Key Points:
- Both Google Photos and Amazon Photos offer free storage, but there are some subtle differences between the two.
- Any popular web browser can view both Google Photos and Amazon Photos. For desktop, Android, and iOS devices, each provides specialized apps.
- You can make albums in Google Photos that can be shared with the public or with specific individuals. Similar to Google Photos, you must manually add the names of the individuals in the images for facial recognition to function in Amazon Photos.
Having your photos backed up in the cloud is a smart idea. Besides the ease of accessing your entire photo library from anywhere and at any time, you can keep your images stored securely online and free from hardware and hard disk failure risks.
Google Photos and Amazon Photos are two of the most popular photo storage and management apps out there. They are packed with great features, making them extremely useful for uploading, syncing, and managing your snaps collections across multiple devices.
Both Google Photos and Amazon Photos offer free storage, but there are some subtle differences between the two that you should know before deciding which one to use.
If you’re having a hard time picking between the two, this article will help you decide which one is best for your needs. In this Google Photos vs. Amazon Photos comparison, we’ll look at the benefits and downsides of both services for every type of user, including information on price, storage space, editing tools, and organizational features.
Without further ado, let’s dive in!
Google Photos vs. Amazon Photos: A Side-by-Side Comparison
| Google Photos | Amazon Photos | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage & Price | 15GB – Free 100GB – $19.99 per year 200GB – $29.99 per year 2TB – $99.99 per year | 5GB – Free 100GB – $19.99 per year 1TB- $59.99 per year 2TB – $119.98 per year |
| Uploads & Syncing | Accessed from any web browser, save on data usage (allows you to restrict mobile uploads to Wi-Fi) | Accessed from any mainstream web browser, saves on data (the app allows you to restrict mobile uploads to Wi-Fi) |
| Editing Tools | Slick interface and has the capability to perform automated adjustments | Its interface isn’t as slick but offers several editing tools (you can add text overlays and apply focus effects) |
| Mobile Apps | Compatible with iOS and Android (when open, it shows your images in your camera roll) | Compatible with iOS and Android (when open, encourages users to order prints from the platform) |
| Sharing Options | Via direct links, email, and social media | Via email, Facebook, or a dedicated link |
| Smart Searching | AI-powered object recognition (marginally more successful at correlating faces) | AI-powered object recognition (less successful in correlating faces) |
Google Photos vs. Amazon Photos: 5 Must-Know Facts
- Both Amazon Photos and Google Photos give users the first slice of cloud storage space for free; Amazon users receive 5GB, while Google users receive a more generous 15 GB.
- Any popular web browser can view both Google Photos and Amazon Photos. For desktop, Android, and iOS devices, each provides specialized apps.
- Amazon Photos has a number of editing options, including the ability to add text overlays and use focus effects.
- Google Photos appears to be slightly more successful in correlating faces, though it’s difficult to quantify objectively on the smart searching aspect.
- It turns out that Google Photos is more organized: you get a smart album compilation based on the data and dates of your snaps.
Google Photos vs. Amazon Photos: What’s the Difference?
While Google Photos and Amazon Photos both offer many of the same features, there are also some significant distinctions.
Price and Storage
All Amazon customers get up to 5GB of free cloud storage for images, but if you’re a Prime member, the offer is much sweeter: Amazon gives Prime members unlimited full-quality photo storage.
Amazon Prime isn’t free, of course. It costs $12.99 per month or $119 annually. Although that may seem expensive for only storing images, Prime members also get free two-day shipping and membership to Amazon Prime Video.
Only 15GB of free storage per Gmail account is now available for Google Photos, which previously allowed unlimited storage. This storage can be used for Drive, Gmail, and Photos. By subscribing to Google One, users can buy more storage space for photos.
©XanderSt/Shutterstock.com
Tagging and Sharing
You can make albums in Google Photos that can be shared with the public or with specific individuals. Images can be sorted by things, places, and people. Using facial recognition software, the people category will aggregate these photos together. You can tag your friends, and when the program recognizes particular individuals in an image, it will recommend sharing it with them since it is connected to your Gmail account.
As you upload images to the site, Amazon Photos automatically tags them. Similar to Google Photos, you must manually add the names of the individuals in the images for facial recognition to function. Images are sorted by their location using places. Using locations, you can categorize images according to the content of the images.
Editing
While Google Photos gives a full range of automatic editing tools and clever sorting suggestions to make the most out of your library, Amazon Photos offers seamless integration with Fire TV and Echo Show devices so you can choose new backgrounds with ease.
While choosing between Google Photos and Amazon Photos really can’t go wrong, it’s still worthwhile to read the entire comparison guide below to see which service will best meet your needs for photo backup.
You don’t want to spend hours or even days uploading your image collection just to discover that your preferred platform is missing a crucial function.
Editing Tools
Through their applications and websites, Google Photos and Amazon Photos both provide simple editing tools. They’re intended to assist you in quickly adjusting levels, applying filters, and changing cropping rather than more complex adjustments.
Although its user interface isn’t as polished, Amazon Photos offers several editing capabilities that Google’s photo backup service does not, such as the ability to add text overlays and apply focus effects.
Additionally, it offers a wider variety of changes and a larger selection of filters. The sophisticated shadow, highlight, gamma, clarity, and other adjustments exceed Google Photos’ basic light, color, and pop sliders.
©Ascannio/Shutterstock.com
Automatically Sync Photos
Both Google Photos and Amazon Photos have an app for iOS and Android that allows you to seamlessly sync photos from your device to the cloud, ensuring that all of your photos are immediately backed up. You can schedule automatic backups on the desktop app for times that are convenient for you. The ease with which images can be shared via the cloud is a big advantage.
Storage Capacity
If you’re looking for the greatest free cloud storage option, Google Photos is recommended because it provides customers with greater free storage than Amazon Photos (15GB vs. 5GB for non-Prime members). On the premium side, Google Photos is similarly priced to Amazon Photos and provides a similar app experience.
Users of Apple or iOS might wish to think about Apple iCloud as a substitute for Amazon Photos. It is significantly more convenient to use than Amazon Photos at a comparable price thanks to the embedded integration of iCloud.
Sharing Options
Both backup solutions have built-in sharing facilities if you want to easily share certain photos with your loved ones. You may share certain photos and entire albums using a special link, Facebook, or email thanks to Amazon Photos. Additionally, you may set up a Family Vault, which enables you to share your favorite photos with up to four other people and create shared albums. Everyone with access to the vault can save an unlimited number of pics there as long as one person has a Prime membership.
A similarly comprehensive collection of sharing capabilities is available for Google Photos. In addition to building direct links to photos and group albums, you can also post pictures to social media. It’s simple to send messages directly to certain people or groups, thanks to the integration of your Google contacts.
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©Silver Wings/Shutterstock.com
Pros and Cons of Google Photos
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Affordable price | Inadequate editing tools |
| Easy to use | Unlimited storage ending soon |
| Cloud storage | Some odd search results |
| Cross-platform | |
| Accommodates both photos and videos |
Pros and Cons of Amazon Photos
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Unlimited full-resolution photo storage | Not worth the price without Amazon Prime |
| Ease of use | Fuzzy security policy |
Google Photos vs. Amazon Photos: Which One Should You Use?
So, which is better: Google Photos or Amazon Photos?
Users who currently pay for Amazon Prime to take advantage of free delivery or video streaming may consider checking out Amazon Photos. The privacy policy’s vague security provisions are a cause for concern, but the virtually cost-free limitless storage of your full-resolution images is a significant advantage. However, we don’t think it’s worthwhile to join Amazon Prime exclusively for Amazon Photos or Amazon Photos without Amazon Prime.
While Amazon Photos provides all the essentials you need from a cloud storage service, there isn’t anything particularly noteworthy about it that would make you prefer it to Google Photos if you aren’t already an Amazon Prime member.
Since Google Photos is a fundamental Google feature, almost everyone uses it at some point. Highs include the reasonable cost, the search feature, and the substantial quantity of storage that is offered on the free tier. Lows include the strange search outcome when the town name was not capitalized, the lack of sophisticated editing capabilities, and the impending end of unlimited storage. Google Photos is a great place to start for anyone seeking a cloud storage solution for their snaps and videos.
Alternative Photo Saving Platforms
There are many platforms where you can upload and save your photos. Here are a few other popular options beyond the two compared in this list:
- Flickr: A popular platform used for many years, Flickr offers unlimited storage for free.
- 500px: This is a good option for amateur photographers because you can save and share photos.
- SmugMug: For a flat monthly fee you can get unlimited access to this storage platform.
Google Photos and Amazon Photos in the News
In January 2023, Google Photos announced that it will be ending its free unlimited storage policy for high-quality photos and videos. This change took effect in June 2023. Users who exceed their storage limits will be charged $1.99 monthly for 100GB of additional storage.
In 2021, Google Photos launched its Locked Folder feature, which allows users to keep private photos and videos hidden, even when someone else is using their device. The Locked Folder is protected by a PIN or fingerprint.
In July 2022, Amazon announced that it would be shutting down its personal file storage service, Amazon Drive, and focusing its efforts on Amazon Photos. This move allowed Amazon to consolidate its storage offering and compete more effectively with iCloud Photos and Google Photos.
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The image featured at the top of this post is ©Nor Gal/Shutterstock.com.
