Link in Seconds vs Pixieset, when all you need is the link
Pixieset is a full client-gallery platform for working photographers. Link in Seconds is a plain file-to-link tool. If you sell prints and run proofing rounds, Pixieset is the better fit; if you just deliver sets of photos, read on.
See who opened it, and whenLock it with a passwordPrint or share it as a QR code
Drop your file here
Drop several at once and they become one album link
Files up to 100 MB free·
FreeNo sign-up to view100 MB free
ImagesPDFsVideoAudioSlidesCodeSites
Do you need Pixieset to deliver photos to a client?
Choose Pixieset if client galleries are your business: favorites and proofing, a print store, image watermarks and branded galleries. Choose Link in Seconds if you deliver photos only now and then, or alongside PDFs and video, and want one link that opens in any browser with a view count. Pro is $9/month with 15 GB of storage and albums up to 500 MB.
Photos and the paperwork, in one link
One album holds photos, PDFs and video together. Photos open full size, PDFs render in a viewer, and video streams with seeking, so the invoice or usage licence travels with the set.
One plan, no store commission
Pixieset runs tiers from Basic at $10/month to Ultimate at $50, and its Free plan takes a 15% cut of store sales. Link in Seconds has one paid plan, Pro at $9/month or $49/year with 15 GB of storage, or Lifetime at $99 once. No store here means no commission either.
Every link, album or single photo, has a view counter and a downloadable QR code. Pro adds a notification when the link is opened, device and country breakdowns, an expiry date, a view limit and a password.
Download control for unpaid work
Turn downloads off so an album is view-only, add a password and an expiry date on Pro, then switch downloads back on once the invoice is paid. The link itself never changes.
What Link in Seconds does not do
No print store or sales. You cannot sell prints or digital downloads through a link here. If sales are part of your income, that is a Pixieset-style platform's job.
No favorites workflow. Clients cannot heart images to build a selection. Pro comments cover simple feedback only.
No image watermarking. The Pro watermark covers PDF previews, not JPEGs. Burn watermarks in at export if you need them.
No branded gallery app. There is no mobile gallery app for your clients. They open a web page, which works everywhere but carries our layout, not yours.
Link in Seconds vs Pixieset at a glance
Link in Seconds compared with Pixieset
Feature
Link in Seconds
Pixieset
Free storage
100 MB free, 15 GB on Pro
3 GB, photo galleries only
Cheapest paid plan
Pro, $9/month, $49/year or $99 once
Basic, $10/month or $8/month billed yearly
Gallery or link lifetime
Never expires on its own
Optional expiry date per collection
Viewer needs an account
No, never
No, a link, password or PIN
Download control
On or off per link, view-only mode
Per gallery, with a download PIN
Password protection
Pro
Pixieset, Password protection: yes
Update it, keep the same link
Replace the file, free
Add or remove photos in the gallery
File types
Photos, PDF, video, HTML and more
Photos and video
Print store, favorites & proofing
Link in Seconds, Print store, favorites & proofing: no
Pixieset, Print store, favorites & proofing: yes
Competitor facts checked on 6 Oct 2026 on pixieset.com/pricing and help.pixieset.com. Our numbers come from our plan page. Plans change, so confirm current pricing before you decide.
How it works
1
Export the finals from your editor
Export at the size you want the client to keep: full resolution for prints, long-edge web size for social. Burn in any watermark at export time if you need one, because image watermarking is not something we add.
2
Upload them as one album
Select the whole set and drop it on the upload card. You get one album link, with a link for every photo inside it and a single ZIP download for the lot. Add the invoice or a usage-rights PDF to the same album if you like.
3
Send it and see when it is opened
Paste the link into your delivery email or text, or print the QR on a thank-you card. The view counter tells you the client has looked, and on Pro you can get a notification the moment they open it.
What Pixieset does better
Pixieset is built for photographers who run a business. Its client galleries list favorites and proofing so clients can pick and comment on images, download PIN protection, built-in watermarks, passwords and gallery expiry, a print store, video and GIF support, branded email invites and mobile gallery apps. Its paid plans add custom domains, your own branding and commission-free sales. Link in Seconds has none of the store, favorites or mobile-app side, and we would not pretend otherwise.
Pricing, side by side
Pixieset's pricing page lists a Free plan with 3 GB, then Basic at $10/month (10 GB), Plus at $20 (100 GB), Pro at $30 (1 TB) and Ultimate at $50 (unlimited), each a little cheaper billed yearly. The Free plan takes a 15% commission on store sales. Link in Seconds has one paid plan: Pro at $9/month or $49/year with 15 GB of storage, or Lifetime at $99 once. There is also a free plan with 100 MB of storage. There is no store here, so there is no commission either.
Photos and the paperwork, in one link
Photo delivery often comes with documents: an invoice, a usage licence, a shot list, a behind-the-scenes clip. On Link in Seconds one album can hold photos, PDFs and video together. Photos open full size, PDFs render in a viewer rather than downloading, and video streams with seeking. That suits people for whom photos are part of the job rather than the whole job: estate agents, event organisers, marketing teams, teachers.
Watermarks and proofing: the honest gap
Pixieset watermarks images in the gallery. We do not. Our Pro watermark overlays the PDF preview only, not JPEGs. If you proof with us, the practical routes are small web-size proofs that are view-only (download off) behind a password, a proof sheet exported as a PDF with the watermark turned on, or a watermark burned in by your editor at export. Pro also lets clients leave comments on a link, which covers simple feedback, but it is not a favorites workflow.
Knowing the client actually opened it
Every link, album or single photo, has a view counter and a downloadable QR code. Pro adds a notification when the link is opened, device and country breakdowns, an expiry date, a view limit and a password. You can also turn downloads off for the whole album or turn them back on once the invoice is paid, and the link itself never changes.
Set an end date or a view cap and the link stops on its own. Send a quote that expires Friday, or a preview that closes after five opens, without remembering to delete it.
Deliver a set of finals as one album link, view-only until the invoice is paid.
Event organisers
Send the venue and the planner a quick link, photos, schedule and invoice in one place.
Marketing teams
Hand off shoot assets with the usage licence attached, and see when they were opened.
Estate agents
Share listing photos and the floor plan PDF as one link any buyer can open.
What people say
In their words
“The admin interface is incredibly intuitive and set up exactly how a user actually thinks. My students all said it was easy to use and worked perfectly.”
JJasonTeacher · shares class materials
“The app is genuinely nice and easy to handle. I keep all my different app links in one place, my App Store and Play Store screenshots, and I organise my images and PDFs into albums with tags. The big storage means everything just lives here.”
EEvelynApp developer
“I handle contracts, invoices and legal files for several different organisations, so almost everything I send is password protected. Link in Seconds makes that simple, and I run my portfolio on a custom domain. It is easy to use and genuinely affordable.”
No. There is no favorites or selection tool. On Pro, clients can leave comments on a link, which covers simple feedback such as 'please retouch number 14'.
No. There is no store, so there is also no commission on anything. If print sales matter to you, a gallery platform like Pixieset is the right tool.
No. The album opens in any browser on any device. They can view each photo full size and download the whole set as one ZIP, unless you turn downloads off.
Yes. Turn downloads off so the album is view-only, add a password and an expiry date on Pro, then switch downloads back on once you are paid. The link stays the same throughout.
Free covers 100 MB in total. Pro gives you 15 GB, with up to 500 MB per album, for $9/month.
Not images. The Pro watermark overlays PDF previews only. For watermarked proofs, export a PDF proof sheet or burn the watermark in with your editor before uploading.
Deliver your photos as one clean link
Upload a photo set as one album and share a link anyone can open. No account needed to view, and your links never expire.
