Plans & upgrades

In the plans area you see your current plan with all limits and features, switch to a larger plan (upgrade), extend your gallery’s storage period, book individual add-ons and manage an active subscription. This page explains every section, dialog and field.

Note

This area applies only to events hosted directly on Photogala. For partner or white-label events (custom brand) the provider manages the plan – see “Who can buy?” below.

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The plans area: upgrade options at the top and your current plan below – already the largest one here, hence no comparison table.

The storage clock starts with your first photo

The most important point first, because it is often misunderstood: the storage period does not start at purchase and not when you create your gallery.

• Free gallery: the clock starts with the first uploaded photo.
• Paid plan: the clock starts with the tenth uploaded photo.

As long as no photo has been uploaded, your event shows as Pending – and you can use the seating plan, RSVP and every other planning tool for free with no time limit. That is exactly why the clock only starts with the photos.

Who can buy? (Role and brand gating)

What you see in the plans area depends on your role and the type of event:

• Owner (event owner): full view. Only the owner can buy, upgrade, extend, book add-ons and cancel subscriptions.
• Admin/moderator (not owner): read-only view. The heading changes to Current Plan Overview, and a note at the bottom reads “Only event owners can purchase upgrades and addons. Contact the event owner to request changes.” Buy buttons, extend options and add-ons are hidden – the comparison table stays visible, but without the buy bar, and the Current Plan card sits below it.
• Brand/white-label event: if your event runs under a custom brand, the page only shows Plan Managed by [Brand] with the text “Your plan is managed by [Brand]. Please contact your provider for plan changes.” No purchase is possible here – contact your provider.

Note

Which plans exist at all comes from the server and is loaded dynamically. Names, prices, limits and durations can therefore differ – the interface always shows the plans that are actually available for your event.

How to reach the plans area

1. Open your event’s admin area. If you’re in the gallery, get there via the profile menu at the top right.

2. In the admin sidebar at the bottom, open the Upgrade Package box. If you’re already on the highest plan it reads Manage Package; while a discount is running the button reads Claim discount.

3. Alternatively you land here automatically as soon as you tap a locked premium feature in the gallery or settings: the lock notice links into the plans area, highlights the cheapest plan that includes that feature and scrolls straight to it.

Other entry points: photo and upload limit banners in the gallery, upgrade prompts on the dashboard and storage-period banners in the event statistics.

The entry sits at the very bottom of this sidebar – as the Upgrade plan or Manage plan box.

The “Current Plan” card

This card is visible to all roles and shows your event’s current state.

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The Current plan card: package name, expiry date and the limits that follow from it.

• Heading “Current Plan” plus the plan name.
• Status badge: Active (green), Expiring Soon (orange, less than 7 days), Expired (red) or Pending (blue, the storage period hasn’t begun yet). A red Refunded badge and a subscription badge (Monthly/Yearly) may also appear.
• Refund notice: if refunded, it reads “This event has been refunded. The event will be deleted after the retention period (30 days).”
• Subscription section (only with an active subscription): shows Billing cycle (Monthly/Yearly) and Next payment with a date. If cancelled, it reads Subscription canceled — active until [date].
• Event status: when Pending, you see when the storage period starts – with the first uploaded photo for free galleries, with the tenth for paid plans. For an active or expired event it shows Expires on or Expired on with a date, plus the note: “After it ends you keep 30 days of access to download as a ZIP, then it’s deleted.”
• Current Limits (grid): Uploaders, Photos, Videos, Tasks, Achievements – each as a number or Unlimited.
• Available Features: an expandable row “[count] features active”; expanded, Active Features lists every active feature with a description. For custom setups “Plan includes custom configurations” appears.

Note

The footnotes on the uploader definition (any guest who uploads at least 1 photo or video; unlimited guests may view) and on fair-use storage are not in this card but at the very bottom of the page – and only for owners.

Cancel a subscription

1. Open the Current Plan card and find the Subscription section (only visible with an active subscription).

2. Click Cancel subscription.

3. Confirm the prompt (“Are you sure? Your event will remain active until the end of the current billing period. After that, it will not renew.”) with Yes, cancel. Use Cancel to abort.

Note

After cancelling, your event stays active until the end of the current billing period and won’t renew afterwards. Gallery and photos remain until the end of the paid storage period.

Upgrade – switch to a larger plan

For owners the heading Upgrade Recommendations appears, followed by the comparison table. Only genuine upgrades are listed – plans with more limits or features than yours. If your event has expired or ended the table stays put and the heading changes to Bring your gallery back online: for a free gallery buying a plan is in fact the only way back, because free plans cannot be extended.

The comparison table

There are no separate upgrade cards any more – you buy straight from the table Compare every feature (“[count] features in [count] areas — nothing hidden.”).

The matrix puts your current package next to every more expensive one: the feature on the left, one column per package on the right. The Differences only toggle hides every row where the packages are identical, leaving just the points an upgrade would actually change.

• The toggle “Differences only · [X] of [Y]” above the table hides every row where your plan and the target plans offer the same thing. What remains is exactly what the upgrade adds.
• The “Contents” rail (large screens only, to the left of the table): every area with its row count; a click jumps to it, and the one currently in view is highlighted.
• The column head per plan (it sticks to the top while you scroll): the Most Popular badge on the highlighted plan, the name, a struck-through full price (when your existing purchase is credited), the price, “[count] features” and, where applicable, the note “Save [amount] with credit!”. Your own column carries the Your plan pill, every other one the Choose button.
• The “Limits” area: Guests who upload, Guests in seating plan & guest list, Photos, Videos, Storage and Storage period – each as a number, Permanent, Unlimited guests or None. Below it sits the reminder “Uploading and receiving are separate caps — the second decides how many people get the finished gallery.”
• Feature areas: each row shows a tick (Included) or a dash (Not included). These areas carry a reminder too, for example for the tools “The planning tools are in every plan, the free one included.” and for downloads “Building is free — handing out is what costs.”
• The combined row “All planning tools”: Show all [count] individually expands every tool into its own row, Show as one row folds it back.
• Clicking a row opens a dialog about that one feature – with Included in and, if you don’t have it, the button Unlock with [plan].
• The buy bar at the bottom (it sticks to the bottom edge of the table): on the left [plan] · [price] with the summary “[count] guests · [storage period] · [X] of [Y] features” underneath, on the right View Details and the buy button Choose [plan]. The storage-period outcome sits directly below it.
• On a phone the table only ever compares two columns – your plan and one target. The pills above the table pick which plan goes in the second column.

What happens to the storage period

Below the buy bar you always see the real outcome for the plan currently selected:

• “Storage period afterwards: until [date]” – together with the note “The storage period restarts from today — time already elapsed is not deducted.” or, for a gallery that has already expired, “Because your gallery has already expired, the storage period restarts from today.”
• “Storage starts with the 10th photo; it then lasts [duration].” – while your event is still Pending the clock is not running at all.
• Stored permanently – for plans without an expiry date.
• “Storage period unchanged.” – for example with a running subscription that has no expiry date anyway.

An upgrade restarts the storage period

Since August 2026 one simple rule applies: a paid upgrade restarts the storage period from the day of purchase. The remaining time on your old plan is not added on top – but it is never cut short either: if your existing end date is later than “today + the new duration”, you keep the later date.

This is fair because the upgrade price is already prorated against your remaining time (see the example below): the later you upgrade, the smaller the credit – and in return you get the full new period.

Four exceptions: an event that is still Pending has no running clock yet (it starts at the photo threshold), plans without an expiry date stay open-ended, a running subscription keeps “no expiry date”, and switching to a free plan does not restart the clock.

Not to be confused with extending the same plan: that stacks onto the running clock – only for a gallery that has already expired does the extension start from today too.

How to upgrade

While you scroll the matrix this bar stays pinned to the bottom. It shows the currently selected package and its price; Choose … takes you to checkout. Clicking here does not buy anything yet — you confirm payment in the next step.

1. Look through the rows in Compare every feature. The Differences only toggle reduces the table to what actually changes; View Details in the buy bar opens the full feature and limit list of the selected plan.

2. Select the plan column you want (on a phone via the pills) and click Choose [plan] in the buy bar at the bottom – or Choose in the column head itself. The button briefly shows Processing….

3. The secure Paddle payment window (pop-up) opens. Enter your payment details and complete the payment. The final price including sales tax is calculated here.

4. After successful payment the plan is unlocked instantly – there is no separate save button. If you close the pop-up, nothing happens.

Example: Premium → Deluxe mid-term

Your event sits on Premium (365 days of storage, 250 guests in the seating plan & guest list, bought for €80.00). Today is 20 August and your gallery runs until 29 September – so 40 of 365 days are left.

You switch on Differences only; what remains is exactly the rows where Premium and Deluxe differ – among them “Guests in seating plan & guest list: 250 → Unlimited guests” and “Storage period: 1 year → 2 years”.

The Deluxe column head shows the struck-through full price of €119.00 and the upgrade price below it. That price comes from your remaining time: €80.00 × 40/365 ≈ €8.76 of credit, so €119.00 − €8.76 = €110.24, with the note “Save €8.76 with credit!” next to it.

The buy bar sums it up: “Deluxe · €110.24” with “Unlimited guests · 2 years · [X] of [Y] features” underneath, followed by the outcome “Storage period afterwards: until 20 August 2028” – two years from today, not from 29 September. One click on Choose Deluxe, payment in the Paddle window – done, the plan is active immediately.

Remember: the earlier you upgrade, the larger the credit. On the first day of your Premium period it would have been almost the full €80.00.

Extend your gallery

For owners on a paid plan there’s an expandable box Enhanced Tier Management (“Extend your tier and upgrade with discounts”). It opens automatically when your event is expiring soon, has expired or has ended. Below it a note says that purchase confirmations are emailed to the purchaser and event owners.

• Expiry notice (when expired or ended): Your storage period has ended with the addition “As the organizer you still have access: download all photos as a ZIP now. After the 30-day window ends, the gallery is permanently deleted.” It may also read “[percent]% extension discount available!”.
• Extend Current Tier: extends your event’s storage period at an often discounted price and reopens the gallery for your guests. You see the Extension length and the real result date (“Storage period afterwards: until [date]”). For an event that hasn’t started yet, the extension is applied when the event starts.
• Price: if a discount applies, the pill “[percent]% Extension Discount” sits next to the heading and the breakdown shows Base Cost, the discount deducted and the Total Cost. Without a discount only the total is shown. Below it the note “Final price including taxes is shown at checkout.” – and if the price can’t be determined up front it reads “Extension price will be calculated at checkout.” instead.

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The expanded box: Extension length, the real result date (“Storage period afterwards: until …”), the Total Cost and the Extend for … button. No discount applies here – otherwise a percent pill would sit next to the heading and a base cost above the total.

How to extend

1. Open the Enhanced Tier Management box (on expiry it’s already open).

2. Under Extend Current Tier, review the Extension length, the result date and the price.

3. Click Extend for [price] or Continue to checkout and complete the payment in the Paddle pop-up. The gallery becomes active again instantly.

Note

Extending and upgrading affect the clock differently: an extension stacks onto your existing end date (“Storage period afterwards: until [date]” = old end date + duration), whereas an upgrade restarts the storage period from today. So if your event still runs for a while and you only want more time, extending is the better deal.

If you’re on the free plan, instead of the extend option you see You’re on the Free Plan: “Free plans cannot be extended.” Only an upgrade helps here.

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How much time is left also shows in the dashboard – the Storage period card names the end date. ① the Storage period card with the end date and the remaining time below it – the N days left line only shows while an end date is set. Otherwise it reads Stored permanently; before the clock starts Begins with the first photo (free) or Not started yet — begins with the 10th photo (paid), and afterwards Expired together with the days still left for the ZIP download. The icon tile turns from green to amber once fewer than eight days remain, and red after expiry, ② Extend leads to the pricing page – the button is missing while the clock has not started, on permanently stored galleries and on galleries running through a partner, ③ the Until the event card counts the days to the event date; without a date it reads When is the big day? with an Add a date button instead.

Add-ons (Available Addons)

For owners – and not on expired or ended events – the Available Addons section offers individually bookable extensions: more storage, more uploaders, a longer availability of your gallery or a single extra feature.

• Per add-on card: name, description and a price pill (a price or See checkout). Below it shows what the add-on delivers – extra capacity, individual features or additional days active. Some add-ons show Max [count] per event.
• No section at all? Then nothing is bookable for your plan right now – the area only appears when at least one matching add-on exists. On the highest plan it is therefore missing.
• Button: Purchase Addon or Add for Free → payment in the Paddle pop-up.

Note

If a later plan includes the same feature as a feature add-on, the add-on is disabled automatically on upgrade. Capacity add-ons such as extra storage or more uploaders stay active because they provide value beyond the plan limits.

Highest plan reached

If no upgrades remain, the comparison table disappears entirely and you see You’re All Set! with the text “You’re on our highest tier with all premium features. Enjoy creating amazing events!” The example gallery is in exactly that state: it already sits on the largest plan.

Instead of the comparison table you get the green You’re All Set! notice. Extending stays possible – the Enhanced Tier Management box above it is still there.

Details dialog

Via View Details in the buy bar, a dialog opens showing the selected plan’s full scope before you buy:

Clicking the feature name in the left column opens this dialog. Under Included in you see package by package from where the feature is available. If your package lacks it, the footer shows Unlock with …, which selects exactly the cheapest package that includes it.

• Plan overview with price and description.
• Addon Management: if a feature add-on becomes redundant with the plan, Addons to be Auto-Disabled lists it with the purchase date, the included features and the monthly saving. Capacity add-ons stay active.
• What’s New in This Upgrade: new features with the NEW badge and Higher Limits with their new value.
• Limits & Capacities: Guests (unlimited), Max. Uploader, Max. Photos, Max. Videos, Max. Tasks and Max. Achievements – each as a number or Unlimited.
• This is also where the full storage-period footnote lives, including the note that free galleries count from the 1st photo.

Rescue deleted or expired events

A coloured banner may appear at the top of the page:

• Deleted, not yet expired: an amber banner “This event is deleted and not visible to guests or participants. You can restore it for free!” plus a countdown Permanent deletion in [days] days. Use Restore Event (Free) to bring the event back while the deadline lasts.
• Deleted and expired: a red banner – here only an extension brings the event back.
• Expired only: a red banner “Your event has expired. Extend your plan below to keep it active and prevent deletion.”
• Being permanently deleted: a red banner “This event is being permanently deleted. Restoration is not possible.”

More on deleted photos under Recycle bin; for the ZIP download after expiry see Download & export.

Saving and activation

• No save button: all purchases run through the Paddle pop-up. After successful payment the plan is unlocked instantly. If you cancel, nothing happens.
• Confirmation emails go to the purchaser and all event owners.
• Storage clock: starts with the first photo for free galleries and with the tenth for paid plans. Every paid upgrade starts the full new duration from today – a later existing end date is kept, though. An extension stacks onto the running clock instead; for an expired event it restarts from today.

Troubleshooting

• I don’t see any buy buttons in the comparison table. You are not the owner – only owners can buy; the table itself stays visible read-only. If the table is missing entirely, it is a brand event or you are already on the highest plan (You’re All Set!). For expired events it does stay put – buying is often the quickest way back there.
• My event has been “Pending” for days. That’s not a bug: no photo has been uploaded yet, so the storage clock hasn’t started at all. You can use the planning tools without limit during this time.
• The pop-up won’t open or payment fails. Disable your browser’s pop-up blocker and try again.
• The upgrade costs more than expected. The price is prorated against your remaining time: the fewer days left on your current plan, the smaller the credit. The struck-through full price and the note “Save [amount] with credit!” in the column head show the difference.
• My gallery has expired – are the photos still there? Yes. After expiry you have 30 days to save everything as a ZIP; after that it’s permanently deleted. An extension reactivates the gallery.
• I deleted my event by accident. While the deadline lasts, use Restore Event (Free) at the top.
• My subscription keeps being charged. Cancel via Cancel subscription in the Current Plan card; the event stays active until the end of the period.

Related help

• Setup checklist – getting started with your event
• Dashboard – upgrade prompts and storage period at a glance
• Event statistics – storage period and usage
• Features – which features are premium
• Recycle bin – restore deleted photos
• Download & export – ZIP download after expiry
• Storage period – the clock in detail