At a glance
- Included
- Partial: plan-gated, add-on or limited
- Not offered
- Depends or not stated
| Feature | 9Pic AI | PhotoDeck | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | |||
| Selfie search Edge: Tie | Included: FaceFind on every plan | Partial: Selfie search and Faceclick from the Standard plan[4][3][2] | What it means: Both match faces. PhotoDeck needs the Standard plan or above. |
| Bib number search Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: BibTrack on every plan | Partial: AI writes bib numbers into keywords; visitors use keyword search[5] | What it means: Both can find runners by number. 9Pic AI has a dedicated bib search. |
| How many photos get indexed Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: Every photo uploaded, billed per photo processed | Partial: A monthly AI indexing quota; more can be bought on Business and above[6][2] | What it means: For a large race, a monthly quota can run out on one weekend. |
| Delivery | |||
| Who runs the gallery Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: The organiser's event; many photographers upload to one gallery | Partial: Each photographer or agency runs its own site[1][2] | What it means: With several photographers, 9Pic AI keeps one search for the whole event. |
| Website and portfolio Edge: PhotoDeck | Partial: Event galleries only; custom domain on Pro | Included: Full website builder with custom domain and multilingual sites[2] | What it means: PhotoDeck is also your portfolio and shop. |
| Selling | |||
| Commission on sales Edge: Tie | Partial: No 9Pic commission with Checkout on Business | Included: No commission; payments go to your Stripe, PayPal or Authorize.Net account[2][8] | What it means: Both let you keep your sales minus payment fees. |
| Prints and licensing Edge: PhotoDeck | Not offered: No print fulfilment | Included: Prints through partner labs such as WHCC and WhiteWall, plus downloads and licensing[9][1] | What it means: If you sell prints or license images, PhotoDeck handles it and 9Pic AI does not. |
| Video | |||
| Participant video Edge: 9Pic AI | Partial: Motion clips and Flow reels on Pro | Partial: Upload and sell video clips like photos; nothing personalised per guest[7] | What it means: Only 9Pic AI makes a clip or reel for each participant. |
| Operations | |||
| Upload tools Edge: PhotoDeck | Partial: 9Pic Uplink for macOS and Windows, plus Google Drive, Dropbox and OneDrive imports | Included: Lightroom publishing, Photo Mechanic, FTP and folder sync[10] | What it means: PhotoDeck plugs into more photographer tools. |
| Media library Edge: PhotoDeck | Not offered: Not a media library | Included: Media library with custom metadata, smart collections and team access[1][2] | What it means: Agencies and brands can manage their archive in PhotoDeck. |
| Face data and privacy Edge: Tie | Included: Selfie not stored; no training on photos or faces | Included: Face matching on PhotoDeck's own servers, with consent guidance for Europe[4] | What it means: Both take face data seriously. |
| Pricing model | |||
| How you pay Edge: Depends | From $0.03 per photo processed, no subscription | Flat subscription billed monthly, quarterly or yearly, with a free trial[2] | What it means: A subscription suits a steady business; paying per photo suits a few large events. |
Where they are the same
Both let guests find photos with a selfie, both can find runners by bib number, and both can sell photos with payments going to your own account and no platform commission.
Key differences
-
One photographer's site vs one event for everyone
PhotoDeck is a photographer's or agency's own website, so each photographer at a race runs separate galleries. 9Pic AI is built around the organiser's event: every photographer uploads into one gallery and every participant searches it once.
-
A monthly AI quota vs every photo indexed
PhotoDeck indexes photos for face and similarity search within a monthly quota, with more on larger plans, and bib numbers become keywords. 9Pic AI indexes every photo you upload for selfie and bib search and charges per photo processed.
-
Selling clips vs a video for each participant
PhotoDeck sells the video clips you upload, like photos. On the Pro plan, 9Pic Motion cuts per-participant clips from course footage and 9Pic Flow builds a personal highlight reel for each finisher.
Where PhotoDeck is the better choice
- You want your own branded website and shop for stock, editorial, sport or commissioned work.
- You sell prints, downloads or image licences and want lab fulfilment through partners such as WHCC or WhiteWall.
- You are an agency or brand that needs a media library with team access.
- You shoot a few smaller events a month under your own name and want selfie search on your own site.
Fit by event type
| Event type | Better fit | Why | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| City marathon with several photographers | 9Pic AI | One event gallery with selfie and bib search for every photo | Marathons |
| Trail race or triathlon | Depends | PhotoDeck for one photographer selling under their own brand; 9Pic AI for the organiser | Triathlon |
| Cycling event | 9Pic AI | Helmets hide faces; dedicated bib search still works | Cycling |
| Stock or editorial archive | PhotoDeck | Media library, licensing and your own branded shop | None |
| Wedding or portrait client | PhotoDeck | Client galleries and print sales on your own site | Weddings |
What it costs
Scenario: a 5,000-runner half marathon with 60,000 photos. Change the numbers to see your own 9Pic AI cost.
| 9Pic AI plan | Math | Total | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay as you go Lowest for your choices Does not include your choices | 60,000 × $0.03 | $1,800 | Selfie and bib search, watermarks, 1 year storage |
| Pro Lowest for your choices Does not include your choices | $200 + 60,000 × $0.02 | $1,400 | Adds Flow, Motion, Certify, Select, custom domain, 2 year storage |
| Business Lowest for your choices Does not include your choices | $350 + 60,000 × $0.02 | $1,550 | Adds 9Pic Checkout photo sales with no 9Pic commission |
How PhotoDeck charges
PhotoDeck is a flat subscription with no commission on sales. Its plans step up mainly by storage, e-commerce, team seats and AI capacity, and are billed monthly, quarterly or yearly, with a discount for yearly billing and a free trial. Selling starts on the Standard plan, as does AI search, which comes with a monthly indexing quota. Larger plans can buy more AI capacity, storage and extra sites. See the current numbers on PhotoDeck pricing[2][6]. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
Which costs less depends on how many photos you need indexed each month, whether you also need a website and shop, and how many photographers share one event.
Running an event on 9Pic AI
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Upload finished JPGs with 9Pic Uplink on macOS or Windows. Each photographer can upload to the same event.
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Import your start list so bib numbers map to participants.
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Choose delivery: free downloads, or paid downloads with 9Pic Checkout on the Business plan.
-
Share one gallery link by email, results page or QR code.
What does not move: your PhotoDeck website, orders and media library. Photographers can keep PhotoDeck as their own shop.
We set up your first event with you.
Case studies
Frequently asked questions
Fit
Is 9Pic AI a good PhotoDeck alternative?
For organisers, yes. 9Pic AI suits races and events where many photographers upload into one gallery and every participant searches it. For a photographer's own branded site with print and licence sales, PhotoDeck is usually the better fit.
Does PhotoDeck have selfie search?
Yes. PhotoDeck offers selfie search and Faceclick from the Standard plan, and its AI can write bib numbers into keywords. Photos are indexed within a monthly quota. 9Pic AI indexes every photo you upload and has a dedicated bib search.
Can several photographers share one event on PhotoDeck?
PhotoDeck is built for one photographer's or agency's site, with team access on its larger plans. Independent photographers at the same race usually run separate sites. On 9Pic AI, every photographer uploads into the organiser's one event gallery.
Cost
How does PhotoDeck pricing compare with 9Pic AI?
PhotoDeck is a flat subscription with no commission on sales, and AI search comes with a monthly quota. 9Pic AI has no subscription on Pay as you go: you pay $0.03 per photo processed, or $0.02 on Pro at $200 a year. For a few large events, paying per photo avoids running out of quota.
Data and privacy
How does 9Pic AI handle selfies and face data?
9Pic AI does not store the selfie used to search, does not train models on photos or faces, and keeps face data only while the gallery is hosted. Organisers decide how long a gallery stays live.
How we compared
We reviewed PhotoDeck's public product and plans pages and its help center, including face recognition, AI metadata, AI quotas, video, payments and lab fulfilment. We did not use a paid PhotoDeck account. We last checked on 26 Oct 2026. 9Pic AI facts come from our pricing and product pages. Spot something out of date? Tell us.
Sources
- [1] PhotoDeck home pagehttps://www.photodeck.com/
- [2] PhotoDeck planshttps://www.photodeck.com/plans/
- [3] PhotoDeck: Face recognition and selfie searchhttps://www.photodeck.com/features/face-recognition-selfie-search/
- [4] PhotoDeck help: Face recognitionhttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/medias/face_recognition
- [5] PhotoDeck help: AI metadatahttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/medias/ai_metadata
- [6] PhotoDeck help: AI microjobshttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/accounts/microjobs
- [7] PhotoDeck help: Uploading videohttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/medias/upload/uploading_video
- [8] PhotoDeck help: Payment integrationhttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/checkout/payment_integration
- [9] PhotoDeck help: Partner lab fulfilmenthttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help/labs/partner_fulfillment
- [10] PhotoDeck help centerhttps://my.photodeck.com/en/help
All accessed 26 Oct 2026.