At a glance
- Included
- Partial: plan-gated, add-on or limited
- Not offered
- Depends or not stated
| Feature | 9Pic AI | Pixieset | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discovery | |||
| Selfie search for guests Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: FaceFind on every plan | Not offered: Guests browse the gallery; no face matching[3][6] | What it means: In a large event gallery, 9Pic AI shows each guest only their own photos. |
| Bib number search Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: BibTrack on every plan | Not offered: No bib or number search[3][6] | What it means: Runners and riders in helmets are found by race number on 9Pic AI. |
| Delivery | |||
| Reaching many guests Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: One gallery link; each person searches for their own photos | Partial: Pre-release sign-ups emailed when photos go live; bulk sharing of one collection per client on Pro and up[8][9] | What it means: Pixieset can notify guests, but someone still browses or sorts photos by person. |
| Client proofing Edge: Pixieset | Partial: Select client proofing with Lightroom sync on Pro | Included: Favorites lists and notes, with export to Lightroom[6] | What it means: Pixieset proofing is more mature for album and print selection. |
| Website, booking and invoices Edge: Pixieset | Not offered: 9Pic AI focuses on event delivery | Included: Website builder plus Studio Manager for booking, contracts, invoices and CRM[4][1] | What it means: Pixieset runs the whole studio business, not just delivery. |
| Gallery languages Edge: 9Pic AI | Included: 13 languages on every plan | Partial: Several languages, set per collection[12] | What it means: Matters for international races and multilingual guests. |
| Selling | |||
| Prints and products Edge: Pixieset | Not offered: No print fulfilment | Included: Prints, albums and downloads, fulfilled by partner labs or your own lab[10] | What it means: If you sell prints, Pixieset handles it and 9Pic AI does not. |
| Commission on sales Edge: Tie | Partial: No 9Pic commission with Checkout on Business | Partial: Free plan takes a store commission; paid plans are commission free[2] | What it means: On a paid plan, both let you keep your sales minus payment fees. |
| Video | |||
| Participant video Edge: 9Pic AI | Partial: Motion clips and Flow reels on Pro | Partial: Hosts videos you upload on paid plans; no reels or per-person clips[11] | What it means: Only 9Pic AI makes a clip or reel for each participant. |
| Operations | |||
| AI for the photographer Edge: Pixieset | Not offered: No editing tools; you upload finished JPGs | Included: Photo Editor add-on (beta) culls and edits in your style[5][7] | What it means: Pixieset's AI saves the photographer editing time. |
| Free plan Edge: Pixieset | Partial: 200 free photo credits to try, then pay per photo | Included: Free forever plan with limits[2] | What it means: Pixieset is free to keep using at a small scale. |
| Pricing model | |||
| How you pay Edge: Depends | From $0.03 per photo processed, no subscription | Free plan, then monthly or annual plans per product or as a Suite[2] | What it means: A subscription suits a steady studio; paying per photo suits a few large events. |
Where they are the same
Both deliver photos in an online gallery that works on phones, both let you brand it, and both can sell digital downloads with payments going to your own account. Neither asks guests to install an app.
Key differences
-
One client browsing vs thousands searching
Pixieset is built for a curated gallery that one client browses, favorites and orders from. Its pre-release sign-ups and bulk sharing help with events, but guests still browse or receive a set the photographer built by hand. 9Pic AI indexes every photo, so each participant finds their own by selfie or bib number.
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Studio business tools vs event tools
Pixieset bundles a website, booking, contracts, invoices and an AI Photo Editor. 9Pic AI has none of these. It adds event tools instead: watermarks with Stamp, and finisher certificates with Certify on the Pro plan.
-
Hosted video vs a video for each participant
Pixieset hosts videos you upload on paid plans. 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 Pixieset is the better choice
- You deliver weddings, portraits or family sessions to one client who favorites photos and orders prints.
- You want your website, booking, contracts, invoices and galleries in one account.
- You sell prints and albums and want partner labs to fulfil orders for you.
- You want a free plan to start, and an AI editor that culls and edits in your own style.
Fit by event type
| Event type | Better fit | Why | Learn more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wedding or portrait session | Pixieset | Proofing, print sales and studio tools for one client | Weddings |
| City marathon or half marathon | 9Pic AI | Thousands of runners find photos by bib or selfie | Marathons |
| Cycling or triathlon | 9Pic AI | Helmets hide faces; bib search still works | Cycling |
| Conference or corporate event | Depends | Pixieset emails guests when photos are live; 9Pic AI lets each guest find their own | Conferences |
| School sports day | 9Pic AI | Parents search by face instead of scrolling the whole day | Schools |
| Studio that also shoots races | Depends | Many photographers use both: Pixieset for clients, 9Pic AI for events | None |
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 Pixieset charges
Pixieset sells Client Gallery, Website and Studio Manager each with a free forever plan and paid monthly or cheaper annual plans, or all three together as the Pixieset Suite. Paid gallery plans add storage, video, email campaigns, RAW uploads and bulk sharing. The free plan takes a commission on store sales and paid plans do not. High-storage Studio plans and add-ons such as the Photo Editor cost extra. See the current numbers on Pixieset pricing[2][5]. Checked 26 Oct 2026.
Which costs less depends on how many photos you deliver a year, whether you need a website and studio tools, and whether participants must find their own photos.
Running an event on 9Pic AI
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Upload finished JPGs with 9Pic Uplink on macOS or Windows, or import from Google Drive, Dropbox or OneDrive.
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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.
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Share one gallery link by email, results page or QR code.
What does not move: Pixieset favorites, store orders, contracts and your website. You can keep Pixieset for client sessions.
We set up your first event with you.
Case studies
Frequently asked questions
Fit
Is 9Pic AI a good Pixieset alternative?
For events, yes. 9Pic AI suits races, conferences and school events where every participant needs to find their own photos. For weddings and portrait sessions with proofing, print sales and studio tools, Pixieset is usually the better fit.
Does Pixieset have face recognition or selfie search?
No. Pixieset guests browse the gallery and cannot search by selfie, face or bib number. Its face detection is a photographer tool in the beta Photo Editor, used to flag closed eyes and blur while culling. 9Pic AI FaceFind and BibTrack let each guest find their own photos.
Can I use Pixieset and 9Pic AI together?
Yes. Many photographers keep Pixieset for client sessions and use 9Pic AI for races and large events, where guests search by selfie or bib. The two do not need to share an account.
Can 9Pic AI sell prints like Pixieset?
No. 9Pic AI does no print fulfilment. On the Business plan, 9Pic Checkout sells digital photos with payments going to your own account and no 9Pic commission. If prints matter most, Pixieset is the better choice.
Cost
Is 9Pic AI cheaper than Pixieset?
They charge for different things. Pixieset is a subscription sized by storage and features, with a free plan. 9Pic AI charges $0.03 per photo processed on Pay as you go, or $0.02 on Pro at $200 a year. For a few large events a year, paying per photo avoids a monthly plan.
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 Pixieset's public product and pricing pages and its help center, including articles on proofing, pre-release galleries, bulk sharing, print labs, video and the Photo Editor. We did not use a paid Pixieset 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] Pixieset home pagehttps://pixieset.com/
- [2] Pixieset pricinghttps://pixieset.com/pricing/
- [3] Pixieset Client Galleryhttps://pixieset.com/client-gallery/
- [4] Pixieset Studio Manager pricinghttps://pixieset.com/pricing-studio-manager/
- [5] Pixieset Photo Editorhttps://pixieset.com/photo-editor/
- [6] Pixieset help: Pixieset and proofinghttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003797011
- [7] Pixieset help: Culling photos in Photo Editorhttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/46786859059853
- [8] Pixieset help: Setting up a pre-release galleryhttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/47597713273101
- [9] Pixieset help: Bulk sharing collectionshttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/45591863891725
- [10] Pixieset help: Print labs available with Pixiesethttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/360043819511
- [11] Pixieset help: Uploading videos to a collectionhttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/5689799203469
- [12] Pixieset help: Changing a collection's languagehttps://help.pixieset.com/hc/en-us/articles/115003796612
All accessed 26 Oct 2026.