Consumer Reports Rates Photo Storage Sites

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Whether you've got them on your computer, cell phone or still in your digital camera, chances are you don't know what to do with all of them. We're talking about your photos, of course.

The experts at Consumer Reports ShopSmart say it's time to get organized.

Barry Wizoreck takes hundreds of pictures of his son. He uses a photo website to send prints to grandma and grandpa, but admits he could use some help with the thousands of pictures stored on his laptop.

"They're extremely important to me," Wizoreck. "So if I lost them, I would be heartbroken."

Consumer Reports ShopSmart says there are more online photo sites than ever. They checked out 10 of them.

"We looked at storage space - how much you get, how much you'll pay - print prices and other special features so you can figure out which site is right for you," said Jody Rohlena, of Consumer Reports ShopSmart.

If you simply want some storage space, Shutterfly and Snapfish offer unlimited photo storage.

"Some sites like Walmart and KodakGallery require one purchase per year for that free, unlimited storage," said Rohlena.

For beginners, Snapfish offers easy-to-use photo-editing options, including cropping and fixes like removing red eye.

At Photobucket, a click of a button shares your pictures on sites like Facebook.

"Keep in mind with Photobucket, if you need more than 500 megabytes of storage - that's about 150 photos at the highest resolution -you'll pay about $25 a year," said Rohlena.

As far as making prints, you have plenty of options.

A plus at Shutterfly is that if you need prints fast, you can pick them up in an hour at several locations, including Target.

"We didn't test for print quality, but as far as costs go, most 4x6 prints will run you anywhere from 9 to 15 cents a piece," Rohlena said.

ShopSmart says if you can tolerate the extra email in your inbox, sign up for special offers because you can get great deals and coupons for photo books and lots of other picture projects.

RELATED LINKS:
Consumer Reports ShopSmart
Shutterfly
Snapfish
Photobucket
More Consumer Reports
More Consumer News