Joy vs Scanova

An honest, side-by-side look at Joy and Scanova 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.

OOur Event Album

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
One-time price
$39
USD, one-time
Get your album

Pricing at a glance

Published plans are shown separately from add-ons. Verified competitor prices use your selected currency, otherwise their listed currency.

Free

Freefree
  • ·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
Source ↗

Enterprise

Request a quote. Public pricing page calculates estimates for discussion only.

Freequote
  • ·Custom QR code limits
  • ·Unlimited scans
  • ·Custom users and domains
  • ·Bulk operations
  • ·Dynamic QR Code APIs
  • ·SSO
  • ·Data security compliance
  • ·Dedicated relationship manager
Source ↗

Basic

$5yearly
  • ·3 QR Codes
  • ·Unlimited Scans
  • ·No limit on the number of times users can scan your QR Codes.
Source ↗

Lite

$9yearly
  • ·10 QR Codes
  • ·All QR Categories
Source ↗

Standard

$35yearly
  • ·50 QR Codes
  • ·Advanced Analytics
Source ↗

Pro

$75yearly
  • ·500 QR Codes
  • ·5 Users & 1 Custom Domain
Source ↗

Ultra Lite

One-time fee for one lifetime dynamic QR code.

$150one-time
  • ·1 Dynamic QR Code of any category
  • ·All Lite Plan features
Source ↗

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.

Get your album

Feature comparison

Rows come from the verified feature catalog, not the stored page copy.

Feature
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
Offline capture

Guests can capture photos while offline; uploads sync once they are back online.

Not verified
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.
Not verified
No Sign-Up Required

Guests contribute without creating an account or signing in.

Not verified
~Anyone with the shared album link can upload; no dedicated photographer-upload workflow found.
Not verified
Not verified
Customization
Custom branding

Personalise the gallery with your names, colours, logo or theme.

~Pricing page mentions optional upgrades such as custom domain names and premium designs; exact paid scope/prices are not published there.
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
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
Photo challenges / games

Photo prompts or scavenger-hunt style games to get guests snapping.

Not verified
Digital invites / RSVP

Send digital invitations and collect RSVPs.

on Free (Free)
Not verified
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.
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.

~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).

~Guests can download photos; no current source found for a host one-click ZIP download of every file.
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.
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.

~FAQ describes Joy Collections for photos and videos, but the storage limit and upload UI copy emphasize photos.
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
MagicFind™ AI Photo-Finding

AI finds every photo a specific person appears in and delivers it to them.

Not verified
Metrics
Uploads limit

Maximum photos/videos guests can upload to the gallery. Blank = unlimited.

Not verified
Not verified
Other
Multi-language

The guest-facing interface is available in multiple languages.

Not verified
Privacy
Private gallery

The gallery is private — only invited guests 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.
Not verified

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

Pros
  • 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
Cons
  • 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
Pros
  • Current public pricing is transparent for Basic, Lite, Standard, Pro, and Ultra Lite plans
  • Unlimited scans are listed across plans
  • Dynamic/editable QR codes, custom design, analytics, and export formats are core strengths
  • White-labeled pages, custom domains, bulk operations, APIs, and SSO are available on higher plans
  • G2 currently shows 4.6/5 from 81 reviews
Cons
  • xNot wedding-specific and not a guest photo gallery
  • xNo native wedding album, live slideshow, guest comments, or download-all photo collection workflow found
  • xSubscription pricing can be overkill for one wedding QR code
  • xPlan limits are QR-code/page limits, not guest/photo/upload limits
  • xEnterprise pricing requires a quote

What people say

Real reviews, each linked to its source.

JJoy4 reviews
indiareef
Perfect!
No rating

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.

App StoreView source ↗
Sarah & Ty’s MIL
Sharing everyone’s event photos - and a great way to keep your guests informed!
No rating

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.

App StoreView source ↗
luanabear
Great at first, ended with disappointment
No rating

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.

App StoreView source ↗
Karen
Android app loading issue
No rating

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.

Google PlayView source ↗
SScanova4 reviews
G2
Aggregate listing context
No rating

G2 currently lists Scanova at 4.6 out of 5 from 81 reviews. Review summaries emphasize ease of use, customization, analytics, and support, with pricing mentioned as a limitation by some users.

Cherin K.
Visible G2 review, Jan 15 2026
No rating

A visible G2 reviewer praised Scanova for a clean interface, analytics depth, ease of use, and supportive customer care.

G2 reviewView source ↗
jeff r.
Visible G2 review, Oct 4 2025
No rating

A visible G2 reviewer said Scanova helped their company create over 30,000 dynamic QR codes and praised the API and support team.

G2 reviewView source ↗
andre g.
Visible G2 review, Mar 24 2026
No rating

A visible G2 reviewer liked reusable QR codes but reported persistent desktop login issues across browsers.

G2 reviewView source ↗

Our Event Album beats both

If you are choosing betweenJJoyandSScanovacompare 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 Scanova?

Joy has a free tier. Scanova starts at $5 yearly.

How much does Joy cost?

Joy has a free tier.

How much does Scanova cost?

Scanova starts at $5 yearly.

Do Joy or Scanova make guests download an app?

Joy runs in a web browser, so guests just scan a QR code, while Scanova 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 Scanova?

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.

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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

How to evaluate Our Event Album vs Joy vs Scanova

Searches for Our Event Album vs Joy vs Scanova, Joy vs Scanova alternative, and Joy vs Scanova alternatives usually come from people who already know the category but are unsure which tool fits their event. The useful comparison is not a feature count. It is whether guests can contribute without friction and whether the host can keep, download, and share the final album easily.

A strong alternative should reduce guest steps, avoid surprise limits, and leave the host with one complete photo collection after the event.

What to compare before switching

  • Check whether the tool you choose for apps like Joy vs Scanova lets guests upload from a browser instead of requiring a mobile app.
  • Compare what is included at the base price: QR code, hosting time, downloads, video support, and printable signage.
  • Look for privacy controls when evaluating wedding photo app comparison, especially for weddings, schools, memorials, and workplace events.
  • Read the setup flow, not just the marketing page. The best alternative is the one a host can launch without support.