Compare
Lenzl vs PhotoShelter
Prices checked 2026-09-02 · both platforms change pricing over time — check each one before deciding. PhotoShelter’s figures were read from their own published page.
| Lenzl Hobby | PhotoShelter | |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest paid plan | £6/month | Basic — $10/mo (billed annually; $12.99/month month-to-month) |
| Storage | 20 GB | 4 GB on Basic, 100 GB on Standard, 500 GB on Pro |
| Custom domain | Buy at cost, or bring your own — included on Pro | Yes — a custom domain is listed on the photographer plans |
| Commission on sales | 0% on Pro, 10% on Hobby | A transaction fee on sales, published by PhotoShelter as 30% on Starter, 10% on Basic, 9% on Standard and 8% on Pro |
| Client portal (QR / code access) | Unlimited galleries on every photographer plan; client proofing on the higher tiers |
And on Lenzl Pro
The table compares Hobby, Lenzl’s cheapest paid plan. Pro adds white-label galleries, unbranded embeds, 200 GB — and your domain included, along with its ongoing maintenance and renewal, rather than bought at cost. Pro takes 0% commission on sales and tips. Selling more than £80 a month, Pro costs less than Hobby. See the full plan comparison.
Choose Lenzl if
- You keep what you sell: PhotoShelter publishes a transaction fee of 10% on Basic, 9% on Standard and 8% on Pro, while Lenzl takes 10% on Hobby and 0% on Pro including Hobby at £6/month.
- You need storage on the cheap tier — PhotoShelter's Basic plan is 4 GB against Lenzl Hobby's 20 GB.
- You want a QR-code portal for handing a shoot to a client in person, not only a link and a login.
Choose PhotoShelter if
- You are an agency, a newsroom, a sports organisation or a brand with an archive to manage rather than a portfolio to show. PhotoShelter is built for digital asset management at that scale — searchable metadata, controlled distribution, team seats — and Lenzl is not that product.
- You license images rather than sell prints, and want the request, approval and delivery workflow that comes with that.
- Multiple people need to work in the same library with permissions and audit — PhotoShelter for Brands is designed around exactly this.
- You need very large storage: PhotoShelter's Pro plan lists 500 GB, and the Brands tiers are measured in terabytes.
Questions
Does PhotoShelter take a cut of sales?
Yes. PhotoShelter's own fees page lists a transaction fee of 30% on Starter, 10% on Basic, 9% on Standard, 8% on Pro and 8% on PhotoShelter for Brands, read on 2 September 2026. Lenzl charges 10% on Hobby, 0% on Pro and 25% on the free tier.
How much does PhotoShelter cost for photographers?
PhotoShelter's photographer signup lists Basic at $12.99/month or $10/month billed annually with 4 GB, Standard at $29.99/month or $25/month annually with 100 GB, and Pro at $49.99/month or $45/month annually with 500 GB, read on 2 September 2026. Lenzl Hobby is £6/month for 20 GB. Prices change — check theirs before deciding.
Is PhotoShelter or Lenzl better for an archive?
PhotoShelter, if the archive is the point. It is a digital asset management platform first — metadata search, controlled distribution, team access — and that is a genuinely different job from the one Lenzl does. Lenzl is for a photographer's own site, client delivery and selling directly.