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Free ways to collect wedding photos from guests, compared
There are four common ways to gather everyone’s photos after a wedding, and all of them can be free. They differ in what matters on the day: whether guests need an app or an account, what happens to photo quality, and how many people can join.
The short answer
If almost everyone at your wedding uses an iPhone and you have fewer than 100 people, an iCloud shared album can do the job. For a mixed crowd or a bigger wedding, pick something every guest can open in a browser without signing in, and put a QR code on the tables. Whatever you choose, test it with one friend before you print anything.
Swipe the table sideways to see all four.
| Google Photos shared album | iCloud Shared Album | Dropbox file request | Wedding photo-sharing site | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| You set it up with | A Google Account | An Apple Account | A Dropbox account | Any browser |
| Guests need | The link. Test whether adding photos asks them to sign in. | The link. Apple says guests without an Apple device or account will be able to add photos on the web (iOS 27). | The link, no account | The link or QR code. Some services ask guests to install an app. |
| Guests see each other’s photos | Yes | Yes | No, uploads go only to you | Usually, and you can often turn it off |
| Limits to know | Lives in your personal Google Photos | Up to 100 people including you | Free plan: 2 GB of storage and files up to 2 GB | Free plans are small (ours: 30 photos and videos) |
| Cost | Free | Free, uses your iCloud storage | Free up to 2 GB | Free to try, then usually a one-time fee or subscription |
Checked against each company’s help pages on October 28, 2026. Features change, so follow the links below for the current details.
1. A shared Google Photos album
Good
Free and familiar. Google says that when you share an album by link, anyone with the link can view the photos and add to the album.
Watch out
It lives in your personal Google Photos. Before you print the code, open the link on a phone that isn’t signed in to Google and try adding a photo, so you know what a guest without a Google Account will see.
2. An iCloud Shared Album
Good
Built into every iPhone. For iOS 27, Apple says shared albums gain full-resolution sharing, and that friends and family will be able to add photos on the web, even without an Apple Account or Apple device.
Watch out
Apple lists a limit of 100 participants, including you, so it won’t stretch to a big wedding. Albums made on iOS 26 or earlier shrink photos to 2048 pixels on the long side, play videos at up to 720p and hold up to 5,000 items.
3. A Dropbox file request
Good
Guests don’t need a Dropbox account to upload, and the files arrive in your Dropbox as they were sent.
Watch out
It only goes one way: guests can’t see each other’s photos, and there’s no slideshow. On the free plan each file can be up to 2 GB and everything has to fit in your 2 GB of storage, which a few dozen phone videos can fill.
4. A wedding photo-sharing site
Good
Made for exactly this: a QR code for the tables, uploads in the phone’s browser, a gallery guests can browse, often a live slideshow, and one download for everything at the end.
Watch out
Free plans are small, and some services make guests install an app. Check what the free plan covers, how long photos stay online and what a guest has to do before they can upload.
Some Days Stay is one of these: guests upload in their browser with no app or account, files stay in original quality, and every gallery is free for up to 30 photos and videos. If you need more, it’s $29 or $59 once, with no subscription.
What about the group chat?
It’s where photos go anyway. But messaging apps often send smaller, compressed copies unless the sender picks a high-quality option, and photos get buried between messages. Fine for a quick laugh the next morning, not where you want the only copy of your first dance.
How to choose
- Do all your guests use iPhones, or is it a mixed crowd?
- Will more than 100 people want to add photos?
- Should guests see each other’s photos, or only you?
- Do you want videos in full quality?
- How long do the photos need to stay online before you download them?
Once you’ve picked, our guide on how to set up a QR code for wedding photos covers the sign, the print size and the test run.
Try it with your own phone
Create a free gallery, scan your QR code and upload a photo. It takes about a minute, with no card and no app.