---
id: icloud.do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage
url: https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/do-shared-albums-count-against-icloud-storage
category: "iCloud & iCloud Photos"
subcategory: "Sharing folders and photo libraries"
question: "Do Shared Albums count against my iCloud storage?"
alt_questions:
  - "Shared Albums iCloud storage"
  - "Shared Albums vs Shared Library"
  - "Do shared photo albums use iCloud space?"
  - "shared albums quality and storage"
short_answer: "No — Shared Albums don't count toward your iCloud storage, but they store reduced-size copies, so they're for sharing, not archiving. The iCloud Shared Photo Library is different: full originals, counted against its creator's storage."
tags: ["shared albums", "icloud storage", "photos"]
related: ["https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/is-icloud-photos-a-backup", "https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/does-icloud-photos-count-against-icloud-storage"]
applies_to: "all"
last_reviewed: 2026-10-01
---

# Do Shared Albums count against my iCloud storage?

No. **Shared Albums** don't count toward your iCloud storage. They're designed for sharing a set of photos with others, and Apple stores them at a reduced size rather than as full originals — so they're great for sharing, not as an archive.

That's different from **iCloud Shared Photo Library**, which holds full originals and counts toward its creator's storage — see [what the Shared Photo Library is](https://storagestudio.us/faq/icloud/what-is-icloud-shared-photo-library). Keep your originals in your own library or on a drive you trust.