SmugMug vs Pixpa: guide for 2024

Final verdict

SmugMug and Pixpa both cater to creatives, but they serve slightly different needs and preferences.

SmugMug (Overall Grade: 6.3/10)

is tailored for photographers and visual artists who need a platform to showcase and sell their work. It offers robust photo protection features, customizable templates, and ecommerce capabilities specifically designed for selling prints and digital downloads. When comparing SmugMug vs Pixpa, SmugMug excels in providing a secure and professional environment for photographers, but it may lack the versatility needed for broader creative and business applications.
Pixpa (Overall Grade: 6.7/10)

, on the other hand, is an all-in-one platform for creatives and small businesses, offering a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface, highly customizable templates, and comprehensive tools for SEO, marketing, and analytics. Considering SmugMug vs Pixpa, Pixpa stands out for its design flexibility, ease of use, and affordability, making it a great choice for users who need a versatile platform to build and manage their online presence effectively.

	Overall grade: 6.3	Overall grade: 6.7
Design functionalities & templates	7.1	7.8
Ease of use	7.8	8.4
Ecommerce	7.3	7.0
Website Editors	7.3	7.5
Product testing options	7.4	8.5
Price	7.8	9.1
Hosting quality	5.0	5.4
Website speed optimization	5.5	3.0
Plugins/extensions and integrations	6.2	6.7
Marketing features	3.8	7.4
Customer support	7.9	7.0
Website security	6.0	8.3
AI capabilities	0	0.0
User Management	7.2	7.3

Best for ecommerce

7.3

7.0

Verdict

: SmugMug is tailored for photographers looking to sell their work online, while Pixpa offers a more versatile platform for creatives and small businesses.

SmugMug

: SmugMug is ideal for photographers who want to showcase and sell their work directly from their website. It offers features like digital downloads, product pricing, tax handling, discounts, and multiple currencies support. However, when comparing SmugMug vs Pixpa, SmugMug may lack some advanced ecommerce functionalities that broader online stores might need.
Pixpa

: Pixpa provides a comprehensive platform for creatives and small businesses, with built-in online stores, blogs, and client galleries. It offers SEO and marketing tools, secure payments, and customizable product options. While it may not be as specialized as SmugMug for photographers, it provides a more rounded ecommerce solution for various types of businesses.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

7.9

Verdict

: When it comes to creating informational and business websites, Pixpa has a slight edge over SmugMug due to its broader range of customizable templates and user-friendly interface.

SmugMug

: SmugMug is tailored for photographers and creatives, offering a variety of customizable templates optimized for high-quality image display. While it includes e-commerce capabilities, its primary focus on photography may limit its versatility for other types of informational websites. SmugMug scores 7.5 in this category.
Pixpa

: Pixpa is an all-in-one platform designed for creatives and small businesses, providing a drag-and-drop interface and a wide variety of customizable templates. It includes built-in online stores, blogs, and client galleries, making it a versatile choice for various types of informational websites. Pixpa scores 7.9 in this category, making it the preferred choice for users who prioritize design flexibility and ease of use.

Detailed comparison

7.1

7.8

🏆

Winner: Pixpa.

Pixpa’s design functionalities and templates score is higher than SmugMug’s, making it the preferred choice for users who prioritize design flexibility and variety.

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, Pixpa offers a wide variety of templates and designs tailored to meet the diverse needs of creative professionals. With an extensive library that includes numerous options, users can easily find the perfect template that aligns with their brand identity and showcases their work in the best light.

Pixpa Themes

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7.8

8.4

🏆 Winner: Pixpa

. With a score of 8.4, Pixpa offers an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows users to create and manage websites with ease. SmugMug, scoring 7.8, also provides a user-friendly interface, but it is more focused on photography and visual content, which may limit its versatility for other types of websites.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Pixpa

. Pixpa offers a comprehensive suite of learning resources, including detailed tutorials, step-by-step guides, and video walkthroughs. SmugMug also provides learning materials, but they are not as extensive as Pixpa’s.

Learn SmugMug

Learn Pixpa

7.3

7.0

SmugMug and Pixpa both offer ecommerce capabilities, but they cater to different needs. SmugMug is designed for photographers who want to sell their work directly from their website, offering features like digital downloads, product pricing, tax handling, discounts and coupons, and multiple currencies support. Pixpa, on the other hand, is an all-in-one platform for creatives and small businesses, offering features like SEO and marketing tools, secure payments, and comprehensive product options.


Ecommerce themes and templates	8.0	6.8
Product page customization	6.5	6.5
Payment processing and commissions	6.0	7.5
POS capabilities	0.0	0.0
Payment gateways	5.0	7.0
Product numbers	9.0	5.5
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	6.0

SmugMug ecommerce features:

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

Pixpa ecommerce features:

SEO and Marketing features
Secure Payments
Comprehensive product options

Ecommerce themes & templates

Almost all of the templates of SmugMug are designed with ecommerce in mind, providing built-in shopping cart functionality. Pixpa offers a variety of ecommerce-specific templates designed to cater to online stores and businesses. These templates are crafted to showcase products effectively, integrate shopping carts, and provide a seamless checkout experience.

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. Pixpa offers a range of ecommerce product page customization options to cater to various needs. Users can easily manage and display products with options for multiple images, pricing variations, and detailed product descriptions.

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.

Pixpa does not charge commissions on sales, allowing creators to keep all revenue generated, minus any transaction fees from payment processors. The platform supports various payment gateways, including Stripe, PayPal, Razorpay, PayUmoney, and offline payments, to facilitate direct payments into user accounts. However, Pixpa does not have any POS capabilities.

Pixpa Add a product

7.3

7.5

🏆

Winner: Pixpa

. Pixpa, with a score of 7.5, is an all-in-one platform designed for creative professionals to build their own websites without needing any coding knowledge. It offers a drag-and-drop interface that makes it easy to create and customize a professional-looking website, portfolio, or e-commerce store. Pixpa provides a variety of templates and design options tailored to photographers, artists, designers, and small businesses. Additionally, it includes features such as client galleries, blogging, and SEO tools to help users showcase their work effectively and grow their online presence.

Pixpa editor

SmugMug’s website builder editor, scoring 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. Additionally, SmugMug provides tools for selling prints and digital downloads directly from the website, making it a comprehensive platform for photographers looking to display and monetize their work online.

Smugmug website editor

Mobile editor/app

7.5

5.5

🏆

Winner: SmugMug

. Both SmugMug and Pixpa offer mobile editing capabilities, but they differ in their approach and functionality. SmugMug provides a mobile app, but its editing capabilities are limited to adding new photos and editing descriptions. Layout changes on the website are not possible through the app.

Pixpa, on the other hand, does not have a dedicated mobile app. However, users can edit their websites on a mobile browser, albeit with some limitations.

In summary, SmugMug scores higher in the mobile editor category due to its dedicated app, despite its limited editing capabilities. Pixpa, while offering mobile browser editing, lacks a dedicated app, which may affect the user experience and convenience.

7.4

8.5

Overall Result

:

Pixpa Wins

. Pixpa scores 8.5 in product testing options, outperforming SmugMug’s score of 7.4. Pixpa offers a 15-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee, providing users with a longer evaluation period. Additionally, Pixpa allows testing of all premium features during the trial period and within the refundable period, offering a comprehensive testing experience.


Free Plan	No	No
Trial Duration	14 days	15 days
Testing Premium Features	During the free trial	All premium features can be tested during 15-day free trial and within 30 day refundable period.
Money Back Guarantee	No	30-day money back guarantee

7.8

9.1

Pixpa offers more affordable pricing plans and a significant discount for annual subscriptions, making it a cost-effective choice for creatives and small businesses. SmugMug’s plans are more expensive, but they offer more advanced features for professional photographers.

	Offerings	Offerings
$0-$10	No offering at this amount.	Basic ($8/month): Ideal for personal use with basic website features, gallery images, and blogging. Possible to have up to 10 website pages and up to 200 images. Value for price: 6.0
$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	Creator ($15/month): Targets creators with more storage and enhanced visibility options. Value for price: 7.0
$15-$20	No offering at this amount.	Professional ($20/month): For professionals needing ecommerce enhancements and larger storage. Value for price: 8.0
$20-$40	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	Advanced ($25/month): Best for businesses requiring extensive resources and advanced ecommerce tools. Value for price: 9.0
$40-$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	No offering at this amount.
$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

5.4

🏆

Winner: Pixpa

Pixpa edges out SmugMug in hosting quality due to its use of Amazon Web Services for scalable and reliable cloud hosting, offering varying levels of storage and unlimited bandwidth. SmugMug, while offering hosting, lacks detailed information about its hosting features, type, uptime, and data centers. This lack of transparency gives Pixpa a slight advantage.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes, but lacks detail	Yes, with detailed features
Type of hosting:	Not provided	Managed Cloud Hosting
Uptime:	Not provided	Not provided
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	Not provided
Data Centers:	Not provided	Not provided

5.5

3.0

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

Both SmugMug and Pixpa prioritize website performance and speed, but SmugMug takes the lead due to its mobile responsive design and the lack of data on Pixpa’s load times and PageSpeed scores.


Focus	Mobile Responsive design	Code Minification, CDN, HTML caching, Server Side Rendering, SEO optimization
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	Mobile Responsive design	Code Minification, CDN, HTML caching, Server Side Rendering, SEO optimization
Load Times	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity	No data available
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, depending on the optimization, website complexity	No data available
Core Web Vitals Improvement	No information available	Emphasis on LCP, FID, CLS improvements

SmugMug, a website builder designed for photographers and creatives, prioritizes website performance and speed with a focus on mobile responsive design. This ensures that websites built with SmugMug load quickly and efficiently on all devices, providing a seamless user experience. However, both load times and PageSpeed scores can vary widely, depending on the level of optimization and website complexity. SmugMug does not provide any specific information on Core Web Vital improvements.

On the other hand, Pixpa, an all-in-one platform for creatives and small businesses, employs a range of strategies for speed optimization, including code minification, use of a Content Delivery Network (CDN), HTML caching, Server Side Rendering, and SEO optimization. These strategies aim to enhance the performance and speed of websites built with Pixpa. However, there’s no available data on PageSpeed scores and load times for websites built with Pixpa, making it difficult to assess its performance in these areas. Pixpa does emphasize improvements in Core Web Vitals, specifically LCP, FID, and CLS.

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6.2

6.7

🏆 Winner: Pixpa.

Pixpa scores 6.7, slightly ahead of SmugMug’s 6.2. Pixpa offers over 100 plugins, including SEO tools, e-commerce solutions, and social media integrations, providing a more comprehensive set of tools to enhance website functionality. SmugMug, on the other hand, focuses on integrations with photo-hosting services, which is great for photographers but may not offer the same level of versatility as Pixpa for a broader range of users.

Pixpa Applications

Pixpa Apps and integrations

3.8

7.4

🏆

Overall Winner: Pixpa

. Pixpa stands out for its comprehensive 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	Comprehensive
Email Marketing
Blogging
Social Media Integration
Analytics and Reporting	Google Analytics integration	Google Analytics integration
Ads and Promotions		SEO, social media integration, email marketing, and promotional discounts

7.9

7.0

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. In the SmugMug vs Pixpa comparison, SmugMug takes the lead with a customer support score of 7.9. SmugMug offers customer support primarily through email and chat, available 364 days a year, ensuring users can get help almost any time they need it. Additionally, SmugMug provides phone support for higher-tier business subscriptions, and enterprise-level customers benefit from hands-on account representatives and dedicated support contacts.

Pixpa, with a customer support score of 7.0, provides 24/7 customer support via email and live chat, ensuring users can get assistance at any time. However, Pixpa does not offer specialized enterprise support, which may be a limitation for larger businesses seeking more tailored assistance. Despite this, Pixpa’s round-the-clock availability is a significant advantage for users needing immediate help.

6.0

8.3

🏆

Winner: Pixpa

. Pixpa takes the lead in security with a score of 8.3 compared to SmugMug’s 6.0. Pixpa’s commitment to private data storage and protection is evident in its robust security measures, including SSL encryption, regular backups, stringent privacy policies, and compliance with GDPR and other data protection regulations. In terms of website security, Pixpa uses SSL encryption across all its websites, conducts regular security audits and updates, and offers secure hosting with robust firewalls and DDoS protection.

SmugMug, while it does take privacy and security seriously, does not provide as much detailed information about its security measures. It does offer strict privacy settings and controls and complies with data privacy laws and regulations. However, more detailed information about its website security measures is not readily available, which makes it difficult to compare with Pixpa’s comprehensive security features.

0.0


Personalized Design
SEO Optimization
Customer Behavior Analysis
Sales Predictions
Inventory Management
Content Generation

🏆 Winner: None

. Neither SmugMug nor Pixpa offer any AI capabilities. Both builders focus on providing a platform for creatives to showcase their work, with a range of customizable templates and ecommerce features. However, they do not utilize AI to enhance the user experience or provide additional functionalities.

7.2

7.3

🏆 Winner: Pixpa

. Both SmugMug and Pixpa offer user management features, but they approach it differently.

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.
Pixpa offers a Users and Permissions feature allowing multiple users on Professional plans (up to 5 users) and Advanced plans (unlimited). The site owner can grant edit access to sections like General, Store, Client Galleries, Marketing, Settings, and Administration, customizing permissions based on user roles. The site owner can manage user permissions, suspend or reactivate users, and permanently remove them, but irreversible actions should be approached with caution.

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.

User Management Score:

SmugMug: 7.2
Pixpa: 7.3

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

Pixpa

60 reviews

4.7 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.

Pixpa stands out for its exceptional customer service, easy-to-use interface, and affordable pricing. Users appreciate the variety of templates and customization options available, allowing them to create professional-looking websites tailored to their needs. The responsive and helpful customer support, coupled with the platform’s features like online forms and integrations, make Pixpa a valuable tool for individuals and businesses seeking to establish a strong online presence. Despite some minor issues like limited options for third-party integrations and mobile layout adjustments, Pixpa remains highly recommended for its versatility, professionalism, and overall value.

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 Pixpa?

SmugMug is specifically designed for photographers, offering robust photo protection features, customizable templates optimized for high-quality images, and strong ecommerce capabilities tailored for selling prints and digital downloads. Pixpa, while versatile and catering to a broader range of creatives, also provides excellent options for photographers but with a wider set of tools for all creatives.

Can I sell my work directly from my site with both SmugMug and Pixpa?

Yes, both platforms offer specialized ecommerce solutions. SmugMug is tailored for photographers looking to sell their work directly, with features like digital downloads and multiple currencies support. Pixpa serves a wider range of creatives with its all-in-one platform approach, offering comprehensive product options and strong SEO and marketing tools.

Which platform offers better design and customization options?

Pixpa is the winner in terms of design functionalities and templates, offering a higher score than SmugMug. Pixpa provides a wide variety of templates and designs tailored to meet the diverse needs of creative professionals, ensuring users can find the perfect template that aligns with their brand identity.

How do SmugMug and Pixpa compare in terms of ease of use?

Pixpa scores higher in ease of use, offering an intuitive and user-friendly interface that allows users to create and manage websites with ease. SmugMug also provides a user-friendly interface but is more focused on photography and visual content, which may limit its versatility for other types of websites.

Which platform is more affordable?

Pixpa offers more affordable pricing plans and a significant discount for annual subscriptions, making it a cost-effective choice for creatives and small businesses. SmugMug’s plans are more expensive but offer more advanced features for professional photographers.

Do SmugMug and Pixpa offer customer support?

SmugMug provides customer support mainly through email and chat, with rapid response times and specialized support for enterprise-level customers. Pixpa provides 24/7 customer support via email or live chat, ensuring users have access to assistance anytime they need help.

Which platform is better for SEO and marketing?

Pixpa stands out for its comprehensive marketing tools, including SEO, email marketing, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. SmugMug offers some of these features but lacks in email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions.

Can I manage multiple users with both platforms?

Both SmugMug and Pixpa offer user management features, but Pixpa provides a more flexible approach with its Users and Permissions feature, allowing multiple users on Professional and Advanced plans with customizable permissions based on user roles.