What are Image Hosting and Image Sharing?

Being a part of this digital world, you might already be aware of the importance of visuals. It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. Keeping this factor in mind, businesses operating in the online spectrum cannot afford to avoid the usage of images in their digital marketing campaigns. The reason behind the wide usage of photos is due to their capability to inform, educate, and, most importantly, engage the audience.

Considering how important images are, you must want to manage them adequately. But just like many other people, you might be confused about whether to choose image hosting or image sharing platform to manage your pictures. If you haven’t found an answer to this query yet, then you are in the right spot. In this blog, we are going to share everything you need to know about image hosting and sharing.

Continue reading till the end to find which option can suit your needs! 

Image Sharing Vs. Image Hosting 

So, the question is, how image hosting and image sharing are different? To analyze it, we have elaborated on their differences below. But before that, let’s quickly define each of them.

Image sharing

Photo sharing occurs through social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc. You might already have an idea about image sharing, as most of us are involved in it on a regular basis. Whenever a picture is uploaded on social networking sites, it’s basically photo sharing. 

Various social media platforms accept images with different dimensions. Ensure your images are according to the guidelines of the specific platform. In case they don't meet these requirements, you can utilize an image resizer to adjust the images according to the platform's guidelines.

Features 

• Based on photo formats.
• Limited options to embed images online.
• Accessible only to friends or followers.
• Utilizes standard optimization.

Image Hosting

The image hosting sites are web-based, which allows users to upload images on their servers. These platforms work as online hosts for your images; hence, you can easily access them online. An image hosting service can be perceived as a personal hard drive that’s directly connected and accessible over the internet.

Features

• Based on web formats.
• Allows you to embed images anywhere.
• Accessible to any audience online.
• Utilizes advanced network and optimization.

10 Popular Image Hosting Sites for Personal to Business

If you have gotten interested in managing your images with image hosting, you might be willing to know the best platforms offering this service. There’s no need to worry, as here are the 10 popular image hosting sites you can choose for meeting your personal or business needs. 

1. Google Photos

With no surprise, Google offers its image hosting service, which is known as Google Photos. It’s a popular choice among people for both individual and business usage. You can use Google Photos to send images to any friend or family member through shared albums. If you suspect that your personal images are being used online without your consent. Then you can conduct a reverse image search to monitor their usage and take appropriate action by reporting such instances. The features of this image hosting tool include:

• Provides a free upload limit of 15GB and a 1GB transfer limit.
• Organizes photos automatically according to places, people, and things.
• Takes off the burden from phone storage.
• Provides end-to-end encryption.
• Allows file recovery within 25 days. 

2. Dropbox

Dropbox is also another popular choice in the world of image hosting services. You can utilize it for safe and secure storage of your images. Besides allowing you to store pictures, Dropbox also provides you with an option to share them using multiple tools, such as Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc. Its main features involve the following:

• Offers free upload up to 10GB and paid to upload up to 1TB.
• Syncs data safely across multiple devices.
• Allows file recovery within 30 days.
• Offers ease in integrating with various platforms.
• Provides SSL security.

3. Flickr

Flickr is one of the oldest image hosting services that allows you to easily store images. This platform won’t let you come across any trouble in finding your uploaded images, as they can be easily arranged in albums. While uploading images, you can also use Flickr’s editing features to enhance the quality of your visuals. 

Here are some of its prominent features:

• Comes with an unlimited upload limit.
• Allows you to transfer files with a 1GB limit.
• Possesses the ability to integrate with Slack.
• Possibility to recover files within 30 days.
• Provides support with compliance standards (HIPPA and GDPR).

4. ImageShack

This image hosting site allows you to create an account for free and start uploading pictures on the go. You won’t face any difficulty in using ImageShack, as its user-friendly interface is quite similar to Pinterest. This platform allows you to keep track of images, as you can add tags while uploading them. With this image hosting service, you can get full control over the privacy of your pictures. 

The features that make ImageShack a top-notch image-hosting platform include the following:

• Provides E2E encryption.
• Allows you to share files with password protection.
• Comes with a 25MB free upload limit.
• Supports various platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows.
• Provides TLS security.

5. PostImage

If you want all your favorite pictures organized in a single place, then PostImage can be the image hosting solution you have been looking for. Each photo you upload on this platform will have a unique link; it makes image sharing convenient for all users. If you want to use any image as a profile picture, you can easily edit it through the built-in feature of this platform.

This image hosting service stands out due to the following features:

• Account creation isn’t mandatory.
• Upload images through the URL.
• Supports multiple image formats, including JPG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, BMP, PSD, and PDF.
• Provides compatibility with Windows devices.
• Provides support with compliance standards (GDPR).

6. Pasteboard

A simple interface and multitude of features make Pasteboard a top choice for image hosting services. This platform provides you with multiple options to upload pictures, which include drag & drop, copy & paste from the clipboard, and selecting images from the device’s storage. 

The following features make this image hosting service an exceptional option:

• Supports multiple file formats, including JPG, GIF, TIFF, and PNG.
• Provides analytics to show the number of views on your images.
• Offers real-time capture ability through webcam.
• Comes with built-in image editing tools.

7. SmugMug

If you want to gain full control over the storage of your images on an image hosting platform, then SmugMug could be one of the best options to rely on. This platform allows you to manage who can view and access your images. You can also use this image hosting for selling your pictures. The top-notch features of SmugMug include the following:

• Comes with a 3GB transfer limit.
• No limitation is imposed on uploading files.
• Provides easy integration with image editing tools.
• Possibility to recover files within 30 days.

8. Adobe Creative Cloud

Adobe Creative Cloud is an all-in-one set of applications and services related to editing, managing, storing, and sharing images. Its image hosting service is a top-rated option for users around the world. You can easily upgrade the hosting plans of this platform as per your requirements. It won’t ask you to put any effort into organizing images. Some of its features include the following:

• Comes with a 10MB transfer file limit.
• Provides 100GB limit on upload (Paid).
• Provides end-to-end encryption.
• Allows you to recover files within 60 days.
• Provides support with compliance standards (HIPPA and GDPR).

9. iCloud

This image hosting site is managed by Apple. If you have a team who works on the creation of images, then iCloud could be a preferable option for you to store images. It allows you to easily share a link of the image file and make your team members work on it together. You can also get your hands on iCloud API alongside this cloud hosting service. The features you might love in this hosting tool include:

• File recovery within 30 days.
• Provides TLS and SSL security.
• Comes with a 5GB free limit on upload.
• Offers multi-layer protection.

10. Mega

Mega is another online image hosting service that allows you to easily transfer files and folders from your device’s storage to cloud storage. You won’t face any limitations on transferring files through this platform. You can access Mega image hosting through any device, as it supports all major platforms, including iOS, Windows, Mac, and Android. Some other features you might like in this image hosting service include:

Provides free upload of up to 20GB, which can be expanded to 400 GB with the paid version.

• Offers support with compliance standards (GDPR).
• Utilizes keys to encrypt images.
• Provides TLS and SSL security.
• Allows file recovery within 30 days.

How to Choose an Image Hosting Platform?

Choosing an image hosting platform depends upon your personal or business requirements. In order to make the best choice, you should take the following factors into account:

• Performance

The image hosting platforms you’ll find over the web come with different levels of performance. You need to evaluate this factor in order to find the proper assistance for your needs. For measuring the performance of any image hosting platform, you should explore the CDN (Content Delivery Network) it utilizes. It’s also essential to figure out whether there is any restriction on its bandwidth.

• Storage Space

How much storage space are you expecting in an image hosting platform? Before choosing any tool, you should know your storage space needs and explore options that cover it up. It’s also essential to know that most platforms provide a limited space in their free plans. If you wish to expand the storage, you’ll need to pay for their subscription plans.

• Ease of Use

There is no point in selecting an image hosting service that doesn’t have a user-friendly interface. Most people are looking for image hosting tools in order to achieve convenience. Therefore, you should analyze the ease of use of any image hosting platform and see if it provides an easy way to upload, navigate, and manage image files.

• Security

Before selecting an image hosting service, it’s essential to have a thorough look over the security measures of the platform. End-to-end encryption, compliance standards (HIPPA or GDPR), image permissions, etc., are some of the security features that you must look for in an image hosting service. If you have chosen a platform that doesn’t take these measures, then your images won’t be secure, and you will be responsible for it.

Free Image Hosting Vs. Subscription-Based Image Hosting

While exploring image hosting services, you’ll come across platforms that offer two variants: free and subscription-based. Depending upon your individual or organizational needs, you should consider the following factors when choosing a free or paid image hosting service.

Free Image Hosting

• There is a limitation on the maximum file size that can be uploaded.
• The storage capacity is also limited in the free image hosting service.
• It might not offer advanced security compliances.
• It can put a limitation on the creation of folders or galleries to manage images.

Subscription-Based Image Hosting

• It increases the maximum file size to upload on the image hosting platform.
• Some paid image hosting services might offer you unlimited storage.
• Subscription-based image hosting supports advanced security compliances.
• It allows you to unlock additional features to manage and edit your pictures.

Final Words

So here, this blog comes to an end. Image hosting and image sharing have major differences, as the former allows you to store pictures while the latter lets you share photos with friends and family. When it comes to finding the right image hosting service, you’ll come across various options. The 10 popular image hosting services discussed above can ease it up for you to make this decision. From reducing the burden on your device’s storage to easily managing the photo galleries, image hosting services can prove to be beneficial for you in several ways. So, if you’re looking forward to storing your images in a safe and secure place, then there’s no better way than choosing a reliable image hosting service.