Capturely is a client gallery made for photographers: your client looks through the photos, picks favorites, downloads in full resolution, and the gallery closes on the date you choose. Every Google Drive fact below comes from Google's own help and plan pages.
Google Drive alternative for photographers
Capturely vs Google Drive: a shared folder or a client gallery?
A side-by-side for photographers who deliver finished photos in a shared Drive folder: what your client sees, what they can do, and how the link is protected. Where Drive is the better tool, we say so.
- Start free, no card
- 14 days of Pro first
- Then Free, or Pro at €10 a month
- Free plan with 15 GB, no card
- Pro €10 a month for 120 GB
- Client picks and downloads on every plan
- Galleries that close and delete themselves
The short version
Google Drive is general file storage that most people already have: 15 GB come with every Google Account, shared with Gmail and Google Photos, and a folder can be shared with anyone who has the link.
Side by side
Capturely and Google Drive, line by line
| Feature | Capturely | Google Drive |
|---|---|---|
| Price and storage | ||
| Free plan | 1 active gallery, 15 GB, no card needed | 15 GB with every Google Account, shared with Gmail and Google Photos |
| Paid plans | Pro €10 a month or €70 a year; Studio €25 a month or €180 a year | Google One plans with more storage; shown in your local currency |
| Storage | 15 GB on Free, 120 GB on Pro, 500 GB on Studio, plus 100 GB add-on blocks | 15 GB free; Google One plans of 100 GB, 2 TB and 5 TB |
| What your clients get | ||
| Client favorites and selections | Every plan: favorites up to a pick limit, notes on photos, a submitted selection | Viewer, Commenter and Editor roles on files and folders; no client favorites or selection list is described |
| Downloads | Every plan: full resolution, one photo or a zip, RAW files too; on a phone, saved to the photo library | People with access can download, unless you switch that off |
| Expiring galleries | Every plan, with a reminder email to your client before the gallery closes | An expiration date on access, for work and school accounts |
| Protection and your brand | ||
| Password protection | Every plan | Not described for shared links: access is by link or by Google Account |
Prices and features checked in November 2026 on each company's own pricing and feature pages. Plans change, so check theirs before you decide.
Capturely lists its prices in euros. Google Drive shows different prices by country, currency and current offer, so this page names its plans and leaves the amounts to its own pricing page.
Sources: support.google.com/drive/answer/9312312, support.google.com/drive/answer/2494822, one.google.com/about/plans
Which one fits
Pick the gallery that fits how you work.
When Google Drive is the better choice
- You already pay nothing for it: 15 GB come with your Google Account, and a small job fits without a new tool.
- You share working files, not a finished set: documents, contracts and layouts that several people open and edit together.
- You need a lot of general storage: Google One plans go up to 5 TB, shared across Drive, Gmail and Google Photos.
- You share with a few known people: Drive can limit a folder to named Google Accounts instead of anyone with the link.
When Capturely is the better choice
- Your client should see photos, not a file list: a Capturely gallery opens with a cover and large previews, on a phone too.
- Your client chooses what you retouch: they heart photos up to their package limit, leave notes and submit a selection you can export for Lightroom or Capture One.
- You want a password and watermarks on the link: both work on every Capturely plan, Free included.
- You want the link to close by itself: every Capturely gallery can expire on a date, with a reminder to your client first, where Drive lists expiration dates for work and school accounts.
Switching
Switching from Google Drive
There is no importer from Google Drive, so nothing moves on its own. This is how photographers usually switch:
- 01
Start on Pro
Create an account with no card, then add your studio name, logo and accent color once in the Brand kit.
- 02
Deliver your next shoot with Capturely
Upload the new photos and send your client the link. They need no account and no app.
- 03
Keep Google Drive for what it does well
Leave the links and folders you already sent where they are, and keep using Google Drive for your own files. To bring a finished job over, upload its photos from your own files.
- 04
Ask us for help
Moving a lot of galleries at once? Write to hello@capturely.me and we will help you plan it, personally.
Can I move my Google Drive folders into Capturely?
Not automatically: Capturely has no importer. Upload the photos from your own files into a new gallery and send your client that link; your Drive folders stay as they are. If you have a lot to move, write to hello@capturely.me and we will help you plan it.
Is Google Drive good enough for sending photos to clients?
For a handful of files to someone you know, often yes: it is free up to 15 GB and most people can open a link. It falls short when a client has to choose photos, when the delivery should look like your studio, or when the link needs a password and an end date.
Can clients pick favorites in a shared Drive folder?
Google's help pages describe Viewer, Commenter and Editor roles, not a favorites list or a selection with a limit. In Capturely, clients heart photos up to the number in their package and submit the selection to you.
Is Capturely free for sending photos to a client?
Yes. The Free plan gives you 15 GB and one active gallery at a time, with full-resolution downloads, a password and watermarks, and no card. Pro is €10 a month for 120 GB and unlimited galleries.
Start free today
Try Capturely with your next shoot.
Every new account starts with 14 days of Pro, no card needed. Your Google Drive account can keep running while you decide.
Pro
€10a month
or €5.83/mo billed yearly14-day free trial, no card- Unlimited galleries
- 120 GB of storage
- Any expiry date, or never
- Custom domain
- No Capturely branding
- Video delivery (MP4, MOV)
The Pro trial needs no card. Add one to stay on Pro: nothing is charged before day 14.
Compare
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Photo proofing galleriesClients pick favorites within your package limit, note a frame and submit. You export the list to Lightroom or Capture One.See how it works
Photo deliveryPhotos sized for every screen, originals untouched, single and zip downloads, RAW files included.See how it works
Expiring galleriesEach gallery closes on your date, reminds your client first, then deletes itself with every original.See how it works
Watermarks and passwordsWatermark proofs in Center, Corner or Tiled, put a password on the gallery and keep some folders for the client only.See how it works