SmugMug vs Showit: guide for 2024

Final verdict

SmugMug and Showit both cater to creative professionals, but they serve slightly different needs.

SmugMug (Overall Grade: 6.3/10)

is tailored for photographers and visual artists who want to showcase and sell their work online. It offers robust photo protection features, customizable templates, and ecommerce capabilities, making it a solid choice for those focused on photography. However, its versatility for other types of websites is limited compared to Showit.
Showit (Overall Grade: 6.4/10)

excels in design flexibility and customization, making it ideal for creative professionals who want to create visually stunning websites without coding. Its dual canvas interface and integration with WordPress for blogging provide a high degree of control over the website’s appearance on different devices. While it offers basic ecommerce functions, it is not as comprehensive as SmugMug’s ecommerce features.

	Overall grade: 6.3	Overall grade: 6.4
Design functionalities & templates	7.1	8.5
Ease of use	7.8	8.6
Ecommerce	7.3	4.8
Website editors	7.3	8.0
Product testing options	7.4	8.3
Price	7.8	7.9
Hosting quality	5.0	7.3
Website speed optimization	5.5	5.4
Plugins/extensions and integrations	6.2	5.8
Marketing features	3.8	7.2
Customer support	7.9	6.4
Website security	6.0	8.3
User management	7.2	6.7

Best for ecommerce

7.3

4.8

Verdict

: SmugMug is better suited for photographers and creatives looking to sell their work online, while Showit offers basic ecommerce capabilities through third-party integrations.

SmugMug

: SmugMug excels in providing ecommerce features tailored for photographers, including digital downloads, product pricing, tax handling, and multiple currency support. It is ideal for creatives who want to showcase and sell their work online. However, when comparing SmugMug vs Showit, SmugMug’s ecommerce capabilities are more comprehensive and built-in, making it a stronger choice for dedicated ecommerce needs.
Showit

: Showit offers basic ecommerce functionalities primarily through integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce. It is more focused on providing design flexibility and creative freedom, making it suitable for visually oriented websites. However, it lacks the comprehensive ecommerce features found in SmugMug, making it less ideal for extensive ecommerce operations.

Best for informational & business websites

7.5

8.7

Verdict

: Showit is the superior choice for creating informational and business websites, thanks to its high degree of customization and user-friendly interface. SmugMug, while excellent for photographers, is less versatile for general informational sites.

SmugMug

: SmugMug is tailored for photographers and creatives, offering customizable templates optimized for high-quality image display. It includes robust photo protection features and e-commerce capabilities, making it ideal for showcasing and selling visual work. However, its focus on photography limits its versatility for broader informational website needs.

Score: 7.5
Showit

: Showit excels in creating custom, mobile-responsive websites with its drag-and-drop interface. It offers extensive design flexibility and integrates seamlessly with WordPress for blogging. This makes it a top choice for creative professionals who need a highly customizable and visually appealing website.

Score: 8.7

Detailed comparison

7.1

8.5

🏆

Winner: Showit.

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

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, Showit offers a wide variety of templates and designs, catering to diverse aesthetic preferences and business needs. Users can choose from an extensive collection that ranges from minimalist and sleek to bold and artistic, ensuring there’s something for every brand identity.

Showit Themes

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7.8

8.6

🏆 Winner: Showit

. With a score of 8.6, Showit offers a user-friendly drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create custom websites without needing any coding knowledge. SmugMug, scoring 7.8, also provides a user-friendly interface but is more focused on photography and visual content, making it less versatile for other types of websites.

Learning Resources

🏆 Winner: Showit

. Showit offers a comprehensive training course, a learning hub with videos, help documents, a dedicated support team, and a private Facebook group for community advice and peer support. SmugMug also provides learning materials and features, including beginner’s guides and tutorials on YouTube, but does not offer as extensive resources as Showit.

Learn SmugMug

Learn Showit

7.3

4.8

When it comes to ecommerce, SmugMug and Showit cater to different needs. SmugMug is designed for photographers and creatives who want to sell their work online, offering a range of ecommerce features such as digital downloads, product pricing, tax handling, discounts and coupons, and support for multiple currencies. On the other hand, Showit is primarily a website builder focused on design, offering great flexibility and creative freedom, making it ideal for visually oriented websites rather than extensive e-commerce platforms. It includes basic ecommerce functions but lacks the comprehensive ecommerce features found in platforms like Shopify or WooCommerce, however Showit allows integration of both the mentioned platforms for enhancing ecommerce capabilities.


Ecommerce themes and templates	8.0	2.0
Product page customization	6.5	2.5
Payment processing and commissions	6.0	4.0
POS capabilities	0.0	1.0
Payment gateways	5.0	4.5
Product numbers	9.0	3.0
Additional ecommerce features	6.5	3.5

SmugMug ecommerce features:

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

Showit ecommerce features:

Shopify and WooCommerce integration

Ecommerce themes & templates

Almost all of the templates of Smugmug are designed with ecommerce in mind, providing built-in shopping cart functionality. Showit, on the other hand, does not have any ecommerce specific templates.

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. This balance between showcasing art and facilitating sales makes SmugMug a suitable choice for photographers looking to professionalize their online presence and monetize their art efficiently. Showit has very basic ecommerce capabilities, primarily through its integration with WooCommerce and Shopify.

Payment processing

When it comes to payment processing, SmugMug has a unique approach. 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. You can choose your profit payment schedule, with automatic monthly payments for balances over $500, or request payments for lower amounts. 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, processed on the first business day after the 7th of each month for profits accumulated through the end of the previous month. Showit supports e-commerce by allowing integration with third-party platforms like Shopify Lite, ThriveCart, WooCommerce, and Podia, rather than offering direct payment processing or POS capabilities. Users can add e-commerce functionalities to their Showit sites using embed codes for “Buy Buttons” or similar features from these platforms. The choice of platform depends on the user’s specific needs, including product type, store size, and budget, as each platform has its own pricing and transaction fee structures. Additionally the platform supports integration of PayPal pay button, allowing users to pay directly through their PayPal account.

7.3

8.0

🏆

Winner: Showit

. Showit, with a score of 8.0, is designed for creating custom, responsive websites with a focus on ease of use, especially for photographers and creative professionals. It allows users to design their website visually with a drag-and-drop interface, eliminating the need for coding knowledge. Users can create highly customized pages by adjusting layouts, fonts, and colors, and can also incorporate multimedia elements like videos and images directly into their designs. Additionally, Showit offers deep integration with WordPress for blogging, enabling users to manage and publish blog posts within the same platform, providing a seamless experience from website design to content management.

Showit 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

🏆

Winner: SmugMug

. Both SmugMug and Showit are designed for creative professionals, with a focus on photographers. However, when it comes to mobile editing capabilities, SmugMug has a slight advantage. SmugMug offers a mobile editing app, but its functionality is limited to adding new photos and editing descriptions.

Showit, on the other hand, does not have a dedicated mobile editor app, and it’s not possible to edit a Showit website using a mobile browser version. Therefore, while neither platform offers comprehensive mobile editing capabilities, SmugMug provides a basic level of functionality that Showit does not.

In summary, SmugMug receives a higher rating due to its basic mobile editing capabilities, while Showit does not offer any mobile editing functionality.

7.4

8.3

Overall Result

:

Showit Wins

. Showit scores 8.3 in product testing options, slightly higher than SmugMug’s 7.4. Both platforms offer a 14-day free trial, but Showit stands out with its 30-day money back guarantee. Neither platform offers a free version, but both allow testing of all premium features during the trial period.


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

7.8

7.9

SmugMug and Showit have similar price scores, with Showit slightly edging out SmugMug.

Both platforms offer a range of pricing options to cater to different user needs, with SmugMug’s plans being more expensive but offering more features specifically tailored for photographers. Both platforms also offer enterprise plans for users with more advanced needs.

	Offerings	Offerings
$15-$25	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	Showit ($24/month): Ideal for sites without a blog. Includes 20GB storage and secure certificate. Regular design backups stored for 7 days. Value for price: 6.0
$25-$35	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	Showit + Basic Starter Blog ($29/month): For new blogs. Includes everything in the Showit plan, plus blog-specific features. 20GB storage, up to 10k monthly visitors, daily backups stored for 30 days, pre-installed plugins (no additional plugins are permitted), 1 WordPress user. Value for price: 7.0
$35-$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	Showit + Advanced Blog ($39/month): For migrating or high-traffic blogs with custom plugin needs. Includes everything in the Basic Starter Blog plan, plus up to 25k monthly visits, unlimited number of plugins, unlimited number of WordPress users, Free advanced blog migration from WordPress or Squarespace and FTP access. Value for price: 8.0
$60-$70	No offering at this amount.	Showit + Advanced Blog 50k ($69/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 30 GB storage, up to 50k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. Value for price: 8.5
$100-$200	No offering at this amount.	Showit + Advanced Blog 100k ($129/month): Includes everything in the Showit + Advanced Blog plan, with possibility to install custom WordPress plugins, 50 GB storage, up to 100k visitors monthly, and possibility to migrate Squarespace and WordPress blog posts. 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

7.3

🏆

Winner: Showit

Showit offers managed WordPress hosting with daily backups and 20GB storage, which gives it an edge over SmugMug. SmugMug, on the other hand, does not provide detailed information about their hosting features. Both platforms do not disclose information about their data centers. However, Showit’s additional features and transparency about their hosting type earn it a higher rating.


Do they offer hosting?	Yes	Yes, Managed wordpress hosting, with daily backups and 20GB storage
Type of hosting:	Not disclosed	Managed WordPress hosting
Uptime:	Not disclosed	99.9%
Uptime Guarantee:	Yes, 99.9%	Yes, 99%
Data Centers:	Not disclosed	Not disclosed

5.5

5.4

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

Both SmugMug and Showit have similar strategies for website speed optimization, but SmugMug slightly outperforms Showit in terms of the Website Speed Optimization score.


Focus	Mobile Responsive design	Optimization plugins, Caching
Performance Tools	Not specified	Not specified
Key Strategies	Mobile Responsive design	Optimization plugins, Caching
Load Times	Varies widely, depending on optimization	Varies depending on optimization
Page Speed Scores Range	Varies widely, depending on optimization	Varies depending on optimization
Core Web Vitals Improvement	Not specified	Not specified

SmugMug, a website builder designed for photographers and creatives, focuses on mobile responsive design for speed optimization. However, both load times and PageSpeed scores can vary widely, depending on the optimization and website complexity. Unfortunately, SmugMug does not share any information on Core Web Vital improvements.

On the other hand, Showit, a drag-and-drop website builder for creative professionals, uses optimization plugins and caching as their main strategies for speed optimization. Similar to SmugMug, Showit’s load times and PageSpeed scores also vary depending on the optimization and website complexity. Showit does not disclose any information on their Core Web Vital improvements.

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6.2

5.8

🏆 Winner: SmugMug.

With a score of 6.2, SmugMug edges out Showit (5.8) in the plugins and integrations category. SmugMug’s integrations with popular photo-hosting services like Dropbox, Adobe Lightroom, Google Photos, Flickr, and Amazon Drive make it a more versatile and efficient platform for managing and showcasing photography portfolios.

Showit, on the other hand, offers a variety of plugins primarily for users with the Advanced Blog plan, enhancing website functionality across SEO, spam protection, and more. However, the availability and use of these plugins are contingent upon the subscription tier, with higher tiers required for broader plugin compatibility and additional features.

3.8

7.2

🏆

Overall Winner: Showit

. Showit offers a more comprehensive set of marketing features, including SEO tools, email marketing through third-party integrations, blogging, social media integration, analytics and reporting, and ads and promotions. SmugMug, on the other hand, lacks in several areas such as email marketing, blogging, and ads and promotions.

Marketing Features
SEO Tools	Basic SEO tools	Comprehensive SEO tools
Email Marketing		(through third-party integrations)
Blogging
Social Media Integration
Analytics and Reporting	Basic analytics and reporting	Comprehensive analytics and reporting
Ads and Promotions		(through third-party integrations)

7.9

6.4

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. In the SmugMug vs Showit comparison, SmugMug takes the lead with a customer support score of 7.9. SmugMug offers robust support through email and chat, available 364 days a year, ensuring users can get help when they need it. Additionally, SmugMug provides phone support for higher-tier business subscriptions, which can be crucial for professional photographers and businesses requiring immediate assistance.

Showit, with a customer support score of 6.4, provides support via email and chat from Monday to Friday, 7 AM to 11 PM Arizona Time, with limited weekend coverage. While Showit typically responds within 1-2 hours during business hours, it lacks the 24/7 availability that some users might need. Showit does offer an enterprise-level custom plan, but specific details on enterprise support are not provided, making SmugMug a more reliable choice for those needing comprehensive support.

6.0

8.3

🏆

Winner: Showit

. Showit takes a comprehensive approach to security, providing robust features such as free SSL certificates, automated backups, and additional protections for WordPress-integrated sites. Showit also prioritizes user data privacy and security, adhering to GDPR guidelines and employing secure and redundant data storage.

SmugMug, while offering privacy settings and controls for content access, does not disclose detailed information about its website security measures. Despite its focus on privacy and data protection, SmugMug’s security features are not as comprehensive as Showit’s.


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

🏆 Winner: Neither

. Both SmugMug and Showit do not have AI capabilities. These platforms focus on providing user-friendly interfaces and customizable templates for their users, but they do not utilize AI to enhance the website building process or to provide additional features.

7.2

6.7

🏆 Winner: SmugMug

. Both SmugMug and Showit offer different levels of user management, but SmugMug edges out with a slightly higher score.

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.
Showit allows only one user on lower plans, on it’s Showit + Advanced Blog plan the platform allows unlimited number of with different access levels.

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.

Showit User Roles and Access Levels:

Role	Description	Access Highlights
Administrator	Users with full access to all administration features, including Elementor settings.	Can edit all content, Access to Elementor settings, Can install plugins and themes, Can manage users
Editor	Users who can manage and publish content including pages and posts.	Can edit pages/posts created with Elementor, Cannot access Elementor settings, Can manage categories, tags, and links, Can moderate comments
Author	Users who can publish and manage their own posts.	Can create posts with Elementor, Cannot edit pages, Limited access to media library, Cannot access Elementor settings
Contributor	Users who can write and manage their own posts but cannot publish them.	Can create content with Elementor, Cannot publish or edit pages, No access to Elementor settings, Submissions require review by higher-level roles

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

Showit

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.

Showit, on the other hand, does not have user feedback available on G2. However, its unique dual canvas interface and seamless integration with WordPress make it a popular choice among creative professionals. The platform’s drag-and-drop functionality and high degree of customization are particularly appreciated by photographers, designers, and bloggers who want to create visually stunning, mobile-responsive websites without needing to write code. When comparing SmugMug vs Showit, the choice may come down to specific needs: SmugMug for robust photo protection and e-commerce capabilities, and Showit for design flexibility and WordPress integration.

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 Showit?

SmugMug is specifically designed for photographers and creatives, offering robust photo protection features, customizable templates optimized for displaying high-quality images, and comprehensive ecommerce solutions for selling prints and digital downloads. Showit, while offering great design flexibility and customization, lacks the specialized ecommerce features of SmugMug, making SmugMug the better choice for photographers looking to monetize their work directly from their website.

Can I blog with SmugMug and Showit?

Showit integrates seamlessly with WordPress, providing powerful blogging capabilities alongside its design flexibility. This makes it an excellent choice for users who prioritize both design and content creation. SmugMug does not offer built-in blogging features, making Showit the preferred platform for users who need strong blogging capabilities.

Which platform offers better ecommerce features?

SmugMug offers specialized ecommerce features tailored for photographers and creatives, including support for selling prints and digital downloads, multiple currencies, tax handling, and discounts. Showit’s ecommerce capabilities are more basic, relying on integrations with platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce for selling products. Therefore, SmugMug is the better choice for users focused on ecommerce, especially for selling photography and creative works.

How do SmugMug and Showit compare in terms of design and customization?

Showit stands out with its design flexibility and customization options, thanks to its user-friendly drag-and-drop interface and dual canvas interface for independent design of mobile and desktop views. SmugMug also offers a range of customizable templates optimized for visual content but is more focused on photography and lacks the same level of design versatility as Showit.

Which platform is easier to use for beginners?

Showit scores higher in ease of use, offering a drag-and-drop interface that allows users to create custom, mobile-responsive websites without needing to write code. SmugMug is also user-friendly but caters more to photographers and may have a slightly steeper learning curve for users unfamiliar with ecommerce features.

What about customer support and learning resources?

Showit provides extensive learning resources, including a comprehensive training course, videos, help documents, and a dedicated support team. SmugMug also offers learning materials and support but does not provide as extensive resources as Showit. However, SmugMug’s customer support is highly rated, with rapid response times and specialized support for higher-tier subscriptions.

Can I use Showit for a photography website?

Yes, Showit can be used for photography websites, especially by users who value creative freedom and design versatility. While it may not offer the same specialized photography ecommerce features as SmugMug, its design capabilities and WordPress integration make it a strong choice for photographers who also prioritize blogging.