Is a Google Drive shared folder free for wedding or event photos?

Yes. It uses the storage that comes free with a Google Account, currently up to 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos; more storage is available through paid Google One plans. Galawall is a paid product: one payment of $49 per event.

Do guests need a Google account to add photos to a Drive folder?

Google's help says a shared link can be opened without signing in, and that people given edit access can add files. It does not say that someone without a Google Account can add files, so plan for guests to need one. Galawall's guest page never asks for an account.

Does Google Drive show a live slideshow like Galawall's wall?

We could not find a live slideshow feature described on Google's own help pages for Drive. Galawall's wall runs on any screen with a browser and updates as photos arrive.

What is the file size limit on Google Drive?

Google's help pages list a general limit of 5 TB per file, though total use is capped by the account's 15 GB of free storage. Galawall accepts up to 25 MB per file, with unlimited files on the paid plan.

Galawall vs Google Drive

A Google Drive shared folder is a free way to collect files, using the 15 GB of storage that comes with any Google Account. Galawall is built around one event: a QR code guests scan, and photographs shown live on a screen, for one payment of $49. Google's help pages describe adding files to a shared folder, but say nothing about a live slideshow for the room. Pick Drive if you already use it; pick Galawall for the QR code and the live wall on the day.

Create your wedding's live photo wall How it works

Free to try with 50 photographs. One payment of $49 per event when you are ready.

Galawall

Emma & James

12 June

Live on the wall

214 photographs

Emma & James

Side by side

	Galawall	Google Drive shared folder
Price	$49 per event, one payment	Free, using the account's 15 GB of storage shared with Gmail and Photos; paid Google One plans for more
Pricing model	One payment per event, no tiers	Not an event product: ongoing account storage, free or by subscription
Guests need an app or account	No	Viewing a shared link needs no sign-in; Google's help does not say that people without a Google Account can add files
Live photo wall	Yes, on any screen with a browser	Not stated
Video support	Yes, up to 25 MB per clip	Yes, as a regular file; Google's help lists a general file limit of 5 TB, within the account's storage
How long files are kept	365 days on the paid plan, 7 days on the trial	Not stated as a fixed period; tied to the account's storage for as long as it lasts
Download of originals	Yes, the whole album at once	Not stated
Upload limits	Up to 25 MB per file; 50 photographs on the trial, unlimited on the paid plan	Up to 5 TB per file, Google's general file limit; total use is capped by the account's 15 GB of free storage

Where the two differ

Drive is a general file store with a shared folder, not a product built around one event; there is no QR sign for the room and no page carrying the host's own names and date.
Files added to a Drive folder count against the account's 15 GB of storage, shared with Gmail and Photos; Galawall's storage is separate from anything the host already has.
Galawall shows the album live on a screen during the event. We found no equivalent feature described on Google's own help pages for Drive.

When Google Drive is the better choice

If you already use Google Drive and mainly want a free folder where people you know can drop files, a shared folder costs nothing beyond storage you may already have. It is not tied to a single date the way an event product is, which can suit an ongoing shared album rather than one evening, and Editor access lets people add other kinds of files too, not only photographs and video.

Sources: Google Drive Help, Share files from Google Drive, September 2026 · Google Drive Help, Manage your storage in Drive, Gmail & Photos, September 2026 · Google Drive Help, Files you can store in Google Drive, September 2026

Updated September 16, 2026

Add yours

Choose how the wall shows the evening, and change it while the party is on.

Try the wall yourself

Create your wedding's live photo wall

How it works

A minute to set up. A lifetime to look back on.

Create.
Give the evening a name and a look. No account needed to begin.
Print.
A sign for the door and cards for the tables, ready for the printer.
Watch.
Put the wall on a screen. Your guests do the rest.

Questions

Is a Google Drive shared folder free for wedding or event photos?: Yes. It uses the storage that comes free with a Google Account, currently up to 15 GB shared with Gmail and Photos; more storage is available through paid Google One plans. Galawall is a paid product: one payment of $49 per event.
Do guests need a Google account to add photos to a Drive folder?: Google's help says a shared link can be opened without signing in, and that people given edit access can add files. It does not say that someone without a Google Account can add files, so plan for guests to need one. Galawall's guest page never asks for an account.
Does Google Drive show a live slideshow like Galawall's wall?: We could not find a live slideshow feature described on Google's own help pages for Drive. Galawall's wall runs on any screen with a browser and updates as photos arrive.
What is the file size limit on Google Drive?: Google's help pages list a general limit of 5 TB per file, though total use is capped by the account's 15 GB of free storage. Galawall accepts up to 25 MB per file, with unlimited files on the paid plan.