SmugMug vs iPage: guide for 2024

Final verdict

SmugMug and iPage both offer unique features tailored to different user needs, making them suitable for specific audiences.

SmugMug (Overall Grade: 6.3/10)

is a premium website builder designed specifically for photographers and creatives. It excels in providing customizable templates optimized for high-quality image display, robust photo protection features, and ecommerce capabilities tailored for selling prints and digital downloads. When comparing SmugMug vs iPage, SmugMug stands out for its specialized services, making it an excellent choice for photographers looking to showcase and sell their work online.
iPage (Overall Grade: 6.1/10)

is a user-friendly web hosting and site builder platform that offers comprehensive services, including hosting, domain registration, and ecommerce solutions. It is ideal for small businesses and personal projects seeking an affordable and straightforward solution for their online presence. In the SmugMug vs iPage comparison, iPage provides a broader range of functionalities, making it suitable for users who need a versatile platform for various website needs.

	Overall grade: 6.3	Overall grade: 6.1
Design functionalities & templates	7.1	7.0
Ease of use	7.8	7.6
Ecommerce	7.3	5.7
Website Editors	7.3	6.8
Product testing options	7.4	2.5
Price	7.8	7.3
Hosting quality	5.0	7.7
Website speed optimization	5.5	7.4
Plugins and integrations	6.2	6.3
Marketing features	3.8	7.2
Customer support	7.9	6.9
Security	6.0	7.5
AI capabilities	0	3.0
User Management	7.2	3.2

Best for ecommerce

7.3

5.7

Verdict

: SmugMug is ideal for photographers and creatives, while iPage is better suited for small to medium-sized businesses looking to establish an online store.

SmugMug

: SmugMug is designed specifically for photographers and creatives who want to showcase and sell their work online. It offers robust photo protection features and ecommerce capabilities like digital downloads, product pricing, and multiple currencies support. However, when comparing SmugMug vs iPage, SmugMug may lack some advanced ecommerce functionalities needed for larger businesses.
iPage

: iPage provides a user-friendly platform with comprehensive services, including hosting, domain registration, and ecommerce solutions. It offers a variety of ecommerce-specific templates and flexible payment processing options, making it suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. However, it may not offer the same level of photo-centric features as SmugMug.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

7.2

Verdict

: SmugMug and iPage both offer unique advantages for informational and business websites, but SmugMug slightly edges out iPage due to its specialized features for photographers and creatives.

SmugMug

: SmugMug is tailored for photographers and visual artists, offering customizable templates optimized for high-quality image display. Its user-friendly interface and robust photo protection features make it an excellent choice for creatives looking to showcase their work. With a score of 7.5, SmugMug is well-suited for visually driven informational sites.
iPage

: iPage provides a comprehensive web hosting and site builder platform, ideal for small businesses and personal projects. It offers a variety of templates and a drag-and-drop builder, making it accessible for users without technical expertise. Scoring 7.2, iPage is a solid option for those seeking an all-in-one solution for their online presence. When comparing SmugMug vs iPage, iPage’s broader range of functionalities and hosting services make it a versatile choice for various business needs.

Detailed comparison

7.1

7.0

Winner: SmugMug.

While both platforms offer a variety of templates and designs, SmugMug’s focus on photography-specific features and advanced design possibilities gives it an edge over iPage.

SmugMug offers a variety of templates and designs, catering to the diverse needs of photographers and visual artists. Users can choose from an extensive collection of customizable templates, ensuring their website or portfolio reflects their unique style and brand.

SmugMug Themes

On the other hand, iPage offers a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to users with diverse needs and preferences. However, it lacks some advanced design features and integrations found in more robust platforms like SmugMug.

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7.8

7.6

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. With a score of 7.8, SmugMug edges out iPage, which scored 7.6. SmugMug’s user-friendly interface and focus on photography make it an excellent choice for photographers and visual artists. iPage, while also user-friendly, is more suited to individuals and small businesses seeking a straightforward solution for their online presence.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: iPage

. Both platforms offer learning resources, but iPage provides a more comprehensive range of resources, including a knowledge base, video tutorials, and step-by-step guides. SmugMug, on the other hand, offers beginner’s guides and YouTube tutorials.

Learn SmugMug

Learn iPage

7.3

5.7

SmugMug and iPage both offer ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different user needs. SmugMug is designed for photographers and creatives who want to sell their work online, while iPage is more suited for small to medium-sized businesses looking to establish an online store.


Ecommerce themes and templates	8.0	5.5
Product page customization	6.5	5.0
Payment processing and commissions	6.0	6.0
POS capabilities	0.0	3.0
Payment gateways	5.0	6.5
Product numbers	9.0	4.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	5.5

SmugMug ecommerce features:

Digital Downloads
Product Pricing
Tax handling
Discounts and Coupons
Multiple Currencies support

iPage ecommerce features:

Inventory Management and Tracking
Coupon Codes and Promotions
SEO Tools
PayPal Integration

Ecommerce themes & templates

Almost all of the templates of SmugMug are designed with ecommerce in mind, providing built-in shopping cart functionality. On the other hand, iPage offers a variety of ecommerce-specific templates designed to cater to online stores and businesses. These templates are integrated with features such as shopping carts, product catalogs, and payment processing options to facilitate online transactions.

Product page customization

SmugMug prioritizes photography, offering a platform tailored for photographers to showcase and sell their work, despite having more limited product page customization compared to dedicated e-commerce platforms. It still provides enough functionality to detail digital and printed photography products effectively, enabling users to sell online with ease.

iPage’s website builder offers a range of ecommerce product page customization options, allowing users to design their storefronts with various templates, adjust layouts, and incorporate multimedia elements like images and videos to showcase products. Users can also edit product descriptions, manage inventory, and set up different payment options.

Payment processing

SmugMug has a unique approach to payment processing. Payment processing for your sales is managed through your account settings, where you must complete a Tax & Payment form to set up your payment preferences. Your earnings are calculated as 85% of the markup on print prices or download sales, with SmugMug retaining 15% to cover various costs. Payments are made via ACH direct deposit for U.S. users or PayPal for international users.

iPage supports several payment options for eCommerce, including major gateways like PayPal, Stripe, and others, catering to a wide range of currencies and countries. iPage does not charge commissions for transactions, commissions are charged by the gateways themselves. While iPage offers flexibility in online payment processing, it does not explicitly mention integrated POS capabilities for in-person transactions. For billing and subscription payments, iPage accepts credit cards, PayPal, and check or money order, offering diverse payment methods for its users.

7.3

6.8

🏆

Winner: SmugMug

. SmugMug, with a score of 7.3, offers a user-friendly interface that allows for the creation of visually appealing, professional-grade photography websites without the need for coding knowledge. Users can customize their site by choosing from a variety of templates, adjusting layouts, and incorporating their own branding elements like logos and colors. The editor also supports easy uploading, organizing, and showcasing of high-quality images, with robust privacy and security settings to protect content.

Smugmug website editor

iPage’s editor, scoring 6.8, is designed for ease of use, catering to both beginners and those with some web design experience. It offers a drag-and-drop interface, allowing users to easily add, remove, and customize elements on their web pages without needing to code. Users can choose from a variety of templates that are responsive and customizable to fit their brand or personal style. However, some users might find the options and settings a bit overwhelming at first.

Mobile editor/app

7.5

5.0

🏆

Winner: SmugMug

. Both SmugMug and iPage offer mobile editing capabilities, but they have different strengths and limitations. SmugMug provides a mobile editing app, but its functionality is limited to adding new photos and editing descriptions. Layout changes on the website are not possible through the app. This might be sufficient for photographers who primarily need to add and manage photos on the go, but it might be limiting for users who need to make more extensive changes to their website.

On the other hand, iPage does not have a dedicated mobile editor app. However, it allows users to edit their website on a mobile browser, with some limitations. This might be more flexible than SmugMug’s app for users who need to make a variety of changes to their website, but it might also be less convenient than a dedicated app.

In summary, SmugMug wins this category due to its higher mobile editor score, but the best choice between the two might depend on the specific needs and preferences of the user.

7.4

2.5

Overall Result

:

SmugMug Wins

. SmugMug scores 7.4, significantly higher than iPage’s 2.5. SmugMug offers a 14-day free trial during which users can test all premium features. iPage, on the other hand, does not offer a free trial but allows users to test all features during a 30-day refundable period.


Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	14 days	No free trial
Testing Premium Features	During the free trial	During the 30-day refundable period
Money Back Guarantee	No	30-day money back guarantee

7.8

7.3

SmugMug’s pricing is higher, reflecting its specialized services for photographers and creatives. iPage, on the other hand, offers more affordable plans suitable for simple websites or blogs, multiple sites, and online selling.

	Offerings	Offerings
$10-$20	Power ($15.00/month): Best for the photographer who wants their entire photo catalog safe and shareable on their own terms. Unlimited storage, Seamless Lightroom integration. Value for price: 6.5	Basic ($15.99/month): Simple website or blog, 1 website, 10 GB SSD, free domain, managed WordPress, free SSL for 1st year. Value for price: 6.5
$20-$30	No offering at this amount.	Choice Plus ($27.99/month): Multiple sites with storage, security, backups, 3 websites, 40 GB SSD, daily backups, domain privacy, malware scanning. Value for price: 7.5
$30-$34	Portfolio ($31.00/month): Best for the photographer who wants to start selling photos and keep their archive organized perfectly. All Power plan’s features, plus 21 premade templates, prints and digital downloads sales, Custom Watermarks, Payment integration for credit cards and PayPal, Integrated cart and checkout experience, Sales statistics. Value for price: 8.0	Online Store ($32.99/month): Online selling with eCommerce tools, 3 websites, 40 GB SSD, store features like unlimited products and secure payments. Value for price: 8.0
$34-$50	Pro ($45.00/month): Adds to Portfolio with custom price lists and coupons, Platform access for assistant or second shooter, Full control over client downloads, Branded packaging and thank you notes for print sales, coupon creator. Value for price: 8.5	Pro ($34.99/month): High traffic sites, advanced storage, 5 websites, 100 GB SSD, optimized for high traffic, enhanced security and backups. Value for price: 9.0
$500+	Venture (Starts with $500/month): All Pro features, plus dedicated support contacts and account representative for all Smugmug needs, Design, workflow, and organization consultation and support.	No offering at this amount.

In some cases companies have different prices based on various components like a
location. As a result in rare cases the prices displayed here can differ from the ones you see on their
websites.

5.0

7.7

Winner: iPage

. iPage offers a range of affordable hosting services including shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting, with unlimited storage and bandwidth for various website needs. However, its performance speed and scalability features may not meet the expectations of all users, particularly those with high-traffic sites. Additional costs for backups, security features, and significant price increases upon renewal are potential downsides. On the other hand, SmugMug does not provide detailed information about their hosting features, which makes it difficult to evaluate their hosting quality.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes	Yes
Data Centers:	Not provided	2: US, Europe
Type of hosting:	Not provided	Managed WordPress Hosting
Uptime:	Not provided	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	No

5.5

7.4

🏆 Winner: iPage

Both SmugMug and iPage prioritize website performance and page speed, but iPage outperforms SmugMug in this area with a higher Website Speed Optimization score.


Focus	Mobile Responsive design	Web Server optimizations, Caching, CDN, Database optimization, SEO optimization
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	Mobile Responsive design	Web Server optimizations, Caching, CDN, Database optimization, SEO optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity	2.6s average
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity	72/100 average
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not specified	LCP, FID, CLS improvements

iPage, a user-friendly web hosting and site builder platform, focuses on web server optimizations, caching, CDN, database optimization, and SEO optimization to enhance website speed. It has an average load time of 2.6 seconds and an average PageSpeed score of 72/100. iPage also emphasizes improvements in Core Web Vitals, including Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS).

On the other hand, SmugMug, a premium website builder designed for photographers and creatives, prioritizes mobile responsive design for speed optimization. However, both its load times and PageSpeed scores vary widely, depending on the optimization and website complexity. SmugMug does not specify any information on Core Web Vitals improvements.

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6.2

6.3

🏆 Winner: iPage.

iPage edges out SmugMug with a score of 6.3, offering a variety of plugins and extensions that range from SEO tools to security enhancements. SmugMug, scoring 6.2, also provides valuable integrations, especially for photographers, but iPage’s broader range of functionalities gives it a slight advantage.

However, it’s worth noting that SmugMug’s integrations are more specialized for photographers, including a free Adobe Lightroom plugin, which could make it a better choice for users in that field.

3.8

7.2

🏆

Overall Winner: iPage

. iPage offers a more comprehensive set of marketing tools, including SEO, email marketing, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. SmugMug, while offering some of these features, lacks in email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions.


SEO Tools	Basic SEO tools	Comprehensive SEO tools
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration	Yes	Integrated social media buttons and features
Analytics and Reporting	Google Analytics integration	Google Analytics integration and in-house tools
Ads and Promotions		Offers SEO, social media integration, email marketing, and promotional discounts

7.9

6.9

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. In the SmugMug vs iPage comparison, SmugMug takes the lead with a customer support score of 7.9. SmugMug offers support primarily through email and chat, available 364 days a year, with rapid response times. For higher-tier business subscriptions, phone support is also available. Additionally, SmugMug provides specialized support for enterprise-level customers, including dedicated account representatives and tailored assistance for professional photographers and businesses.

iPage, with a customer support score of 6.9, provides 24/7 support through phone, email, and live chat, ensuring customers can receive help at any time. However, iPage does not offer specialized enterprise support, which may be a limitation for larger businesses seeking more tailored assistance. Despite this, iPage’s around-the-clock availability is a strong point for users needing immediate support.

6.0

7.5

🏆

Winner: iPage

. iPage takes the lead in security with a score of 7.5 compared to SmugMug’s 6.0. iPage offers robust security measures including Domain Privacy Protection and SiteLock, a comprehensive security suite designed to protect websites from malware, spam, and hackers. SiteLock works by scanning websites for vulnerabilities and threats, helping to keep them secure. It automatically removes malware, providing an essential layer of security against online threats. Additionally, iPage offers SSL certificates, which encrypt data transmitted between the user’s browser and the website, ensuring that sensitive information such as personal details and payment information is securely transmitted.

SmugMug, on the other hand, takes privacy and security seriously, ensuring private data storage and protection through various measures. They implement strict privacy settings and controls that allow users to manage who can access their content. However, SmugMug does not disclose detailed information about its website security measures, apart from the possibility to change privacy settings to protect website content with passwords and hiding account owner information.

3.0


AI Builder		iPage offers an AI-powered website builder
AI Ecommerce features
AI Content Generation
Additional AI features		iPage’s AI assists in efficient website setup

🏆 Winner: iPage

. iPage, with a score of 3.0, offers basic AI capabilities, mainly assisting users in setting up their websites efficiently. However, it lacks advanced AI content generation or sophisticated AI-driven design tools.

iPage AI feature

SmugMug, with a score of 0, does not have any AI capabilities. It is a premium website builder specifically designed for photographers and creatives, focusing on showcasing and selling their work online rather than offering AI features.

7.2

3.2

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. SmugMug and iPage offer different levels of user management capabilities.

SmugMug allows the primary account holder full control over the account, with the ability to add additional users through “Shared Account Management” for Portfolio and Pro level accounts. These additional users can be given various roles with different permissions, enabling them to manage or edit the website without full access to billing or account settings. The number of users and the extent of their permissions depend on SmugMug’s current offerings.
iPage’s website builder offers very limited multi-user functionality and access levels compared to more sophisticated website builder platforms.

SmugMug User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Owner	The primary account holder who has full control over the site.	Complete access to all features, settings, content management, and billing.
Admin	Users granted almost the same level of access as the owner, minus some critical billing or account settings.	Manage content, order prints, access to stats, and settings except for account and billing changes.
Contributor	Users who can upload and manage content in specific galleries.	Upload content to assigned galleries, edit captions, and keywords. Limited access to settings.

Additional Features


SSL Certificate
Custom Domain
Free Custom Domain Included
International Domains
Mobile Responsive
Page Speed
Website Builder Mobile App
Convert a Website To An App
Website Analytics
Multilingual Sites
Multiple Users

User Feedback

SmugMug

33 reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars

iPage

0 reviews

0 out of 5 stars

Users appreciate SmugMug for its reliability, ease of use, and the platform’s ability to securely host and share high-resolution photographs and videos. Highlights include seamless mobile device syncing, excellent gallery features for showcasing assets, and robust customization options minus JavaScript support. However, some users desire improvements in facial recognition technology for automatic album creation, expanded asset management capabilities beyond primarily photos, and more advanced search functionalities. Concerns about rising costs and the platform’s intuitiveness were also mentioned. Overall, SmugMug is valued for its central storage solution, privacy features for client photos, and its ability to simplify file sharing and photo sales.

iPage, while not available on G2 platform, is known for its user-friendly web hosting and site builder platform. It offers templates and a drag-and-drop builder to simplify website creation for those without technical expertise. iPage provides comprehensive services including hosting, domain registration, and e-commerce solutions, targeting small businesses and personal projects. Recently, iPage has partnered with Bluehost, merging their hosting capabilities to offer unified and improved hosting and pricing plans.

The making of this blog

We followed a clear, step-by-step process to write and research this article.

Our Ranking Criteria

FAQ

Which platform is better for photographers, SmugMug or iPage?

SmugMug is specifically designed for photographers and creatives, offering robust photo protection features, customizable templates optimized for high-quality images, and ecommerce capabilities tailored for selling prints and digital downloads. iPage, while offering a broad range of web services, lacks the specialized features that SmugMug provides for photographers.

Can I sell products on both SmugMug and iPage?

Yes, both platforms offer ecommerce capabilities. SmugMug is tailored for photographers and creatives selling online, with features like digital downloads, product pricing, and multiple currencies support. iPage caters to a broader range of small to medium-sized businesses with its ecommerce solutions, including inventory management and PayPal integration.

Which platform offers better customer support, SmugMug or iPage?

SmugMug provides superior customer support with a score of 7.9, offering support through email and chat, with rapid response times and specialized support for enterprise-level customers. iPage offers 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and live chat but lacks the specialized enterprise support that SmugMug provides.

How do SmugMug and iPage compare in terms of website speed and hosting quality?

iPage wins in hosting quality and website speed optimization, offering managed WordPress hosting with a 99.9% uptime guarantee and optimizations like web server caching and CDN. SmugMug focuses on mobile responsive design but does not provide detailed information about its hosting features or website speed optimization strategies.

Are there any AI capabilities on SmugMug or iPage?

iPage offers basic AI capabilities, mainly assisting users in setting up their websites efficiently. SmugMug does not have any AI capabilities, focusing instead on providing a premium website builder designed for photographers and creatives to showcase and sell their work online.

Which platform is more affordable, SmugMug or iPage?

iPage offers more affordable plans suitable for simple websites or blogs, multiple sites, and online selling, with a variety of hosting services including shared, WordPress, and VPS hosting. SmugMug’s pricing reflects its specialized services for photographers and creatives, with plans that cater to different levels of professional photography needs.