Point by point
| Criterion | Froozbooth | Darkroom Booth |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Monthly, yearly or lifetime | License + maintenance |
| Updates | Included | With maintenance (~$95) |
| Version upgrade | Included | ~$195 |
| Booth | Windows 10 / 11 | Windows |
| Prep | Web dashboard | On the machine |
| Online gallery | Hosted in Paris, included | Dropbox or a gallery service |
| SMS | No | Yes |
Darkroom Booth prices taken from their website in late August 2026. Check their current terms.
When Darkroom Booth is still the right choice
For an attended booth, SMS sending or highly customized workflows, Darkroom Booth is ahead. For a self-service booth, prepared at the office and shared by QR, Froozbooth keeps the cost predictable and asks less of you.
Frequently asked questions
Do Froozbooth updates cost extra?
No. They are included in every plan, lifetime license included.
Can I keep my PC and printer?
Yes. The Froozbooth booth installs on a Windows 10 or 11 PC and prints on any installed printer, DNP and Citizen included.
Does Froozbooth send SMS?
No. Guests get their photos by QR, by email and in the online gallery.
How much does Darkroom Booth maintenance cost?
According to Darkroom Booth’s website in late August 2026, updates come with a maintenance plan of about $95, and a version upgrade costs about $195. These amounts come on top of the license itself, so check their current pricing page for the full cost. With Froozbooth, updates and version upgrades are included in every plan, from €139 a year or €349 once.
Is Froozbooth a subscription or a license like Darkroom Booth?
Both, as you prefer: Froozbooth is sold monthly (€14), yearly (€139) or as a €349 lifetime license, with the same features in all three. Darkroom Booth combines a license with paid maintenance for updates. If you cancel a Froozbooth subscription, your booths lock at the end of the paid period, while the lifetime license never expires.
When is Darkroom Booth a better choice than Froozbooth?
Darkroom Booth is ahead for attended booths, SMS sending and highly customized workflows. Froozbooth is designed for self-service booths prepared at the office and shared by QR, email and an online gallery. If an operator stays at the booth all night and clients ask for SMS, Darkroom Booth fits better.
Can I set up events without sitting at the booth PC?
Yes, with Froozbooth: templates, guest texts and sharing are set in a web dashboard from any computer, then one sync puts everything on the booth. Darkroom Booth is set up on the machine itself. With Froozbooth, an assistant can prepare one event while another booth is out on a booking.
What guest features come with every Froozbooth plan?
Every plan includes prints in several formats, GIFs and boomerangs, a video guestbook of up to 60 seconds, ten color filters, a survey, a slideshow, green screen and a branded welcome screen. Sharing by QR code, email and online gallery is included too, with no add-on modules. The guest screen is available in 19 languages.
Can Froozbooth run a self-service booth all night without staff?
Yes, that is what it is built for: after one sync, capture, printing and QR run with no network, and emails go out when the connection returns. You can set print limits per guest and per event. Remote monitoring lets you follow your booths from your phone.