It should not be this difficult to store photos online. We enjoy the convenience of being able to take photos whenever we want, but the files seem to accumulate, consuming device storage. Because we believe that taking photos should be enjoyable and simple, we’ve compiled a list of the best photo storage options, including the best free online photo storage sites, photo storage solutions with private photo sharing, and the sites and apps that we believe are the best cloud storages for photos in the UK and beyond.
- Dropbox
Dropbox is widely regarded as one of the best photo storage apps, which is not surprising given its user-friendly interface and cloud infrastructure. Dropbox allows users to organize photos and other digital files into folders that they can share with others. Dropbox is also available for iOS and Android, allowing it to be accessed by all mobile users.
Dropbox provides both free and paid services; you can sign up for a free Dropbox account with a limited 2GB of storage, or you can pay for Dropbox Plus, which provides 2TB of storage, or Dropbox Professional, which provides 3TB of storage. While Dropbox is widely regarded as one of the best-designed photo storage solutions, the paid plans are quite pricey.
- Amazon Photos
Amazon Photos is a good digital photo storage option for Amazon Prime members, who get unlimited photo storage as part of their Prime membership. You can also order photo prints, cards, and calendars from Amazon Photos. Amazon Photos also includes a Family Vault feature, which allows up to five people to share and store unlimited photos.
- Google Photos
Given that many Android mobile devices come pre-installed with Google apps, including Google Photos, Google Photos is one of the most popular online photo storage solutions. Google Photos is a user-friendly and versatile app that provides photo storage as well as basic editing options.
Users can also create albums in Google Photos. The disadvantage is that albums cannot be privately shared with anyone. Google users can share their albums privately with other Google users, or they can share their albums publicly with non-Google users.
One of the most appealing features of Google Photos is the unlimited photo storage, which makes it a very appealing free online photo storage option. Having said that, while Google Photos allows you to store an unlimited number of photos for free, you cannot store photos larger than 16 MP in size. To store larger photos, you must upgrade to a paid plan, which is inconvenient.
- iCloud Photos
As Apple’s file storage service, iCloud Photos, like Google Photos, is one of the most popular photo storage options. Although it is intended for use with Apple Photos on Macs and iPhones, Windows users can also use it.
You can upload photos to iCloud and view them in a photostream. You can geotag your photos after you upload them, and other iCloud users can contribute to the stream by adding their photos, making it a collaborative experience.
Unlike Google Photos, iCloud users can access 5GB of storage for free, but must pay monthly for additional storage.
- Smug Mug
SmugMug is another excellent photo storage service that offers unlimited photo storage as well as the ability to create a personalised website, their own web address, and access to photo editing tools. Unlike many other photo storage solutions, Smug Mug maintains high image resolution.
- Photobucket
Photobucket is a photo storage website that also includes photo editing tools. Users can organize their photos into albums on Photobucket, making it one of the most convenient storage solutions.
- Flickr
Flickr is a good option for those on a tight budget because a free Flickr account allows users to upload 1,000 photos and videos for free. However, if you need more storage space, you must upgrade to Flickr Pro. Flickr’s free version is also ad-supported, which may irritate some users.
Flickr, like iCloud, has an appealing photostream display. Flickr has a social media feel to it because other users can follow you and comment and like your photos. Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of Flickr is that it can only handle compressed images, which is inconvenient for photographers who prefer to shoot in RAW.
- Pixpa
Pixpa is a unique photo storage option as it combines photo storage and eCommerce functions.
Pixpa allows you to store images in addition to creating an online portfolio, an eCommerce store, and client galleries. It is a good photo storage option for eCommerce vendors because it simplifies website creation and requires no IT expertise.
Where can I keep my personal photographs?
Dropbox is great, but the storage capacity is only 2 GB. Google Drive is another excellent cloud storage service that offers 15 GB for free. There are also cloud photo services specific to photos, such as Google Photos. It allows you to easily store and organize photos from all of your mobile devices.
Where do pro photographers keep their digital photos?
Hard drives that are external (EHD)
Most photographers will require at least one dedicated storage drive in addition to their computer’s primary internal drive if they are storing their files locally. For this extra storage, the most popular and cost-effective option is to use an external hard drive.
