Dear Moment vs iCloud Shared Albums

By Zara Turner-Major, co-founder of Dear Moment. Apple's limits checked on 20 October 2026.

We make Dear Moment, so we're not neutral. Every fact about iCloud Shared Albums links to Apple's own support pages, and we say where Shared Albums is better. Apple changed Shared Albums in version 27, so we say which version each limit applies to. If something is out of date, email hello@dearmoment.app and we'll fix it.

Side by side

Apple facts from Apple's Shared Albums limits and Shared Albums support pages, checked on 20 October 2026. "Version 27" means iOS 27, iPadOS 27 and macOS 27 or later.

Where Dear Moment is better

A diary, not just an album

Shared Albums holds photos and videos. Dear Moment also keeps the words: a written note about what they said, or a voice note that is transcribed for you, so a bedtime song or a grandparent's story can be read as well as played. A moment can even be text only, with no photo at all.

Choose who sees each moment

In a Shared Album, everyone sees everything. If grandparents should see every photo of the children, close friends only the big days, and some moments should stay private, you need several albums and copies of the same photos. In Dear Moment you save each moment once and choose who sees it.

Each relative gets their own link

From version 27, relatives on Android can join a Shared Album from its link, but everyone in the album sees everything in it. Dear Moment gives each person a private link that opens in a browser, with nothing to install and no account, and it shows only the moments you shared with them. They can also get an email digest of new moments once a week, so they don't have to check.

One timeline over the years

Albums multiply: one per holiday, one per child, one per year. Dear Moment keeps everything on one timeline sorted by date, so you can scroll back through your family's life in order.

Where iCloud Shared Albums is better

• It's free and already on your iPhone. There's nothing to install or pay for, beyond iCloud storage for albums made in version 27 or later.
• Everyone can add, from any phone. Participants can add their own photos, videos and comments, and from version 27 people can join and add photos on the web without an Apple Account. In Dear Moment one person posts and others view.
• Full resolution. From version 27, Shared Albums shares photos at full resolution, which suits bulk photo pooling.
• Big photo dumps. A Shared Album can hold thousands of photos. A Dear Moment moment holds up to 10.

Using both

You don't have to choose. Keep a Shared Album for everyday photo dumps from everyone's phones, and use Dear Moment for the moments you want to keep: the first word written down, a voice note from a grandparent, a letter for later, shared only with the people who should see it.

Which should you choose?

• Choose iCloud Shared Albums if you mainly want everyone to pool photos at full quality, and you want it free.
• Choose Dear Moment as an iCloud Shared Albums alternative if you want a private diary with notes and voice, a choice of who sees each moment, and an email digest for relatives, and you're happy to pay $39.99 a year.

Comparing more apps? See Dear Moment vs Tinybeans vs FamilyAlbum vs TinyNest.

Questions

Do iCloud Shared Albums count against my iCloud storage?

It depends on when the album was made. Apple says photos and videos in shared albums created in version 27 or later count towards your iCloud storage. In shared albums created in version 26 or earlier, they are kept in iCloud but don't count towards your storage.

Are iCloud Shared Albums full resolution?

Apple says Shared Albums adds full-resolution sharing in version 27. In albums created in version 26 or earlier, photos are reduced to 2,048 pixels on the long edge, and videos are delivered at up to 720p.

Can I choose who sees each photo in an iCloud Shared Album?

Not within one album: everyone in a shared album sees everything in it. To give different people different photos, you make separate albums. In Dear Moment you save a moment once and choose who sees it.

Can Android users see an iCloud Shared Album?

Yes. Apple says people can join a shared album created in version 27 or later by opening its link on an Apple or non-Apple device, and can add photos on the web without an Apple Account. For albums made in version 26 or earlier, a Public Website option lets anyone with the link view the album in a browser. In Dear Moment, relatives on Android open their own private link in any browser, with no app or account, and see only the moments you shared with them.

How many people can join an iCloud Shared Album?

Apple lists a maximum of 100 participants in a shared album, including the owner.

Can I use iCloud Shared Albums and Dear Moment together?

Yes. You can keep a Shared Album for everyday photo dumps and use Dear Moment for the moments you want to keep, with notes, voice notes and a choice of who sees each one.

Sources

• Apple: Shared Albums limits, Shared Albums in Photos, Apple privacy policy (checked 20 October 2026)
• Dear Moment: pricing and FAQ, privacy policy, our team