How to choose a photo storage service

In 2019, photo storage service Flickr changed its previous policy of offering 1 TB of free storage to its users, limiting free storage to 1,000 photos. As you can imagine, there was a huge outcry from Flickr members. As a result, we publish a summary of the photographic services that our readers might want to see instead.

Well, times change, and now Google, which until now has offered unlimited storage for “high quality” photos (read: compressed), has announced that it will change “unlimited” to “up to 15 GB in your Google account”. In other words, while photo and video storage doesn’t currently count toward the total of 15 free concerts on a Google account, it will soon, along with your stored Gmail files, Google Drive, and other data. Once you hit that 15GB wall, you will have to purchase the Google One service to increase your storage capacity.

If you are a Google Photos user who finds all of this a bit irritating, you may be thinking of leaving. But first, it is a good idea to check your alternatives. Below are some of the top photo storage services available to you, along with their basic fees, so you can determine if you want to switch.

Google provides each of your accounts with 15GB of free storage. However, in recent years, photos have been treated differently: under its “high-quality” plan, Google stored an unlimited number of photos for free as long as you allow them to be compressed to 16 megapixels. (According to Google, photos of that size can be easily printed up to 24 x 16 inches.) Videos were kept at a maximum of 1080p. (Data such as closed captions could be removed to save space.) The “original quality” photos, those that were not compressed, were not part of this unlimited plan, but they were counted as normal files.

However, all that is changing. As mentioned above, starting June 1, 2021, Google will include original-quality photos in its storage calculations. Once you hit that 15GB limit, you will have to purchase the Google One service for additional storage space.

Google One currently starts with 100GB of storage for $ 1.99 / month ($ 19.99 / year) and progresses to 200GB for $ 2.99 / month ($ 29.99 / year) and 2TB for $ 9. , 99 per month ($ 99.99 per year). The 2TB plan also comes with a VPN for Android phones.

Before you jump into investing in Google One, keep in mind that there are several mitigating factors that Google offers its users. When the new plan takes effect, that’s when the clock starts; photos you upload earlier will not count towards your 15GB limit. Also, if you own a Pixel, you can continue to upload high-quality photos without affecting your 15GB limit. (Of course, Pixel owners used to get unlimited original quality for free, rather than having to upload their photos in “high quality”. But hey, it’s something.)

Flickr also has a free plan, but it’s limited to 1,000 photos, within certain guidelines: Photo files are limited to 200MB, and video files are limited to 1GB. For unlimited ad-free storage, you pay $ 6.99 per month or $ 59.99 per year (plus tax). Other benefits of a paid annual membership include statistics on which of your photos are trending and a variety of discounts from various companies, including Adobe and SmugMug (now part of Flickr).

The Canadian company 500px is actually more for professional photographers than the average capture and storage photo taker. It offers professionals a place to store, display and license their work. So if you have an ambition to start selling your photos, 500px may be a place to check.

The site offers two paid plans. The first, modestly called Awesome, offers unlimited uploads, priority support, no ads, a “Like” photo history, gallery slideshows, and a profile badge for $ 35.93 a year or $ 6.49 a month. The Pro plan adds a way to showcase your organization services and tools for $ 59.94 a year or $ 12.99 a month. And if you want to earn a little money, you can submit your photos for stock use license via 500px. There are no free plans, but you can try the Pro plan for two weeks before committing.

Photobucket offers a limited free plan, allowing you to upload up to 250 photos for free, plus a trial plan than anything else. If you like what you see, you can start with the beginner plan at $ 5.99 per month or $ 64.68 per year, which gives you 25GB of storage, no ads, password-protected album sharing, and an image editor. For $ 7.99 per month or $ 86.28 per year, the Intermediate plan provides 250GB of unlimited image storage and hosting. Finally, for $ 12.99 per month or $ 140.28 per year, the Expert plan offers unlimited storage and no image compression, among other extras.

DeviantArt calls itself “the largest art community in the world” with a social network for visual artists of all stripes. It offers visitors a wide range of artist galleries to view, divided into categories such as traditional, animation, and illustrations. DeviantArt (or DA for short) even has its own publishing platform called Sta.sh, emphasizing the fact that this site, like 500px, is less for simple storage and more for displaying (and selling) your art.

With a free DeviantArt membership, there are no restrictions on how much you charge for public access, and you get admission to the DA community of artists and art lovers. Core members enjoy additional benefits. For $ 3.95 a month or $ 39.95 a year, you can sell your art for a 20 percent service fee and a maximum price of $ 100 per item, along with 20 GB of private storage space at Sta.sh. For $ 7.95 a month or $ 79.95 a year, you can charge up to $ 1,000 per item and pay a 12 percent service fee, along with 30GB of private storage. Finally, $ 14.95 a month or $ 149.95 a year lets you charge up to $ 10,000 per item, charges you a 10 percent fee per sale, and gives you 50GB of storage.

Amazon offers its Prime members a goodie bag with extras along with free shipping. Along with video offers, streaming music, and other perks, you get unlimited photo storage for $ 119 a year.

A nice bonus is that you can share that unlimited storage with five friends or family in what’s called the Family Vault. Everything in there is accessible to all who share the Vault. “Unlimited”, by the way, does not include videos or other files; for them, Prime members get 5GB of storage, and after that, there’s a long list of storage plans available starting at $ 1.99 a month for 100GB.

That’s something to keep in mind if you cancel your Prime membership. In that case, according to Amazon’s instructions, “the unlimited photo storage benefits associated with membership end. All uploaded photos count toward the Amazon Drive storage limit. “It is not specified what happens to your photos if you do not subscribe to Amazon Drive.