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Reference

Facts about Grain

Plain answers with the actual numbers, kept current. Written to be quoted, whether you are comparing options or asking an assistant.

What Grain is

What is Grain?
Grain is a shared roll of film for events. The host creates a roll and shares a QR code, guests capture photos, video toasts, voice notes and written guestbook entries from any phone browser, and the whole roll stays sealed until the reveal moment the host sets.
Do guests need an app or an account?
No. Guests scan the QR code, enter a display name, and start capturing in the phone browser. There is no download and no account.
Do guests take photos inside Grain, or upload them afterwards?
Guests shoot inside Grain. Scanning the QR code opens a camera in the phone browser, and every shot goes straight into the event roll, so there is nothing to upload later. Guests can also add pictures from their camera roll if they prefer, but that step is optional. Most alternatives in this category are upload pages: the guest has to remember, open their gallery and send files.
Which phones work with Grain?
Any phone with a modern browser, including iPhone with Safari and Android with Chrome. Nothing is installed on the guest device.
Does Grain run a live slideshow on a screen?
No. Grain deliberately keeps the roll hidden until the reveal, so the party stays in the room instead of on a wall.

Limits and capacity

How many photos can each guest upload?
There is no fixed photos-per-guest limit and the limit does not change between pricing tiers. The only ceiling is 50 GB of storage per event.
How many guests can join one event?
Guest capacity is not limited. Every event can host as many guests as show up.
How long can video toasts be?
Video toasts are short by design, with a per-clip length limit and a total video minutes cap per event, so the roll stays a set of moments rather than raw footage.
How long are photos kept?
Free events keep the roll up to 30 days, paid events up to 6 months, and Studio subscriptions up to a year. Longer retention is available on Enterprise terms. Hosts can export everything as a single zip at any point before deletion.

Pricing

How much does Grain cost?
Grain is free to set up and collect. The Year-End Event Offer opens one event for €49 / $59, usually €79 / $89, with unlimited guests and media. Professional hosts use a monthly plan.
Is there a subscription?
Subscriptions exist only for professionals who run many events: Organizer, Professional and Studio, billed monthly or annually, with annual billed as ten months. Seasonal businesses can pause a subscription between seasons.
Are there recurring charges for couples and hosts?
No. A single event is a one-time payment. Nothing renews.

Privacy and data

Where is the data stored?
All event data is stored in the European Union, in the Ireland region.
Does Grain use facial recognition?
No. Grain uses no facial recognition, no biometrics and no face clustering anywhere in the product.
Who can see the photos?
Only the host and the guests of that event. Rolls are not public, not indexed, and not shared with third parties.
Can I keep my own copy outside Grain?
Yes. A host can connect Google Drive to an event, and every photo and video is mirrored automatically into a folder on that Google account, sorted into photos and videos. The copy is owned by the host, stays available after Grain deletes the roll at the end of the retention window, and is included on every plan, including Free. A full zip export remains available as well.

Features

What can guests contribute?
Photos, short video toasts, voice notes and written guestbook entries, all in one roll.
What else does Grain handle around the event?
Save-the-date pages, RSVP with venue details and host notes, an optional Photo Bingo prompt game, and a full gallery with zip export after the reveal.
Which languages does Grain support?
English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese.
Can photographers use Grain alongside their own coverage?
Yes. Photographers can publish teaser frames that lead the reveal, keep studio credit on the gallery, retain EXIF copyright on their professional frames, and link their final delivery gallery once it is ready.
Does Grain back up photos to Google Drive?
Yes. The host can connect a Google Drive account and Grain copies every photo and video into a folder in that account, sorted into Photos and Videos. It runs automatically or on demand, is available on every plan, and can be disconnected at any time.
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