Small Pics vs Gumlet
Small Pics and Gumlet take fundamentally different approaches to billing. Small Pics charges per origin image and transform. Gumlet charges per GB of bandwidth delivered. This one difference shapes everything about how costs scale.
| Feature | Small Pics | Gumlet |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Flat tiers (origins + transforms) | Bandwidth (delivered GB) |
| Starting price | $9/mo (Lite) | Free (30 GB, 2 sources) |
| Mid-tier plan | $59/mo (Standard, 16k origins) | $39/mo (Growth, 300 GB) |
| High-tier plan | $189/mo (Extended, 52k origins) | $259/mo (Business, 2,500 GB) |
| Bandwidth charges | None | Core billing metric |
| Traffic spike impact | No cost change | Overage invoiced after the fact |
| Output formats | AVIF, WebP, JPEG, PJPG, PNG, GIF, JPEG XL | AVIF, WebP, JPEG, PNG, GIF |
| Custom domains | Included (5 to 120 per plan) | Included on paid plans |
| Video support | No | Yes |
| DAM | No (bring your own storage) | Yes |
| Imgix compatibility | Built-in, per source | Partial |
| Craft CMS plugin | Imager X transformer | No |
| Platform dependency | None (any stack) | None (any stack) |
| Free trial | 14 days, no credit card | Free tier (30 GB, 2 sources) |
How does Small Pics compare to Gumlet?
The fundamental difference is the billing model. Small Pics charges based on how many unique source images you have and how many transform variants you create. Gumlet charges based on how much bandwidth your images consume when delivered to end users.
This means the two services scale differently. On Small Pics, a traffic spike costs nothing extra because you are not adding new images or transforms. On Gumlet, that same spike drives up bandwidth consumption and your bill follows.
Gumlet is a broader platform. It includes video optimization and a digital asset management system alongside image transforms. Small Pics is focused entirely on image transforms and optimization. If you need video and images from one provider, Gumlet covers both. If you only need images, Small Pics is more focused and typically less expensive.
How does pricing work?
Gumlet offers a free tier with 30 GB of bandwidth and 2 sources. The Growth plan is $39/mo for 300 GB and 30 sources. The Business plan is $259/mo for 2,500 GB and 100 sources. Overages are not hard-enforced: Gumlet invoices them after the billing period at $0.50/GB (Free), $0.15/GB (Growth), or $0.08/GB (Business).
Small Pics plans are: Lite at $9/mo (2,500 origins, 17,500 transforms, 5 sources, 5 custom domains), Starter at $19/mo (5,000 origins, 35,000 transforms), Standard at $59/mo (16,000 origins, 112,000 transforms), and Extended at $189/mo (52,000 origins, 364,000 transforms). No bandwidth charges on any plan.
For low-traffic sites with few images, Gumlet's free tier is hard to beat. For sites with moderate to high traffic, Small Pics flat pricing is more predictable and often cheaper once bandwidth costs are factored in.
What happens during a traffic spike?
On Gumlet, more traffic means more bandwidth, which means higher costs. A viral post or seasonal peak can push you past your plan's bandwidth limit. Gumlet does not cut you off, but you will see an overage charge on your next invoice. On the Growth plan, each extra GB costs $0.15. That is manageable for small spikes, but a sustained surge can add up.
On Small Pics, traffic spikes have zero billing impact. Your cost is determined by the number of origin images and transforms, not how many times those transforms are delivered. You could go from 10,000 to 1,000,000 page views in a month and your Small Pics bill stays the same.
If predictable billing matters to you (and for most teams, it does), this is the most important difference between the two services.
Which has better Imgix compatibility?
Both services offer some level of Imgix parameter compatibility, but the implementations differ. Small Pics has a dedicated Imgix compatibility mode that you enable per source. When enabled, most common Imgix URL parameters (width, height, fit, crop, format, quality, and more) work without changes.
Gumlet also supports a subset of Imgix parameters. Coverage is partial, and some parameters behave differently or are not supported. If you are migrating from Imgix, you will want to test your specific parameter combinations on both services.
Neither service covers 100% of the Imgix API. Both cover the parameters that matter for the vast majority of use cases: resizing, cropping, format conversion, and quality adjustment.
When should you use Gumlet instead?
Gumlet is the better choice when you have a large image catalog but relatively low traffic. The bandwidth model means 50,000 images that only get a few hundred page views per month will cost very little. On Small Pics, you would pay based on those 50,000 origin images regardless of traffic.
Gumlet is also the right pick if you need video optimization alongside images. Small Pics is image-only. Gumlet's DAM features can simplify asset management for teams that want a single platform for all media types.
The free tier is genuinely generous. If your total bandwidth is under 30 GB per month and you have 2 or fewer sources, Gumlet costs nothing. That is a real advantage for personal projects, small blogs, and low-traffic sites.
See also: Small Pics vs Cloudflare Images, Small Pics vs ImageBoss, Image CDN cost calculator.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Gumlet charge based on bandwidth or images?
- Gumlet bills based on bandwidth (delivered GB). The free tier includes 30 GB, Growth is $39/mo for 300 GB, and Business is $259/mo for 2,500 GB. Small Pics bills on origin images and transforms instead, with no bandwidth charges.
- What happens if I get a traffic spike on Gumlet?
- You pay for the extra bandwidth. Gumlet does not hard-enforce limits but invoices overages after the fact. Overage rates are $0.50/GB on Free, $0.15/GB on Growth, and $0.08/GB on Business. A viral post can meaningfully increase your bill.
- What happens if I get a traffic spike on Small Pics?
- Nothing changes. Small Pics bills on origin images and transforms, not bandwidth or deliveries. Traffic spikes do not affect your bill. You only pay more if you add new source images or new transform variants.
- Does Gumlet support Imgix parameters?
- Gumlet has partial Imgix compatibility. Some common parameters work, but coverage is not complete. Small Pics also has built-in Imgix compatibility that you enable per source. Neither service covers 100% of Imgix parameters.
- Does Gumlet handle video as well as images?
- Yes. Gumlet includes video optimization and a DAM (digital asset management) system. Small Pics is image-only. If you need video transforms and image transforms from one provider, Gumlet is the more complete platform.
- Which service is better for large catalogs with low traffic?
- Gumlet. Bandwidth billing means a large image catalog with few page views stays cheap. Small Pics bills per origin image, so a catalog of 50,000 images costs the same whether it gets 100 or 100,000 page views per month.
- Does Small Pics support JPEG XL?
- Yes. Both Small Pics and Gumlet support JPEG XL output. Most other image transform services (Imgix, Cloudinary, ImageKit, Bunny, Cloudflare, ImageBoss) do not. Both services also default to modern formats when the browser supports them.
- Which is cheaper for a typical 5,000 image site?
- It depends on traffic. At low traffic (under 30 GB/mo), Gumlet Free is $0. At moderate traffic, Small Pics Starter at $19/mo is predictable and includes 10 custom domains. At high traffic, the bandwidth model on Gumlet can exceed Small Pics flat pricing.