- Photo sharing sites at a glance
- Ten places to share and show your photos, A to Z
- What to look for in a photo sharing community
- Questions to ask before moving your photo gallery
- Which type of photo sharing site suits you
- Moving your photos to a new sharing site
- Photo sharing mistakes to avoid
- Why a smaller photo sharing site can be worth a look
- Settling on where to share your photos
- Frequently asked questions
The right place to share photos depends on your goal: feedback from other photographers, a portfolio for clients or private galleries for customers. Check upload limits, who sees your work, how you can export it and what the free version includes. This page lists ten options in no particular order, then covers how to choose and move.
Flickr was once the default home for photos online, and plenty of people still love it. But the way we share pictures has changed. Some of us want a quieter community, some want a portfolio that looks like a real business website, and some simply want a place that feels fresh.
Here are ten Flickr alternatives for sharing and showing off your photos, in no particular order, sorted alphabetically. They're photo sharing communities and portfolio sites, not storage or backup apps. I've mixed smaller independent services with a few well-known names, and every description comes from each service's own website and directory listings rather than guesswork. If you're building a showcase for clients, my guide on how to build a freelance portfolio goes through what to include.
Photo sharing sites at a glance
In the free plan column, Yes means the service's own site says you can join or use it with a free account or tier. Trial only means there's a free trial but no ongoing free way to use it. No means the site doesn't offer a free account of its own. Free tiers often limit uploads or features, so check the current terms on each site.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500px | Photo community | Sharing work and getting seen by other photographers | Yes |
| Adobe Portfolio | Website builder | A tidy personal site if you already use Creative Cloud | No |
| Behance | Creative showcase | Presenting projects to a creative audience | Yes |
| Format | Portfolio website builder | A branded portfolio site for photographers | Trial only |
| Glass | Photo community | Calm, ad-free sharing among photographers | Trial only |
| ipernity | Photo club | Groups, albums and conversation around photos | Yes |
| PhotoShelter | Portfolio and licensing site | Selling prints and licensing images from your own site | Trial only |
| Pixelfed | Decentralized photo sharing | Open source photo sharing with no ads | Yes |
| Pixieset | Client galleries and website | Delivering photos to clients and building a simple site | Yes |
| VSCO | Editing app and community | Editing on a phone and sharing to a creative crowd | Yes |
Ten places to share and show your photos, A to Z
500px
Best for: Photographers who want a community built around strong images, contests and licensing, with a free account to start.
Adobe Portfolio
Best for: Creatives who already have Adobe Creative Cloud and want a branded portfolio site included with it.
Behance
Best for: Designers, illustrators and photographers who want to present whole projects, not single pictures, to a creative audience.
Format
Best for: Photographers who want their own website with galleries and client proofing, and are happy to start with a free trial.
Glass
Best for: Photographers who want a quieter community with no ads or algorithm, and don't mind a membership after a trial.
ipernity
Best for: People who miss old-style photo groups and want a non-commercial community with a free guest account to begin with.
PhotoShelter
Best for: Working photographers who want a portfolio site with print and image licensing tools, starting from a free trial.
Pixelfed
Best for: People who like the idea of a community-run, open source photo network and don't want an algorithm choosing their feed.
Pixieset
Best for: Photographers who need private client galleries and a simple website, starting from a free plan.
VSCO
Best for: Phone photographers who want presets, a public profile and a creative audience in one free app to begin with.
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What to look for in a photo sharing community
Photo sites look similar on the surface: a grid of pictures and a profile. The differences show up in who sees your work and what you can do with it. These are the points I'd weigh first.
- Community or portfolio. A community gives you feedback and discovery. A portfolio site gives you a polished, branded home you control. Some services do both, but most lean one way.
- Who finds you. Check whether visitors are other photographers, potential clients or just friends and family.
- Upload limits. Free accounts often cap how many pictures you can add. Check this before you upload your archive.
- Image quality. Look for full-resolution display and sensible compression so your work doesn't look muddy.
- Ownership and licensing. Read the terms on who owns your pictures, how they can be used and whether you can license them yourself.
- Leaving. Make sure you can download your photos and captions if you decide to move on.
Questions to ask before moving your photo gallery
Moving a gallery is easy to start and surprisingly fiddly to finish, so a few questions first will save you hours later.
- Do I want feedback from strangers, or a quiet place to show clients my best work?
- Will my photos keep their captions, tags and albums if I move them?
- Can visitors comment, and can I turn that off?
- Do I need private galleries for clients, or only public pages?
- Is the service run by a company, a community or an open source project, and how stable does it look?
- Does the site say clearly what the free version includes?
Which type of photo sharing site suits you
- Photo communities suit hobbyists and aspiring professionals who want feedback, contests and discovery.
- Portfolio website builders suit freelancers and studios who want a branded site they can point clients to.
- Client gallery services suit photographers who deliver photos to customers and want private, tidy galleries.
- Open source and community-run networks suit people who value privacy, no ads and no algorithm choosing what gets seen.
- Creative showcase sites suit designers and illustrators who present full projects with a story, not just single images.
Whichever route you pick, it helps to think about presentation. My tips on creating a digital portfolio that stands out apply to every site on this list.
Moving your photos to a new sharing site
- Download a full copy of your photos and captions from your current account before you change anything.
- Pick your strongest set of pictures first. You don't need to move everything on day one.
- Write short, clear captions and add keywords, because they help people find your work.
- Keep your profile name and bio consistent across sites so people recognise you.
- Run both sites side by side for a few weeks before you decide to stop using the old one.
Photo sharing mistakes to avoid
- Uploading every picture instead of a carefully chosen set.
- Ignoring the terms about how your photos can be used by the service.
- Putting all your work on a single site you don't control.
- Forgetting captions, descriptions and keywords.
- Leaving personal details, such as location data, attached to pictures you share publicly.
Why a smaller photo sharing site can be worth a look
Smaller and independent photo sites tend to be calmer, with fewer ads and a community that cares about the work. Your pictures get noticed more when the crowd is smaller, and the people there are often keen photographers.
Before you commit, check that the site is still being updated, that it states its free terms clearly, and that you can export your work whenever you like. Try it with a small set of photos first.
Do you make a photo sharing or portfolio tool? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
Settling on where to share your photos
Choose one site for discovery and one for presentation, such as a community for feedback and a portfolio site for clients. Upload a small set of your best pictures to each, see which one brings in the response you want, and focus your effort there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best site for sharing photos online?
It depends on your goal. A photo community suits feedback and discovery, a portfolio site suits showing clients your work, and a client gallery service suits delivering finished photos.
Can I move my photos from Flickr to another site?
Usually, yes. Flickr lets you download your photos, and most photo sites let you upload them again. Captions, tags and albums don't always carry over, so check before you move everything.
Is there a free way to share photos online?
Yes. Several services on this list offer a free account or tier, often with upload limits. Check each site's own page for what the free version covers.
Do I need a portfolio website as well as a photo community?
Not always, but it helps if you want clients to find you. A community is good for discovery, while a portfolio site gives you a polished home that you control.
How do I protect my photos when I share them online?
Upload sensible sizes rather than full-resolution originals, add your name in the file details, and read each site's terms on how pictures can be used and shared.
