Is a Google Photos shared album free?

Yes. It uses the storage that comes free with a Google Account, currently up to 15 GB shared with Gmail and Drive; 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?

Google's help pages say no account is needed to view a shared album by link, and that anyone with the link can also add photos once the album owner turns on 'Collaborate'. Galawall's guest page never asks for an account.

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

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

How long does a Google Photos shared album last?

Google's help pages do not state a fixed retention period; content stays as long as the account and its storage do. Galawall's paid plan keeps an event's photographs for 365 days.

Galawall vs Google Photos

A Google Photos shared album is a free way to gather photos, using storage that comes with any Google Account. Galawall is a paid product built around the event: one payment of $49, a QR code guests scan, and photographs shown live on a screen. Google's help pages describe sharing and adding photos by link, but say nothing about a live slideshow for the room. Pick Google Photos 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 Photos shared album
Price	$49 per event, one payment	Free, using the account's 15 GB of free storage; paid Google One plans from 100 GB up
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	No account to view a shared link; when 'Collaborate' is on, Google's help says anyone with the link can also add photos
Live photo wall	Yes, on any screen with a browser	Not stated
Video support	Yes, up to 25 MB per clip	Yes, most common formats, up to 10 GB per video
How long photos 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	Photos up to 200 MB or 200 MP; videos up to 10 GB

Where the two differ

Google Photos is a general photo library with a sharing option, not a product built for a single event; there is no QR code sign printed for the room, and no page carrying the couple's or host's own names and date.
Galawall shows the album on a screen during the event itself. Google's own help pages describe sharing an album by link or QR code, but do not mention a live slideshow view for guests to watch as photos arrive.
Photos saved to a Google Photos album count against the account's storage, shared with Gmail and Drive; Galawall's storage is separate from anything the host already has.

When Google Photos is the better choice

If you already use Google Photos and mainly want one place for guests who have a Google Account to add their pictures after the event, a shared album costs nothing beyond the storage you may already have. It also does not tie the album to a single date the way an event product does, which can suit an ongoing collection rather than one evening.

Sources: Google Photos Help, Share photos & videos, September 2026 · Google Photos Help, Shared album controls, September 2026 · Google Photos Help, photo and video sizes, September 2026 · Google One Help, storage, 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 Photos shared album free?: Yes. It uses the storage that comes free with a Google Account, currently up to 15 GB shared with Gmail and Drive; 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?: Google's help pages say no account is needed to view a shared album by link, and that anyone with the link can also add photos once the album owner turns on 'Collaborate'. Galawall's guest page never asks for an account.
Does Google Photos show a live slideshow like Galawall's wall?: We could not find a live slideshow feature described on Google's own help pages for shared albums. Galawall's wall runs on any screen with a browser and updates as photos arrive.
How long does a Google Photos shared album last?: Google's help pages do not state a fixed retention period; content stays as long as the account and its storage do. Galawall's paid plan keeps an event's photographs for 365 days.