Your camera roll and your family circle do different jobs.
Looly or Google Photos for sharing with family?
Looly is a Google Photos alternative for sharing selected moments with family, not a replacement for every photo-library tool. Looly costs €99/year or €12/month with 250 GB and free invited viewers. Google documents 15 GB of account storage and both Original quality and Storage saver backup. Choose for the job you actually need.
By Tillmann Bedau · Looly · Updated
| Question | Looly | Google Photos |
|---|---|---|
| What is it for? | Private family circles around each child | Photo backup, organization and sharing |
| How are originals handled? | Received originals kept unchanged | Original quality preserves quality; Storage saver is a separate option |
| Who sees a shared memory? | Authorized circle members | Depends on the sharing method and link settings |
| How do relatives participate? | Invitation and sign-in; no viewer subscription | Albums, conversations and links; check your sharing configuration |
| Can I move my existing library automatically? | No Google Photos-specific importer | Use Google’s current download/export options |
Can I keep Google Photos and use Looly too?
Yes. Keep your personal camera roll and existing backup arrangement, and use Looly for the moments you choose to share. The family circle can be smaller and more deliberate than the complete contents of your phone.
For a practical first step, choose ten recent photos, invite one relative and check that both of you can find the story again a week later. You do not need to reorganize years of photos before starting.
Does Google Photos always compress photos?
No. Google documents an Original quality option as well as Storage saver. It would be misleading to say every Google Photos upload is compressed. Check the setting that applied when the file was uploaded and inspect a downloaded sample before moving a library.
Looly keeps the original file you upload unchanged. Display previews are separate. Uploading a previously reduced copy does not recover detail already lost.
How is family access different?
Looly uses membership in a child’s circle. Google offers several sharing methods, including links and albums; understand who can open the method you choose. Google’s documentation says people can receive shared photos without using the Google Photos app.
In Looly, invited relatives sign in before viewing. This is a real step, so test it with the grandparents before moving the family’s everyday sharing.
How should I move selected photos?
Download the files you want to move using Google’s current tools, keep an independent copy, and upload a small batch to Looly first. Check dates, orientation and video playback. Looly does not offer a Google Photos-specific importer or promise automatic import of Google’s metadata sidecars.
If automatic library backup and Google’s organization tools are your main requirement, keeping Google Photos may be the better fit. If a private family timeline without face recognition is the priority, try a Looly circle.
What to know before you start
Looly is not end-to-end encrypted. Originals are stored in the EU; processing and delivery can operate globally. Relatives must sign in. Android access is through the browser. Importing cannot restore quality missing from a source file. Recurring plans start with a 14-day trial, require a card and renew automatically unless you cancel before the trial ends.
Read the privacy and access detailsSources and editorial notes
Looly product details are first-party statements checked against the current implementation. This is not an independent review. Provider details are dated snapshots; local prices and features may differ.
- Looly pricing and plan details
- Looly privacy policy
- Google Photos: backup quality · 2026-09-16
- Google Photos: sharing photos and videos · 2026-09-16
Change log · 2026-09-16: Published with current Looly product details and source checks.
Cite as: Tillmann Bedau, Looly. “Looly or Google Photos for sharing with family?” (2026-09-16). https://looly.app/compare/google-photos-alternative.