Here’s the trade-off every photographer faces: RAW files are full of editing latitude but eat storage, while JPEGs are tiny but locked in. The difference matters — a lot. Here’s the honest breakdown of RAW vs JPEG storage requirements.
The real file sizes
| File type | Typical size | Photos per 100GB |
|---|---|---|
| Phone JPEG | ~3–5MB | ~20,000–30,000 |
| Full-frame JPEG | ~8–15MB | ~7,000–12,000 |
| RAW (14-bit) | ~25–50MB | ~2,000–4,000 |
Why RAW is bigger (and worth it)
RAW stores the unprocessed sensor data — more colour depth, more dynamic range, and true headroom to fix exposure and white balance later. All that data is why the file is several times larger. That’s the point: you trade storage for flexibility.
Why JPEG is smaller
JPEG is compressed and processed in-camera; the camera already baked in your settings. It’s convenient and small, but it clips editing headroom — you’re editing a file that’s already “finished.”
Practical storage math
- Shooting RAW? Plan ~30GB per 1,000 files. A season of weddings quickly needs 1TB.
- Shooting JPEG? The same 1,000 files might be only 8–10GB.
- Best of both: keep RAW for masters, export JPEG for delivery.
The honest verdict: shoot RAW if you edit; it’s worth the space. But plan storage accordingly — and keep your full-resolution originals somewhere that both stores and delivers them. Snaptide handles both, and starts free.
Frequently asked questions
How much more storage does RAW use than JPEG?
Typically 3–5× more. A full-frame RAW might be 25–50MB vs an 8–15MB JPEG, so a library needs far more space.
Should I keep both RAW and JPEG?
A common approach: keep RAW masters for the flexibility and export JPEGs for delivery and sharing.
How many RAW files fit in 1TB?
Roughly 33,000 at ~30MB each. At 50MB, closer to 20,000.
Does Snaptide store RAW files?
Yes — you upload full-resolution originals and that’s what’s stored and delivered, with no downgrade.