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Google Photos shared album vs WhatsApp group vs LensGo: how to collect guest photos

A WhatsApp group is the quickest way to collect guest photos from a small group that already chats together. A Google Photos shared album works well when every guest has a Google account and is happy to use it. LensGo fits weddings and bigger parties with mixed guests: they scan a QR code and upload in their phone browser, without an app or an account.

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Diverse group of friends laughing together outdoors on a picnic blanket—social events and shared photo albums.

The short answer

All three options can collect guest photos in one place. The right choice depends on how many guests you have, how well they know each other and what you want to do with the photos afterwards.

  • Choose a WhatsApp group for a small group of friends or family who already have each other's numbers and mainly want to share a few photos quickly.
  • Choose a Google Photos shared album when all guests have a Google account and you already keep your own photos in Google Photos.
  • Choose LensGo for a wedding, party or company event where guests do not all know each other, where you want original quality and a live slideshow, and where nobody should need an app or account.

Google Photos shared album vs WhatsApp group vs LensGo

The main differences for collecting guest photos at an event, side by side.

LensGo
Google Photos shared album
WhatsApp group
App or account needed for guests
No app, no account
Google account to add photos
WhatsApp app and phone number
How guests join
Scan QR code or open link
Invitation or shared link
Invite link or added by admin
Photo quality
Original quality
Depends on each guest's settings
Compressed by default, HD optional
Videos
Yes, originals are kept
Yes
Yes, compressed and size-limited
Live slideshow on a screen
Yes, in real time
No live event slideshow
No
Who sees phone numbers or personal details
Nobody, a name is optional
Google name and profile photo
Phone numbers visible to members
Host moderation and approval
Approval before showing, paid plans
Owner can remove afterwards
Admins can delete afterwards
Download everything at once
Yes, whole album as zip
Yes, album download on web
No, save photos one by one
Cost
Free to start, then one-time payment
Free within Google account storage
Free

This comparison is based on publicly available information, features can change, so check the provider's website for the current details.

The three options in detail

Each option has real strengths and real limits. This is what to expect from each one at an event.

LensGo

LensGo is a web app made for collecting photos and videos at events. The host creates an event and gets a QR code and a link. Guests scan the code and upload from their phone browser into one shared album.

  • Guests need no app, no account and no login, and a name is optional
  • Photos and videos are kept in original quality and the host downloads the whole album as a zip
  • A live slideshow shows new uploads in real time on a TV or beamer, also on the free plan
  • The free plan is limited to 50 uploads. Bigger events need a paid plan, which is a one-time payment per event
  • Guests need an internet connection, the host has to share or print the QR code, and it is one more tool next to the chat group people already have

Weddings, birthdays, company events and any party where guests do not all know each other or do not all use the same apps.

Google Photos shared album

Google Photos is a photo service from Google that many people already use. In a shared album, several people can add photos and videos to the same album, from the app or the website.

  • Many guests already have the app, especially on Android phones
  • Good search and organisation, and the album sits next to your own photo library
  • The album can be downloaded in one go on the web
  • Guests need a Google account to add photos, which not every guest has or wants to use
  • Photos count towards Google account storage, and the quality depends on the settings of the guest who uploads

Families and friend groups where everyone has a Google account and is comfortable with Google Photos.

WhatsApp group

WhatsApp is a messaging app that most people in Europe already have on their phone. A group for the event lets everyone send photos and videos into the same chat.

  • Almost everyone already has it, so there is nothing new to explain
  • Sharing is instant and people can react and chat in the same place
  • It is free and takes a minute to set up
  • Photos and videos are compressed by default, so they are less suitable for printing or a photo book
  • All members can see each other's phone numbers, photos get lost between messages, and there is no simple way to download everything at once

Small groups that already know each other, such as a family weekend, a bachelor party or a dinner with friends.

How it works

How collecting guest photos works with LensGo

Three steps from creating the event to downloading the album.

01

1. Create your event

Create an event in LensGo. You get a QR code and a link for your shared album. You can start for free.

02

2. Share or print the QR code

Print a QR poster with the built-in poster editor, put it on the tables or show it on a screen. You can also send the link in your existing WhatsApp group.

03

3. Guests upload, you download

Guests scan the code and upload photos and videos from their phone browser. Afterwards you download the whole album as a zip in original quality.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

For a small group that already chats together, a WhatsApp group is the easiest. For a wedding or a bigger party, a QR code that opens an upload page in the browser is easier, because guests do not need an app, an account or each other's phone numbers.

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Pricing

Collect your guest photos in one album

Create your event, share the QR code and let guests upload without an app or account. Free to start, paid plans are a one-time payment per event.

Start for free