Design · Review · Updated 17 October 2026
jAlbum reviewDesktop software that turns folders of photos and videos into ad-free web galleries
Very good
Brent score, out of 5
jAlbum is a mature, flexible way to publish photo and video galleries you fully control, either on your own website or on jalbum.net hosting. Licenses never expire and the generated galleries are static files with no ads or server scripts. The trade-off is an older desktop workflow and a skin system that takes time to learn compared with drag-and-drop online portfolio builders.
Price
Free version; storage plans from US$3.59/month
Free option
Free plan
Best for
Photographers who want galleries on their own domain and hosting
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Best for
- Photographers who want galleries on their own domain and hosting
- Families and clubs sharing large event albums privately
- Schools and teams that need multi-user licenses at a discount
- Hobbyists who want a one-time license instead of a big monthly fee
Skip it if
- People who want a fully online, browser-only portfolio builder
- Photographers who need built-in proofing, contracts and invoicing
- Linux users looking for a native app (only macOS and Windows are listed)
You have thousands of photos from a wedding, a holiday or a season of club matches, and you want to share them as a clean, fast gallery. Social networks shrink and compress them, cloud drives look like file lists, and portfolio builders charge a monthly fee forever.
jAlbum takes a different route. You drop your photos and videos into a desktop app, press Make, and it builds a complete web gallery you can upload to your own site or to jAlbum's hosting. It has been doing this since 2002.
This review covers how jAlbum works, what the free version allows, how licenses differ from storage plans, and who will get the most from it.
What is jAlbum?
jAlbum is a desktop application for macOS and Windows that creates web photo albums from folders of images and videos. You choose a skin (a theme that controls layout and features), customize it, and jAlbum generates a static HTML gallery. You can upload it with the built-in FTP client to any web host, or publish it to jalbum.net if you buy a storage plan. It also includes basic image editing (crop, sharpen, levels, auto-correct, watermarks) with batch processing, plus organizing tools for dates, locations, tags and duplicates.
Pros and cons
What we like
- Free version to try the full workflow (galleries up to 24 items)
- Licenses are valid forever for the version bought, with 12 months of free upgrades
- Publish anywhere: your own host via the built-in FTP uploader, or jalbum.net
- Dozens of free skins (themes), some with shopping cart features
- Static galleries with no server-side scripting, plus password protection
- Multi-user discounts of 25-45% for teams and schools
What could be better
- Desktop-first workflow feels dated next to modern online builders
- Commercial use and shopping carts need the Pro license or Power/Super plans
- A few third-party skins need a separate license
- Prices load only in the checkout flow, so comparing plans takes a few clicks
Overall
Very good
- Features4.4
- Ease of use3.9
- Value4.3
- Support4.0
Key features of jAlbum
Drag-and-drop gallery maker
Drop images and videos onto jAlbum and press Make to build a gallery. Galleries can typically hold up to 50,000 images on an ordinary computer, limited mainly by RAM.
Skins for every style
Dozens of free skins control the look and features of each album. Some, such as Tiger, Photoblogger and LightFlow, support a shopping cart for selling photos.
Built-in image editor
Crop, sharpen, adjust levels, auto-correct and add watermarks, with batch processing across a whole album. That covers common touch-ups without another app.
Publish anywhere
An embedded FTP client uploads galleries to your own domain or a third-party host. Premium and Power users can also publish to their jalbum.net account.
Privacy and safety
Galleries can be password protected. Generated albums use no server-side scripting, which reduces security risks on your web host.
Modern formats
Recent versions support AVIF images, which keep quality high at smaller file sizes. That helps galleries load faster.
jAlbum pricing
Checked 2026-10. Prices can change; confirm on jAlbum’s site.
Free
US$0
free forever
- Galleries up to 24 items
- Upload to your own site
- No priority support
Standard / Pro license
US$59 / US$119
one-time; includes 12 months of updates
- Standard: non-commercial use
- Pro: commercial use and shopping cart skins
- Unlimited computers, use forever
Premium (10 GB)
From US$3.59/month
US$86.16 per 24 months; US$53.88/year or US$5.29/month
- Hosting on jalbum.net
- Standard license included
- Non-commercial use
Power (100 GB)
From US$9.49/month
US$227.76 per 24 months; US$142.68/year or US$13.99/month
- Pro license included
- Commercial use
- Shopping cart skins
Super (300 GB)
From US$18.99/month
US$455.76 per 24 months; US$285.48/year or US$27.99/month
- Pro license included
- Most storage
- Priority support
Watch out: These are US-dollar prices from jAlbum's checkout (FastSpring) for US buyers; taxes and other currencies apply at checkout, and the license included with a storage plan works only while the plan is active.
See current jAlbum pricing →What people use jAlbum for
A wedding photographer's client galleries
A photographer with their own website uses a Pro license to publish each client's gallery to a password-protected folder. A shopping cart skin lets guests order prints.
A family archive without a website
A family that has no hosting picks the Premium plan and publishes holiday albums to jalbum.net. Relatives browse full-size photos without social media compression.
A school's event photos
A school buys multi-user Standard licenses at a 25-35% discount for staff. Each teacher publishes sports day and concert galleries to the school website.
How to get started with jAlbum
- 1
Download jAlbum for macOS or Windows from jalbum.net
- 2
Drag a folder of photos into the app and pick a skin
- 3
Press Make and preview the gallery in your browser
- 4
Choose a license if you have hosting, or a storage plan if you don't
- 5
Upload with the built-in FTP client or publish to your jalbum.net account
jAlbum alternatives
| Product | Choose it when |
|---|---|
| jAlbum 4.1 | Photographers who want galleries on their own domain and hosting |
| SmugMug | Choose SmugMug if you want fully online hosting with built-in print sales and no desktop software. |
| Adobe Lightroom | Choose Lightroom if you already edit there and only need simple shared web albums. |
| Pixieset | Choose Pixieset if you are a professional who wants client proofing and a studio workflow. |
jAlbum: frequently asked questions
Is jAlbum free?+
Yes, there is a free version you can use forever. It limits each gallery to 24 objects and has no priority support. Paid licenses remove the limit.
What is the difference between a jAlbum license and an account?+
A license is for people who already have a website and hosting; you buy it once and upload galleries yourself. Premium, Power and Super accounts add jalbum.net hosting (10, 100 or 300 GB) and include a license while the plan is active.
Do jAlbum licenses expire?+
No. Licenses are valid forever for the version you bought, and include 12 months of free upgrades and priority email support. After that, you can keep using your version or renew for newer releases.
Can I use jAlbum commercially?+
Yes, with the Pro license or a Power or Super account. The Standard license and Premium account are for non-commercial use only.
Does jAlbum work on Mac and Windows?+
Yes. jAlbum lists desktop apps for macOS and Windows, plus online, WordPress, Android and iOS options. Linux is not listed on the main download page.
Can I sell photos with jAlbum?+
Yes. Some skins, including Tiger, Photoblogger, FotoPlayer, LightFlow, LightBoxes, ImageFlow and NoteBook, support a shopping cart. You need a Pro license or a Power or Super account for commercial use.
Final verdict
Is jAlbum worth it?
If you want photo galleries that look good, load fast and stay under your control, jAlbum is worth trying. Download the free version, build a gallery from one folder of photos, and upgrade only when you need bigger albums, commercial use or hosting.
Try jAlbum freeAffiliate link · we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Reviewed by
Amjid Ali, Founder and editor
Amjid Ali is a Melbourne-based AI and automation lead, author of five books on infrastructure, automation and digital transformation, and a corporate trainer whose courses on n8n, Proxmox, firewalls and ERP have taught thousands of IT professionals.
Last updated 17 October 2026 · How we review
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jAlbum 4.1
Free version; storage plans from US$3.59/month