Photo Sharing : Ratings of Sources

Our AssessmentThough a little older than some reviews that we rate, FirstTube.com's comparative review of eight photo-sharing services has the most objective and balanced overview. It rates each service on 15 pre-defined criteria, more than any other review. Mike Gravel states that SmugMug is his personal choice for photo sharing but also praises Flickr as being an excellent all-around site and Picasa Web Albums for its accessibility.

Our AssessmentStarReviews.com tests and rates several photo-sharing services. Features, navigation, usability, pricing, customer service and the ability to sell photos are all discussed. Rankings seem focused on results, ease of use and customer support, but the basis for ratings is not always explained and services are not compared directly with each other. We like that the site tests customer support by e-mailing each service to see how long it takes to get a response. A significant negative is that despite being updated in February 2009, the review does not seem to be entirely current. MyPhotoAlbums no longer has a free option, and Fotki's Webware 100 nomination, listed under "What's New with Fotki," happened back in 2007.

Our AssessmentZerokspot is the personal homepage of Host Gutmann, a computer science student in Austria. This review of five alternatives to Flickr does not pretend to be thorough or objective, but it ends up doing a good job of highlighting key differences between the services reviewed. A comparison chart at the bottom of the review is particularly handy. Although Gutmann does not leave the reader with the impression he will actually switch from Flickr, he does note that SmugMug is a "real alternative to Flickr." He also describes Zooomr as the only service where a free account is "worth something." Reviews of 23hq, ipernity and Fotocommunity are more lukewarm.

Our AssessmentThis About.com article is one of the few that analyzes the merits of photo sharing sites based on their cost. For example, Imageshack's paid membership is dismissed as too expensive for what it offers but Imageshack is still included on the list on the merits of its free offering. However, the review is not a comprehensive comparison and does not provide any depth on PBase or Imageshack. MyPhotoAlbum is noted for its value among paid subscriptions, customization options, and plethora of gift options. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

Our AssessmentThis review is objective and balanced but is not wholly relevant because it evaluates photo software for a number of capabilities beyond just photo sharing and looks only at free options. The reviewer clearly prefers Picasa for its more generous online storage allowance and lack of ads, making it PCMag.com's Editor's Choice for Best Free Photo Software. Apple's iPhoto is also given an Editor's Choice, but this is clearly because of its photo editing and organizing capabilities, not its photo sharing. The tandem of Flickr (sharing) and Picnik (editing) receive four out of five stars. Links lead to longer individual reviews.

Our AssessmentThough the title implies an emphasis on photo-sharing services, David Pogue is clearly biased toward sites that allow photo printing, as the premise of the story is that Flickr was too confusing for his grandmother to use to print a photo. Eight services are covered, though one has since stopped operating. Pogue eventually settles on Picasa for photo sharing and Kodak Gallery or Snapfish for photo printing.

Our AssessmentThis blog entry compares Flickr and Picassa. The anonymous writer notes that image quality is the number one issue in online photography, and gives the nod to Flickr in that regard. Posted comparison photos help him make his case.

Our AssessmentThis single site review of Fotki does a good job of raising some issues from the perspective of a professional photographer. Some shortcomings are noted, but Patrick Lydon adds that it also has some compelling features for the photo pro.

Our AssessmentPhotographyReview.com is an independent website where users can post user reviews about most things photography related, including photo-sharing services. Most services with more than a small handful of reviews don't rate particularly well here with the exception of SmugMug, which earns a nearly perfect score after nearly 20 reviews. No user rates SmugMug at less than four out of five stars, which is a noteworthy achievement. Several of the write-ups are lengthy, and many reviewers list the other sites they have used.

Our AssessmentThis article briefly describes seven photo-sharing services that meet six criteria set by the anonymous reviewer. The focus is on features and the anonymous author makes no attempt to select a best choice.