Virtual photo booth vs photo booth hire for your event

Short answer: a virtual photo booth suits most parties and work events because there is nothing to set up and every guest can use it at once. Hiring a physical booth makes sense when printed photos on the night or studio lighting matter more than reach.

A photo booth gives guests something to do and leaves you with photos you would never have taken yourself. There are now two very different ways to have one and the right choice depends on the kind of event you are running.

The two options in one line each

• Photo booth hire means a company brings a camera rig with lights and a backdrop to your venue and usually leaves an attendant to run it.
• A virtual photo booth is a web page that guests open by scanning a QR code. They take the photo on their own phone and it comes back inside a frame designed for your event.

Side by side

	Virtual photo booth	Photo booth hire
Setup	Print a QR sign	Delivery and setup at the venue
Space	None	A corner of the room near a socket
Guests at once	Everyone with a phone	One group at a time
Branding	Your design on every photo	Usually a printed strip
Prints on the night	No	Often
Photos for the host	Collected live in one place	Usually sent afterwards
Price	One-off per event	Hire fee that often depends on hours

Choose a virtual photo booth if

• your guests are spread across a large room or several rooms
• you are short on time or budget and need nothing delivered
• the photos will be shared online and should carry your event's name and logo
• the venue is outdoors or has no spare power

Choose photo booth hire if

• guests taking home a printed strip is part of the plan
• the booth itself is a feature of the décor
• consistent studio lighting matters more than how many people take part

Using both together

Some hosts hire a physical booth for the main room and add a virtual booth so that guests who never reach the front of the queue still join in. Because the virtual booth gathers everything in one place it also works as the shared album for the night.

Frequently asked questions

Do guests need an app for a virtual photo booth?

No. A virtual photo booth like Pec runs in the phone's browser. Guests scan the QR sign and allow the camera. That is all.

Can every photo carry my logo?

Yes. Each photo is placed inside the card you design so your event name, logo and colours appear on all of them.

How many people can use a virtual photo booth at the same time?

There is no queue so everyone can use it at once. Plans differ in how many photos they include and you can compare them in the pricing section.

How do I get the photos afterwards?

With Pec the photos appear on your event page as they are taken and you can download them all as one zip file.