App facts
FamilyAlbum
What the free version really includes
Unlimited free storage is real. So are the third-party ads, the 2-minute video limit, and the resizing — all from FamilyAlbum's own help centre.
Just the safety question? Is FamilyAlbum safe? →
Where FamilyAlbum ranks
Its place on each "best for…" page — the same fifteen criteria, weighted for one situation at a time. Green is the top third of that page's ranking, red the bottom third.
FamilyAlbum (MIXI, Inc.) is the largest free family album, and its free tier is more generous than any other app here: unlimited photos and videos at no cost, sorted by month, with reactions and comments. The costs are elsewhere — in advertising, in what happens to the files, and in the video limit — and every one of them is documented in FamilyAlbum’s own help centre.
Every criterion
- Price
- Free with ads; Premium Family $5.99/mo or $59/yrFree with third-party ads and 2-minute videos. Premium Family is $5.99 a month or $59 a year and covers everyone in the album; Family Pro is $10.99 a month or $109 a year; Premium One ($2.99 a month) covers only the subscriber. First-time subscribers get a month free.[1][2]
- Do relatives have to pay?
- No — one plan covers the albumNo. One Family plan covers every member of the album, and the free version is free for everyone.[2]
- Photos kept at full quality?
- No — uploads and downloads are resizedNo. FamilyAlbum says uploads are "slightly resized", and that the photos you download back — and the ones on its DVDs — are the resized versions.[4]
- Video limits
- 2 min free; 10 min on Premium2 minutes per video free; up to 10 minutes on Premium. Premium Family Pro keeps 1080p video, Premium Family 720p.[5][1]
- Ads?
- Yes, on the free version (third-party ads)Yes, on the free version — "No Third-Party Ads" is listed as a Premium feature.[1]
- AI or face recognition run on your photos?
- Not stated. Albums are auto-sorted by month and "1s Movies" are compiled automatically; we found no published statement either way about face recognition or AI on the pages we checked.[2][6]
- Can the company open your photos?
- Yes — in transit only; staff access for supportYes. FamilyAlbum describes encryption in transit and server protections, and says authorised employees may access data to provide support and operate the service. It makes no end-to-end encryption claim.[6]
- Can family look without installing an app?
- Yes — browser-version invitationYes. A "browser version" invitation lets relatives view, comment and download without installing the app; they can't upload.[7][8]
- Do viewers need an account?
- Yes — web login or app accountYes. App members register an account; browser-version relatives open a unique invitation link and log in on the web.[7]
- Can family add their own photos?
- Partly — app members, if an admin allowsPartly. Album Members using the app can upload only if an Album Admin enables it; browser-version members cannot upload at all.[8]
- Can you leave with everything?
- Partly — downloads are the resized copiesPartly. Members can download photos (an admin can disable this), but downloads are the resized copies, not your originals — FamilyAlbum's own words.[4][8]
- Platforms
- iOS, Android, browser versioniOS and Android apps; a browser version for invited relatives; uploading from a computer is a Premium feature.[7][5]
- App Store label: data used to track you
- Yes Identifiers used to track youApp Store label: Identifiers "may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies"; data linked to you includes location, identifiers and usage data for third-party advertising.[9]
What stands out
The free tier is funded by ads and prints. The Premium page lists “No Third-Party Ads” as something you pay for, which tells you the free version has them. The home page offers “11 free prints every month” and photobooks; the business is built around turning the album into orders.
Uploads are resized — and so are downloads. FamilyAlbum is unusually direct about this: it resizes uploads “to reduce server costs so we can continue offering FamilyAlbum as a free service”, and what you download back is the resized version. If FamilyAlbum is the only place a photo lives, the original is gone.
Two minutes of video, unless you pay. Free videos must be under 2 minutes; Premium raises that to 10. Premium Family keeps 720p; you need Family Pro ($10.99 a month) for 1080p.
Relatives can skip the app. A browser-version invitation link lets a grandparent view and comment without installing anything. They log in on the web, they can’t upload, and they see the album chronologically rather than by month.
The tracking label. FamilyAlbum’s App Store label lists Identifiers under “Data Used to Track You”, and location, identifiers and usage data linked to you for third-party advertising — consistent with an ad-funded free tier.
Who it suits
Families who want unlimited storage at no cost and accept ads and slightly reduced quality in exchange. Families who care about keeping originals, or about who can process the photos, should read the encryption and quality rows before choosing it as the only home for their photos.
Weighing the upgrade? FamilyAlbum free vs Premium lists what $59 a year changes and what it doesn’t. Thinking of switching? FamilyAlbum alternatives ranks the other thirteen apps on what you’d be leaving for.
Where next
Is FamilyAlbum safe? → Your own mix: set the sliders → FamilyAlbum vs Tinybeans → FamilyAlbum free vs Premium → FamilyAlbum alternatives → Kin Album app vs FamilyAlbum Premium → BackThen vs FamilyAlbum → Cluster vs FamilyAlbum →
Sources
- FamilyAlbum — FamilyAlbum Premium — plans page, checked 2026-09-12
One $2.99 USD/month · Family $5.99 USD/month, $59 USD/year · Family Pro $10.99 USD/month, $109 USD/year … No Third-Party Ads — [Premium] … Some of the best memories last longer than 2 minutes. With a FamilyAlbum Premium plan, upload videos up to 10 minutes long … Max Resolution: Premium Family Pro 1920 x 1080, Premium Family 1280 x 720.
- FamilyAlbum — Help: What's the difference between FamilyAlbum Premium and the free version?, checked 2026-09-12
The free version of FamilyAlbum includes unlimited storage and uploads. (Videos must be shorter than 2 minutes in length) … When one member subscribes an album to a family plan, all members of that album get access to Premium features.
- FamilyAlbum — family-album.com home page, checked 2026-09-12
Free Unlimited Storage … Get 11 Free Prints Every Month … Ready to Go Photobooks … Only family members you invite can see your album.
- FamilyAlbum — Help: Do you resize uploads?, checked 2026-09-12
Currently, photos and videos uploaded to FamilyAlbum are slightly resized … Please note that the photos and videos downloaded from FamilyAlbum and placed on FamilyAlbum DVDs are the resized versions.
- FamilyAlbum — Help: What restrictions are there on uploading photos and videos?, checked 2026-09-12
There's no limit to the amount you can upload for free, and videos can be up to 2 minutes long. (Maximum video length is increased to 10 minutes with FamilyAlbum Premium.) … Uploading via computer is a Premium feature.
- FamilyAlbum — FamilyAlbum User Privacy Policy, checked 2026-09-12
Data transferred between your device and our servers is encrypted using the latest encryption technology … We don't sell your data to any third parties … Authorized employees or affiliates to provide customer support, operate our services …
- FamilyAlbum — Help: What's the difference between the app version and browser version?, checked 2026-09-12
If you invite family to the browser version, they will be able to view and comment on your album without downloading the app … Browser-version invitations contain a unique link that the invitee can easily open to access your album.
- FamilyAlbum — Help: What's the difference between Album Admins and Album Members?, checked 2026-09-12
Upload photos and videos — Album Admin ✔ · Album Member (App) △ Must be enabled by an Album Admin · Album Member (Browser) × … Download photos and videos — △ May be disabled by an Album Admin.
- FamilyAlbum — App Store listing: FamilyAlbum — App Privacy, checked 2026-09-12
Data Used to Track You: Identifiers. Data Linked to You — Third-Party Advertising: Location, Identifiers, Usage Data, Diagnostics … In-App Purchases: Premium Family $5.99 · Premium Family Pro $10.99 · Premium Family (Yearly) $59.00 · Premium Family Pro (Yearly) $109.00 · Premium One $2.99.
Questions people ask
Is FamilyAlbum really free?
Yes. FamilyAlbum’s help centre says the free version ‘includes unlimited storage and uploads’, with videos limited to 2 minutes. The free version shows third-party ads — ‘No Third-Party Ads’ is listed on the Premium page as a paid feature — and the company also sells photobooks, DVDs and prints from inside the app.
How much is FamilyAlbum Premium?
Premium Family is $5.99 a month or $59 a year and covers everyone in the album. Premium Family Pro is $10.99 a month or $109 a year and adds 1080p video uploads. Premium One is $2.99 a month and covers only the subscriber. First-time subscribers get a month free.
Does FamilyAlbum reduce photo quality?
Yes. Its help article ‘Do you resize uploads?’ says photos and videos are ‘slightly resized’ on upload, and that the versions you download back — and the ones put on FamilyAlbum DVDs — are the resized versions. Keep your originals on your phone.
Can grandparents use FamilyAlbum without the app?
Yes. An Album Admin can send a ‘browser version’ invitation — a unique link that lets a relative view, comment and download without installing the app. Browser-version members can’t upload photos.