# SmugMug vs develop.

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmugMug at every 8 days against develop.'s every 2 weeks. develop.'s advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SmugMug sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $11.49 per month and develop. sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SmugMug ships an update every 8 days, develop. every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmugMug | develop. |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (48K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smugmug-store-and-share-photos/id364894061/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **48K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 56.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 145 MB | 40 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [SmugMug](https://appshunter.io/developer/284129419) | [Emily Willis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840855569) |

## What reviewers say

### SmugMug

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smugmug-store-and-share-photos/id364894061)

Securely store, organize, and share your photos in full resolution. Protect your memories with advanced privacy tools and access them offline from any device. Automatic uploads ensure your pictures are always safe.

**Highlights:** Unlimited full-resolution storage, Secure photo protection and privacy controls, Automatic photo uploads, Easy sharing via SMS, email, and apps, Offline photo viewing, Organize photos into folders and galleries, Bookmark favorite photos and accounts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Basic Monthly | $11.49 | per month |
| Keep Monthly | $13.99 | per month |
| Power Monthly | $17.49 | per month |
| Direct Monthly | $29.00 | per month |
| Portfolio Monthly | $35.49 | per month |
| Pro Monthly | $52.00 | per month |
| Basic Annual | $96.00 | per year |
| Keep Annual | $119.00 | per year |
| Power Annual | $137.99 | per year |
| Direct Annual | $239.99 | per year |
| Portfolio Annual | $284.99 | per year |
| Pro Annual | $444.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 🔒 Secure photo storage
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Fast uploads
- 👍 Excellent for photo sharing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐛 Glitchy performance
- 🐛 Unreliable auto-upload
- 💰 Expensive for Canadians
- 🚫 Limited functionality compared to website

**Reported bugs**

- Uploads frequently fail or get stuck
- App crashes on launch for some users
- Issues with photo/video playback and syncing
- Inconsistent performance across iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Allow setting folder/gallery cover images in app
- Add ability to edit gallery settings from app
- Improve video support and playback
- Integrate with Apple Photos for easier uploads
- Add multi-account support


### develop.

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/develop/id6762183637)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| develop+ | $1.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SmugMug free?

SmugMug is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is develop. free?

develop. is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do SmugMug or develop. have ads?

Neither SmugMug nor develop. shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SmugMug or develop.?

SmugMug ships an update every 8 days, and develop. every 2 weeks. Most recently, SmugMug was updated on October 30, 2026 and develop. on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*