Comparison
PartyLab vs Luma
Luma is the go-to platform for tech events, meetups, and conferences. But photo collection during the event is an afterthought — no live gallery, no QR upload flow, no ZIP export. PartyLab fills that gap with a purpose-built photo collection layer that works on top of any event platform.
Feature by feature
| Feature | PartyLab | Luma |
|---|---|---|
| Guests need to create an account | No | Yes |
| Guests need to download an app | No | No |
| One QR code for all guests to upload | Yes | No |
| Collects candid photos from all guests | Yes | No |
| Original photo quality preserved | Yes | No |
| Live gallery during the event | Yes | No |
| Built-in slideshow for venue TVs / screens | Yes | No |
| Digital guestbook captions | Yes | No |
| Photo reactions & likes | Yes | No |
| ZIP download of all photos | Yes | No |
| One-time pricing — no subscription | Yes | No |
| Purpose-built for in-event photo collection | Yes | No |
Where Luma falls short for photo collection
Luma’s photo feature requires attendees to sign in
Luma is primarily an event discovery and RSVP platform. Its photo feature (where it exists) requires attendees to sign in with their Luma account to post photos. For a networking event, conference, or team offsite where attendees range from regulars to first-timers, asking everyone to create or remember their Luma login at the event itself is a significant barrier. PartyLab requires nothing — print a QR code, put it on the table, and every attendee uploads instantly in their browser with no sign-in, no app, and no friction.
Luma doesn’t have purpose-built photo collection for live events
Luma’s core product is event pages, RSVPs, ticketing, and discovery. Photo sharing is not its focus, and it lacks the features that make in-event photo collection work: no QR code that opens directly to an upload flow, no live gallery updating in real time on screen, and no TV slideshow for the venue. PartyLab is built specifically for this moment: attendees scan a QR code on arrival or at their table, photos appear in the live gallery within seconds, and you can run the slideshow on any screen at the venue.
No ZIP export, no archive of every guest’s photo
After the event, Luma doesn’t provide a way to download all attendee photos as a ZIP archive. For a corporate offsite organizer, People Ops team, or conference organizer who wants every candid photo from the day in one downloadable folder, Luma has no solution. PartyLab’s ZIP export (included in the $19 one-time PAID tier) lets you download every original-quality photo from the event in one click — ready to share in your company Slack, post on LinkedIn, or send to the team.
Event organizers who added PartyLab
“We use Luma for all our tech meetup RSVPs and it’s great for that. But we always struggled to get photos from the event. PartyLab changed that — I put the QR code on the welcome table and by the end of the night we had 200 photos from 80 attendees. Nobody had to install anything or remember a login.”
Alex P.
Community organizer, monthly tech meetup
“As a People Ops manager I use Luma for our company events page. But for actually collecting photos from team offsites, PartyLab is in a different league. The live gallery on the projector screen at dinner made people take twice as many photos as usual. Then I downloaded the ZIP and had everything I needed for the team recap.”
Rachel M.
People Ops Manager, 200-person company offsite
“Luma is our go-to for conference registration and discovery. But we added PartyLab at our last event for photo collection and it was a revelation. Every sponsor, speaker, and attendee uploaded candids without creating an account. The ZIP download had 600 photos ready for our post-event LinkedIn post the next morning.”
David L.
Conference organizer, B2B tech conference
Frequently asked questions
Does Luma have a dedicated photo collection feature for events?
Luma’s primary focus is event pages, RSVPs, ticketing, and discovery. It has limited photo posting capabilities for attendees but lacks a dedicated in-event photo collection flow with QR code upload, live gallery, TV slideshow, or ZIP export. PartyLab is purpose-built for this use case: a QR code activates an instant upload flow in any mobile browser with no account required.
Should I use Luma and PartyLab together?
Yes — they complement each other well. Use Luma for your event page, ticketing, attendee management, and discovery. Add PartyLab for the live photo collection during the event itself. Many organizers share the PartyLab QR code or link directly in their Luma event page so attendees can find it ahead of time and access it on arrival.
How does PartyLab work for tech meetups and conferences?
Print the PartyLab QR code and place it at the entrance, on tables, or on the event backdrop. Attendees scan with their phone camera, enter their name once, and upload photos directly in their browser — no download, no login, no friction. Photos appear in the live gallery instantly, and you can run the slideshow on a venue screen. After the event, download the ZIP of all photos in one click.
What does PartyLab cost compared to Luma?
Luma’s event platform is free for basic events with paid tiers for ticketing fees and premium features. PartyLab is $19 as a one-time payment per event for the full experience — live gallery, TV slideshow, ZIP export, up to 500 MB per photo/video, no subscription. For a People Ops team or conference organizer who runs events regularly, the $19 one-time model per event is straightforward and predictable.
Use Luma for the event page. Use PartyLab for the photos.
One QR code at the entrance or on every table. Every attendee scans with their phone camera, uploads in seconds, and sees their photo in the live gallery. No app. No account. $19 one-time.