OurPlace vs FamilyAlbum: Which Family Photo App Is Right for You?

When it comes to sharing family photos privately, FamilyAlbum and OurPlace are two of the most popular names that come up. Both promise a safe, private space for your family's moments — but they approach the problem in very different ways.

FamilyAlbum has been around since 2015 and has built a large user base, particularly in Japan and the United States. It focuses on milestone tracking and baby growth records alongside photo sharing. OurPlace, on the other hand, is built from the ground up around one core idea: your family's photos belong to your family, and nobody else.

If you're trying to decide between these two apps — or you're already using FamilyAlbum and wondering if there's something better — this comparison breaks down the differences that actually matter.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Privacy: Your Photos, Your Rules

Privacy is where OurPlace and FamilyAlbum differ most. FamilyAlbum collects usage analytics and, on its free tier, serves advertisements alongside your family's memories. That means your usage patterns and engagement data are being tracked and monetised, even if the photos themselves remain private.

OurPlace takes a fundamentally different approach. There are no ads on any plan — free or paid. Your data is never sold, shared with advertisers, or used to build profiles. Photos are stored securely on encrypted infrastructure, and only the members you invite can ever see them. There is no discover feed, no public profiles, and no algorithmic recommendations.

For families sharing intimate moments — first steps, bath time, medical milestones — this distinction matters. You should never have to wonder who else might be seeing or profiting from your child's photos.

Ads and Data: The Hidden Cost of "Free"

FamilyAlbum's free tier is supported by advertising. While the ads are not targeted in the same way as social media ads, they still create an experience where commercial content sits alongside your family's memories. To remove ads, you need to upgrade to FamilyAlbum Premium.

OurPlace's free Starter plan includes up to 3 spaces and 100 photos per space with zero advertisements. The experience is identical whether you're on the free plan or a paid plan — the only difference is capacity. Your family's photo app should feel like a family space, not a billboard.

Beyond ads, it's worth considering what data each app collects. OurPlace collects only what's necessary to run the service: your email, the photos you upload, and basic account information. Nothing more. No behavioural tracking, no engagement scoring, no data broker partnerships.

Roles and Permissions: More Control for Your Family

FamilyAlbum offers two roles: admin and member. This works for simple setups, but it falls short when you need more nuance. What if you want grandparents to view photos but not upload? What if you want a trusted family member to help manage the space without giving them full ownership?

OurPlace provides four distinct roles: Owner, Co-host, Contributor, and Viewer. Owners have full control. Co-hosts can help manage members and moderate content. Contributors can upload photos. Viewers can see everything but can't add content. This flexibility means you can set up your space exactly the way your family works.

On top of roles, OurPlace offers upload approval — a feature that lets the space host review and approve photos before they become visible to everyone. This is invaluable for families where multiple people contribute, ensuring only the photos you want shared actually get shared.

Pricing: Transparent and Fair

FamilyAlbum Premium costs around $5/month and primarily removes ads and unlocks additional storage. The free tier is functional but the advertising detracts from the experience.

OurPlace's pricing is structured around capacity rather than removing limitations from the free experience. The Starter plan (free) gives you 3 spaces with 100 photos each. Plus unlocks 10 spaces with 2,000 photos each. Family+ removes all limits entirely. Crucially, every plan is ad-free, and every plan includes the same features — roles, upload approval, timeline filters, and privacy protections.

There are no hidden upsells, no premium-only features gated behind a paywall. You're paying for more room, not for a better experience.

Ease of Use: Simple by Design

FamilyAlbum has been around for over a decade and has accumulated a wide range of features: milestone tracking, growth records, video montages, printed photo books, and more. For some families, this breadth is appealing. For others, it creates clutter and complexity.

OurPlace is intentionally focused. It does one thing — private family photo sharing — and it does it exceptionally well. The interface is calm, intuitive, and fast. You can create a space and invite your first family member in under 60 seconds. There are no tutorials to sit through, no feature tours, and no settings menus with dozens of options.

This simplicity also makes OurPlace more accessible to less tech-savvy family members. Grandparents, in particular, find OurPlace easier to navigate because there's less to learn and fewer places to get lost.

Multiple Spaces: One App, Many Family Groups

One of the most common frustrations with FamilyAlbum is its single-album structure. You get one family album. If you want to share photos with your parents but not your in-laws, or keep a separate space for a friend group, you're out of luck — or you need to create entirely separate accounts.

OurPlace was designed around the reality that families are complex. You can create multiple separate spaces, each with its own members, roles, and photo timeline. Your immediate family space stays private. The grandparents space gets the photos you want to share with them. A close friends space gets the fun stuff. Everyone sees exactly what they should, and nothing they shouldn't.

This also solves the common problem of blended families, co-parenting arrangements, and extended families spanning different countries. Instead of forcing everyone into one shared bucket, OurPlace lets you mirror the real structure of your relationships.

Who Should Choose Which?

Choose FamilyAlbum if: you want milestone tracking, growth charts, and printed photo books, and you're comfortable with ads on the free tier. FamilyAlbum's breadth of features is appealing if you want an all-in-one baby tracking and photo sharing solution.

Choose OurPlace if: privacy is your top priority, you want ad-free sharing on every plan, you need flexible roles and upload approval, or you want to create separate spaces for different parts of your family. OurPlace is the better choice for families who want a calm, focused photo sharing experience without compromise.

The Verdict

FamilyAlbum is a solid app with a long track record, and it works well for families who want milestone tracking and don't mind ads on the free tier. But if privacy, simplicity, and control are your priorities — and they should be when you're sharing photos of your children — OurPlace is the better choice.

With no ads, no data mining, flexible roles, upload approval, and the ability to create multiple separate spaces for different parts of your family, OurPlace gives you everything you need to share memories safely and nothing you don't.

Frequently Asked Questions