do Joy or PixelParty make guests download an app?
Joy says guests can upload from a web browser, and PixelParty says guests can upload from a web browser. Our Event Album is web-only: guests scan a QR code and upload, no app required.
What else could I consider besides Joy and PixelParty?
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.
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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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