Obscura vs the usual tools
Obscura Studio is one browser tool that does upload, culling, RAW editing, client galleries with favorites and downloads, and a public Community. The free plan includes 10 GB. Paid tiers add storage and nothing else: 1 TB for $20 a month, 10 TB for $100. There is no commission on sales.
Editing (Lightroom)
Obscura edits RAW and JPEG files in the browser: exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, a tone curve, color, geometry, saved presets, and a face retouch layer. Edits autosave. There is nothing to install and no catalog file to back up.
It is not Lightroom. It does not read local files, and it has no plug-ins, no tethering and no print module. Work that depends on those stays in Lightroom.
Galleries (Pixieset, Pic-Time, ShootProof)
Prices as shown on each public pricing page, checked September 2026.
| Free plan | Storage for the money | Commission | Editor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Obscura Studio | 10 GB | 1 TB for $20/mo ($192/yr) | None | Included |
| Pixieset | 3 GB | 1 TB for $30/mo ($24 annual) | 15% on the free plan | Separate app, $12/mo |
| Pic-Time | 10 GB, drops to 3 GB after six months | 100 GB for $25/mo | Applied to markup on payments Pic-Time collects | None |
| ShootProof | 100 photos, up to 5 GB | 1,250 GB for $31.99/mo | None | None |
Obscura galleries include an optional email gate that records a lead, favorites, full-resolution downloads, watermarked previews, a welcome note and cover photo, and an expiry date. There is no built-in print store. A studio that sells prints through a lab storefront keeps the storefront and delivers from Obscura.
File sharing (Dropbox)
A Dropbox link has no cull, no gallery, no lead capture and no watermark; it is a folder. Obscura is a gallery with the editor attached, and the photos the client sees are the graded ones.
What Obscura does not do
- No print store or order fulfilment
- No invoicing, contracts or questionnaires
- No website builder
- No mobile app (the site works in a phone browser)
- No offline editing
Who should switch, and who should not
Obscura suits studios that deliver digital galleries, want one browser tool from card to client link, and would rather pay for storage than commission. It also suits photographers who work from more than one machine, or from a laptop that is not a workstation.
It does not suit studios built on a Lightroom catalog, plug-ins or tethering, studios that need a print store or contracts inside the same tool, or anyone who edits without an internet connection.
Checked September 6, 2026.