Point and Click: 8 Photo Hosting Websites Compared

Posted 11/22/2011 at 2:17pm | by Gord Goble

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In the photo-hosting world, familiarity shouldn't be the overriding factor

Facebook. Flickr. Picasa. Photobucket. Even those who still consider the Internet the work of demons and wizards know the names. And chances are virtually everyone in your posse has used at least one or more of these giants to host and share their personal photos.

But this is no longer the dawn of the digital camera era, and online photo hosting is no longer limited to just a few key players. Today, you can't swing a 500mm lens without hitting a business that wants nothing more than to store your pics.

The question is: Do you dare stray from the familiar entities? We can't give you that answer, but we can tell you that truly excellent sites, perhaps just right for you, do indeed exist in other corners of the Web. And it's our intention here to point you in some of those directions.

Image courtesy ca-phillips.blogspot.com

But first, a few generalizations. For starters, anyone who's truly obsessed with the hobby to the point they have paid customers should at least consider steering clear of ready-made services altogether and instead buying a domain name and firing up their own blog. This'll take a ton more work of course, but the level of customization and independence is unparalleled.

Secondly, like a lot of things, you do seem to get what you pay for. Long gone are the days when you were forced to withstand oodles of flashing icons and brash advertisements strewn across a crudely constructed interface. Today, refinement is not uncommon. But it will cost you.

Finally, our selections are by no means defining. We didn't, for example, include top-notch services such as Exposure Manager or Photo Shelter. Not because they're problematic, but because they're clearly aimed at money-making pros.

We did, however, include a couple of popular mainstream sites that don't particularly thrill us. Why? So you have a chance to compare old-school cheese with new-school sophistication. They'll all handle the basics and most will likely do most of the stuff most of their customers require. Mostly. But some offer so much more.

Don't forget—no matter which service you ultimately select, check around for coupons and promo codes before you sign up. They're everywhere.

500px - 500px.com

The Numbers: 6 million total visits; 3 million unique visitors; 200,000 members; founded in 2003, independently owned.

The Lowdown: It may have been founded in 2003, but Canadian-based 500px, newly redesigned for 2011, is only recently getting the attention it deserves. Sure, you can share photos and sell photos – the latter by upgrading to the service's "Awesome Account" – but the focus here is on the display of your work.

The problem? So many top-notch photographers use 500PX and so many of them submit so many top-notch shots, that yours may well sink into the curator-monitored mix pretty quickly. According to cofounder Ian Sobolev, "Photographers will post hundreds of photos on Flickr and then choose the top ten to post on 500px.” Looking through 500px's offerings, this certainly seems to be the case.

Truly, this is not the ideal spot to post hundreds of your latest high school basketball pics. But if stunning landscapes, rare insects glistening in the rain, or even tasteful semi-nudes are your thing, 500px offers an elegant and certainly unobtrusive environment in which to show them off, full size if you want.

Though basic 500px membership includes unlimited uploads, full access to the site's community, and a blog, most will want to opt for the paid Awesome Account and the theme upgrades, custom domains, and other benefits it brings.

Cost and Highlights: Just two choices here, free and "Awesome." Basic plan: Free; Awesome Account (adds custom domains, full site customization): $50/year.

Best suited for: Established, seasoned photographers brandishing stunning examples of their excellence; Joe Average photographers with a creative side.

deviantART - deviantart.com

The Numbers: 13 million registered members; 35 million unique visitors per month; founded in 2000; independently owned.

The Lowdown: Why would anyone gravitate to a place where members are called "deviants" and submissions "deviations"? We can't say, yet that's precisely the case at deviantART, an image hosting and sharing website that's certainly distinct from our other selections.

deviantART, you see, is designed primarily for the artist rather than the photographer. (That said, it works just fine for us shutterbugs too.) More than that though, the site is known for its, um…freedom of expression. Here, you will occasionally see depictions of nudity and/or violence. Outright pornography is strictly prohibited and the site labels even questionable material "mature content," but it's nevertheless not a place for the kiddies.

It is, however, a great spot for social interaction with other users. Comments are encouraged, discussions and polls are wide-ranging, and community spirit is evident just about everywhere you go. deviantART also features the usual amenities of a standard photo hosting site and a "Prints Shop" where submissions are bought and sold.

Cost and Highlights: Free to sign up as a "Basic" member, though you will be asked your age at time of registration. Basic membership: Free; Premium membership (no advertisements, improved browsing, and numerous other benefits): $4.95/month or $29.95/year.

Best suited for: Anyone with an open mind; creative individuals; those seeking community involvement.