In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the best photo booth software, display solutions, and social sharing apps available in the market in 2023.
Whether you’re looking for a solution for a tradeshow, conference, internal company activation, or something completely unique, these software solutions and apps offer a range of features to enhance the photo booth experience and display options for your audience and users.
How to choose photo booth software
When researching and deciding on a photo booth app or software for added functionality, these are the factors we recommend considering:
1. Compatibility: Make sure the software or app is compatible with your hardware, including your camera, printer, and computer, or the platform running your event.
2. Features: Consider the features you need, such as customizable branding and assets, static versus gif and video, social media integration, photo printing, and live displays.
3. Ease of use: Look for software or apps that are user-friendly and easy to set up and use. Consider what will be the easiest for your entire audience to use, and whether a physical photo booth, a virtual photo booth, or both might make the most sense.
4. Cost: The cost of the software or app can vary widely depending on your event and expected participation, so consider your budget when choosing a solution.
5. Customer support: Consider the level of customer support offered by the software or app provider. Having dedicated account support can be critical if something unexpected happens during your event, compared to SaaS options that are more plug-and-play.
It may be helpful to try out a few different options and see which one works best for your event or marketing activation.
Virtual vs. In-Person Photo Booths
While virtual photo booths came into existence while events couldn’t happen in-person, they’re being used in-person regularly and offer a lot of flexibility that can work well for any event format. Here are some of the advantages you’ll experience when comparing virtual photo booths to in-person photo booths:
Advantages of Virtual Photo Booths:
1. Convenience: Online photo booths allow you to take photos from anywhere with a computer or smartphone and an internet connection. This makes them ideal for virtual events, but also fantastic for hybrid events and even for in-person with good signage + dynamic QR codes.
2. Customization: Virtual photo booths can be fully customized to match the theme, branding, and messaging of your event, with options for custom backgrounds, frames, and props. This also creates an opportunity to feature sponsors, creating higher visibility and value for their brands.
3. Cost-effectiveness: Virtual photo booths can be less expensive than in-person photo booths, as they don't require physical space, printing costs, props, or staff.
4. Accessibility: Virtual photo booths can be made accessible to anyone with an internet-connected device, anywhere in the world.
5. Integrations: A virtual photo booth can be directly integrated with event platforms, display solutions, lead acquisition funnels, or any digital footprint where an iframe can be added.
Advantages of In-Person Photo Booths:
1. Premium Experiences: In-person photo booths can offer more unique experiences like custom sets, 360 degree photos, slow motion, glamour shots, and more.
2. Highest-quality photos: In-person photo booths typically use high-quality cameras and lighting, which can result in better-quality photos compared to those captured on people’s phones.
3. Tangible keepsakes: In-person photo booths can allow people to take home physical prints of their photos, which can serve as keepsakes or memories of the event.
4. Interactivity: In-person photo booths offer opportunities for interaction and engagement, as people can choose props, strike a pose, interact with unique set designs, and allow greater participations for larger groups.
Ultimately, the choice between a virtual photo booth and an in-person photo booth will depend on the needs and preferences of the event organizers and the attendees. Both options can be effective in providing entertainment and capturing memories, and a combination of both options may be the best choice for some events.
Top Photo Booth Software of 2023
Since the invention of the virtual photo booth and the recent evolution of event platforms, we’ve seen many new technologies and solutions entering the market. Innovation in photo booth software is constantly evolving to make these once “fun” experiences become more useful for business applications, bridging experiences for different audiences and tying together hybrid events more seamlessly.
Here are some of our favorites:
1. Snapshot: Snapbar’s virtual photo booth (we’re slightly biased) enabling fully custom-branded, web-based experiences for any type of event.
2. Snappic: the self-proclaimed ‘ultimate photo booth software’ based on iPad powered in-person experiences.
3. Breeze Systems: A feature-rich photo booth software that supports both Windows and Mac OS and includes a range of customization options.
4. Salsa App: A robust DIY iPad powered photo booth app solution with a range of features for different kinds of experiences.
5. Sparkbooth: A versatile photo booth software that can be used with a variety of hardware and software configurations and offers features like photo collages, filters, and animations.
6. Photobooth Connected: This cloud-based software allows you to manage your photo booth from anywhere and offers features such as customizable templates, social media integration, and automatic backups.
7. Virtual for In-person: Virtual experiences are here to stay, and event planners and tech providers alike are testing new ways to bridge audiences across locations, time zones, languages, and more.
8. Taggbox: A complete social wall solution for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events to drive audience engagement, promote sponsored & social content, collect UGC, and more.
A social wall aggregates content from social media combined with content created by a virtual photo booth to create a mini social network for your event, allowing users to like, comment and engage while driving more content creation. Display these on a large screen in-person, or online.
9. Short-form Video: Videos are a great way to enable remote people and attendees to share feedback, ideas, and collaboration without the need for live interaction. Consider trying video for collecting feedback, testimonials, questions and more.
10. 360 Photo Booths: Ok, not sure how these specifically benefit business, but they create really fun and engaging experiences, and who doesn’t love that? OrcaVue is an early innovator in this space worth checking out.
11. FaceGo: A photo booth software that uses facial recognition technology to match guests with customized animations, filters, and backgrounds, making it a highly innovative option.
12. AR Foto Booth: A photo booth software that uses augmented reality technology to add digital props, masks, and filters to photos in real-time, making it a unique and innovative option.
13. Virtual Headshots: Headshots have long been a part of in-person events - that long line everyone waits in to get their free professional headshot, to be delivered days later. Modern platforms are taking this experience digital, however, enabling a more streamlined experience for profile photos, badges, websites, email, and more.
14. Walls.io: An all-in-One social wall solution for virtual, hybrid & real-life events.
15. TINT: A powerful social wall software that aggregates content from various social media platforms and offers customization options such as branding and themes.
16. Stackla: A social wall software that includes features such as advanced moderation tools, real-time analytics, and the ability to display user-generated content on multiple screens.
Think about why your users are attending your event and align your photo booth tech and displays to create a cohesive experience that will make it natural to engage and amplify content for the entire event. If you’re looking for even more options, here are some of the new tech trends we’re tracking.
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