Comparison
PartyLab vs Zoom
Zoom is a video conferencing platform. PartyLab is a purpose-built event gallery where every guest uploads original-quality photos with a single QR scan — no Zoom account, no meeting ID, no app required.
Feature by feature
| Feature | PartyLab | Zoom |
|---|---|---|
| Guests need to create an account | No | Yes |
| Guests need to download an app | No | Yes |
| One link / QR for all guests | Yes | No |
| Photos collected centrally for the host | Yes | No |
| Original photo quality preserved | Yes | No |
| Private event gallery | Yes | No |
| Live shared gallery during the event | Yes | No |
| Built-in party slideshow for TVs | 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 |
The Zoom problem at events
Zoom is a video call platform, not a photo gallery
Zoom is designed for meetings and webinars. While guests can share their screen or paste images into the chat during a call, there is no concept of a shared event photo gallery, no QR upload flow, no lightbox, no slideshow, and no bulk download. After the call ends, the photos are gone. PartyLab is purpose-built for collecting photos from a group of guests at an event — it does one thing and does it completely.
Photo quality is degraded in Zoom chat
Photos shared via Zoom’s in-meeting chat are compressed and stored only for the duration of the session. Even if guests save them, they receive low-resolution versions of the originals. PartyLab stores every upload at 100% original quality, preserving the exact file your guests captured on their phones and cameras — perfect for printing or creating a photo book after the event.
Every guest needs a Zoom account and the app
To join a Zoom meeting and share photos, guests need a Zoom account, the desktop or mobile app installed, and a meeting ID or invite link. For a casual birthday party, wedding, or reunion, this friction stops many guests from participating at all — especially older guests or those without smartphones set up for Zoom. PartyLab works in any mobile browser: scan the QR code and upload in seconds, no download required.
Hosts who made the switch
“We tried sharing wedding photos over a Zoom call the next day but it was a mess — everyone had to be on the call at the same time and the quality was terrible. PartyLab collected everything during the reception itself, original quality, and the gallery was ready for us the morning after.”
Olivia H.
Bride, summer wedding
“We use Zoom for our remote team but needed a way to collect photos from our in-person company offsite. PartyLab’s QR code let everyone upload on the night and we had 180+ full-quality photos ready to download by morning.”
Marcus T.
People Operations lead
“Our family does a Zoom call at Christmas but the photo sharing in the chat is awful — tiny previews that expire. PartyLab works for our in-person party and everyone gets the full gallery link to keep.”
Susan W.
Holiday party host
Common questions
Can’t I just screen-share a photo album during a Zoom call?+
Screen-sharing in Zoom lets people see photos, but guests cannot contribute their own photos to a shared collection. PartyLab solves the collection problem — every guest uploads their own photos via QR code and the host gets a single gallery with everyone’s photos at full quality.
What about Zoom’s cloud recording — can that capture event photos?+
Zoom cloud recording captures video of the call, not individual photos. For in-person events, Zoom doesn’t apply at all since guests are physically present, not on a video call. PartyLab works at in-person events: guests scan a printed QR code (table cards, poster, or phone screen) and upload photos directly.
Is Zoom free while PartyLab costs money?+
Zoom’s basic plan is free for calls under 40 minutes. PartyLab is free for events up to 30 photos; paid events are $19 one-time with unlimited uploads, 12-month gallery storage, ZIP export, and a built-in TV slideshow. There’s no subscription and no recurring cost.
What if my event is hybrid — some guests in-person, some on Zoom?+
PartyLab works perfectly for hybrid events. In-person guests scan the QR code and upload directly; remote guests receive the same event link to upload photos from their side. All photos land in the same shared gallery, which can be displayed on the TV at the venue or shared with remote guests via the gallery link.
Every photo. Every guest. Forever.
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