Which photo booth software is best?
The most important part of a photo booth is the software that runs it! After all, without proper photo booth software, it’s just a camera taking pictures (aka photography). At its very core, photo booth software lets you batch the process from photos to prints, often including the ability to share the digital as well. That’s the simple version. On the other end of the spectrum, nowadays “photo booth software” is capable of everything from live, automatically edited video reels to super creative AI outputs. And with plenty of choices on the market, it can be hard to figure out what’s right for you and your business.
And no two photo booth software are exactly alike. They may be iPad or Windows specific and one might try to accomplish only one thing really well (like 360 videos or Mosaics) and another might be more of an all-in-one option. So to make this fair, I’m actually not going to be telling you which software is ‘best’ because truthfully, there is no best choice, only what works best for what you are hoping to accomplish.
I know I know…this is bait and switch! Well, instead of narrowing down to the ‘top photo booth software’, instead, I’m going to give you a breakdown of the most popular software on the market, along with the available features of each software. Additionally, I’ll provide my 2 cents for any software that I personally have experience with, since I can’t honestly say I’ve tried them all (nor do I want to). And at the end I’ll also provide my recommendation for the best beginner friendly software, so you can get started right away without having to test all of them for yourself.
Now, instead of making you scroll infinitely, if you want to view my comparison list, please checkout the link below to a Google Sheet with everything nicely formatted. P.S. This list is current as of July 2024, but things change so make sure to check with the software providers if you want to verify any current features. Also, keep in mind that some features, such as AI Background Removal may be listed as a feature, but it does not mean the software offers it as an included option, only that it’s possible. You may need to subscribe to a different app, or purchase image credits externally to integrate into the app.
P.S. This list is best viewed on Desktop or Horizontal Tablet since it’s rather large
Best Photo Booth Software Comparison Table
My two cents on the best photo booth software
As I mentioned, there is not really a ‘best software’ only a ‘best-fit-for-your-current-needs’ software. This means, depending on the situation at hand, you may need to adopt different software that accomplishes a super specific purpose, that your current software doesn’t. Now you might say, “well if software B accomplishes that specific need, by software A doesn’t, why not just stick to software B altogether?” The trouble with that is software B may not accomplish all that software A can. And even if it does, the differences may not be worth the trouble, since you might be able to accomplish 80% of your regular events, faster, cheaper, or with more reliability than with software A. The key is knowing what works best for you, and what options are out there so you can be flexible to your clients needs.
So, with that said, here are the software solutions that I personally use most frequently in my photo booth rental business, and why I chose them.
Breeze for Windows
This has been my go-to photo booth software for nearly a decade, and after trying all of the available Windows-based DSLR options back in the day (there were no iPad-based options then), this one stuck for a few reasons.
Customizability
Breeze for Windows (formerly DSLR Remote Pro) was (and still is) one of the most customizable photo booth software on the market. This is also part of what makes it complex. You can define completely custom screens, along with buttons, touchscreen actions, and multiple profiles for easily switching between photo booth templates, modes, and more. It also features the ability to integrate scripts like Auto Hotkey, which enables full automation with the simple tap of a touchscreen action. This makes it a great asset for corporate clients and permanent installations where custom user experience is essential to brands wanting something custom.
Stability
At the start, I tried every software on the market and ran through many test scenarios as if I were working a live event. I quickly discovered that Breeze was the most solid option there was. No misfires. No software crashes. No matter how many shots I took. Other software crashed on the first try or hung up after any amount of heavy processing. Given that this business model is about taking hundreds to thousands of pictures back-to-back in large events settings, reliability and stability is essential to a good photo booth software.
Feature Richness
In addition to the customizable aspect of Breeze the software offered quit a bit when it first launched, and continues to offer innovative features pushing the boundaries of what photo booth software can do. Things like AI processing with Breeze FX (now) to completely custom photo manipulation, positioning, and advanced templates, there is a near endless number of things you can do with this software. The only limit is your imagination and willingness to learn.
So what don’t I like about Breeze? Well, it’s ugly as hell and not very intuitive. Seriously, it looks like it was designed for Windows 97 and has never been updated since. But alas, it works so darn well that I can’t complain too much.
Snappic
If you are starting a photo booth business today, and you want the best all-in-one photo booth software without a huge learning curve and tons of support, sign up for Snappic. Their subscription-based model lets you scale up as you grow, and one app can accomplish everything from photos, videos, 360, testimonials, advanced effects, microsites, and even AI! And it’s pretty easy to go from inexperienced to looking like an expert with a few clicks. In fact, with the exception of the full customizability of Breeze, Snappic might be my 2nd favorite.
I know I said there was no ‘best photo booth software’ but if I had to give that title away, right now Snappic would be the winner of that. They also have arguably the best support in the industry, with pretty much always-on live chat, ready to help if you get stuck, with plenty of tutorials and training found on their site. If you are having a hard time justifying $69 for a single event under their Enterprise level, you should seriously consider taking my Mastering Profits course to learn how to price your services and attract the right clientele for maximum profits.
Breeze Booth for iPad
Similar to all the things that are great about Breeze for Windows, Breeze for iPad brings complete control and flexibility to an Apple-based platform. Some notable benefits of this app over the competition, includes things like HTTP Post Processing (allowing custom AI integrations), custom web server processing, and complete control over all the screens. The only problem is once again, Breeze is not very beginner friendly. If you are willing to get past the learning curve or want to have one extra tool in your arsenal, this is one you want piece of software you should spend time learning.
Conclusion
Although there may not be a single ‘best photo booth software’, there is always a best option for your business, client, or particular use case. But this list should help you get started on the right foot in your photo booth business! No matter which software you end up using, the same thing rings true for all. Make sure you spend the time necessary to read through the software manuals, help guides, and support resources so you will be as prepared as possible. This also means testing things out for yourself so you can be fully equipped to handle whatever might come your way at a live event.
As always, happy boothing!
