Got questions? We have answers!

betterPortrait is Europe's leading Employee Portrait Management Platform (EPMP): more than 200 companies in Switzerland, Germany and Austria use it to create, manage and distribute consistent, studio-quality employee photos – without a photographer, with storage in Switzerland.

The platform includes digital onboarding, its own photo booth, AI-assisted image editing with proprietary models, consent management and integrations with HR and IT systems such as Personio, SAP and Microsoft 365. More than 100,000 portraits have already been generated with betterPortrait.

Behind betterPortrait are the Swiss entrepreneurs Pascal Josephy, Luca Tschudi and Jérôme Huber. betterPortrait AG was founded in 2024, is based in Rheinfelden (Switzerland) and employs more than 10 people. More than 200 companies in Switzerland, Germany and Austria use betterPortrait, Europe's leading platform for employee photos (Employee Portrait Management Platform, EPMP).

Our standard image editing is AI-assisted and runs on our own models – but it is not generative in the conventional sense: it optimizes your uploaded photo (lighting, background, retouching, crop) without altering the person depicted. Your original image always remains the basis.

We trained some of our models ourselves; we are actively involved in research and improve them continuously.

In addition, we offer AI Selfie as a fully AI-powered feature: a completely new, professional portrait is generated from a single selfie. Likewise, our Outfit Change enables virtual clothing adjustment to match your corporate dress code. Both features are optional – you decide which functions to activate for your company.

Yes. You can try betterPortrait free for 14 days – with three free credits for your first portraits and no credit card required. Just fill in the form on the Free trial page: we'll get back to you within one business day and set up your trial access. Prefer a personal walkthrough? Then book a demo.

Given current demand, this scenario is highly unlikely. But if it ever happens: all edited headshots are entirely your property and can be downloaded at any time for continued use.

Digital onboarding is our streamlined process that allows your employees to submit their headshot themselves. They receive a personal email invitation and are guided step by step through the process. The web app is intuitive, customized with your branding, and supports individual styling guides. We automatically check the image quality and reject poor submissions.

There are two options: Either one or more central people on site (e.g. from HR or Marketing) take the photos – for example on the first day or via individual appointments. Or employees receive a personalized email with a secure upload link before their first day and upload their own photo. In this case, betterPortrait handles communication and reminders – until the photo is uploaded.

No, betterPortrait works entirely via a web app. Employees receive a link by email or SMS and can upload their headshot directly in the browser – no installation required.

The better the photo taken with the smartphone, the better the edited version will be. That is why we recommend taking the photos with a smartphone that is as recent as possible (e.g. no older than two years).

Before a photo can be uploaded, we automatically and securely check its quality. If it doesn’t meet the requirements (e.g. due to blur, poor lighting, or other issues), it is rejected. Each company can define its own specific requirements. Our clients have consistently reported great results with the photos submitted by their employees.

We send periodic reminders via email, SMS, and WhatsApp until a photo is uploaded. If your company allows headshots to be optional, employees can indicate that they prefer not to upload a photo.

Yes, you can define custom rules for sending digital onboarding invitations. In most companies, the invitation is sent 30 days before the employee’s first working day. If betterPortrait is connected to your HR system, the process runs fully automated in the background.

No. betterPortrait gives you maximum flexibility and adapts to your schedule and needs. With dashboard access, headshots can be updated, uploaded, or requested from employees at any time.

At betterPortrait, a preset is a template for automated image processing. It defines aspects like the format (aspect ratio) of the headshots, the resolution and pixel density, the background used, and the type of retouching applied.

Yes – you can define as many presets as needed, each with its own format, crop, and background.

Yes! Existing photos can be automatically processed in new presets at no additional cost.

The images are initially processed fully automatically. For individual requests, there's a comment feature in the dashboard. On request, our professional photographers will manually refine the headshots – as often and as precisely as needed, until you're satisfied. At no additional cost.

Depending on server load, processing usually takes between one and five minutes.

A comment function is available in the dashboard for individual requests. If desired, our professional photographers will manually retouch the headshot – as often and as detailed as needed until you're satisfied. At no extra cost.

The key difference lies in integration: standalone AI headshot generators deliver a single image without control over background, lighting or crop. With betterPortrait, every portrait – whether edited or generated with AI Selfie – passes through your entire corporate pipeline. Background, lighting, retouching and crop are applied according to your presets. The result is a consistent, brand-compliant employee headshot that blends seamlessly into your existing images. Moreover, you retain full control: you decide whether photos are only edited or AI-generated.

That depends on the mode chosen. With standard image processing – the core product of betterPortrait – your uploaded photo is merely edited: lighting, background, retouching and crop are optimized without altering the person. Your original image remains the foundation.

With the optional AI Selfie feature, a completely new portrait can additionally be generated from a single selfie. This also passes through the entire betterPortrait pipeline and is thus fully embedded in your corporate standard. You decide which variant is activated for your company.

Yes, this is one of the biggest advantages of betterPortrait. Through defined presets, all photos are edited according to exactly the same parameters. Whether the photo was taken in the office, at home, or on the go – the result is always consistent. Same background, same coloring, same style. This creates a uniform appearance across all employee photos.

Standard image processing does not alter the input image itself – it exclusively optimises lighting, background and crop. The person remains exactly as photographed. This is the right choice for use cases with biometric requirements, such as passport photos or ID cards.

AI Selfie goes one step further: a completely new portrait is generated from a simple selfie, with pose, proportions and composition optimised by the AI. The generated image then passes through the same editing pipeline. AI Selfie is ideal when employees don't have the time or opportunity to pose for a professional photo – a quick selfie is enough for a consistent, high-quality result.

No, it is not distinguishable. The image quality of the generated portrait is indistinguishable from a professionally photographed picture. The AI produces a high-resolution portrait that is then processed through the entire betterPortrait pipeline – with identical background, lighting and crop as traditionally created photos. The result blends seamlessly into existing employee headshots.

Yes. Our model has been specifically trained for identity preservation – facial features, skin tone and characteristic traits are reproduced as accurately as possible. The prerequisite is that these features are clearly visible in the source image. With a poor-quality selfie or a partially obscured face, the AI must fill in missing details, which can reduce the resemblance. We therefore recommend a well-lit selfie with the face clearly visible from the front – our web app provides guidance during upload.

A few simple rules help achieve the best result: the face should be well-lit and clearly visible from the front. No sunglasses, no strong backlight. Our web app automatically provides tips during upload and validates the image before it is processed.

AI Selfie can be activated in the dashboard and in digital onboarding. Employees upload their selfie, and the generated portrait automatically passes through the corporate pipeline. We do not recommend activating the feature for the photo booth, as a professional pose under controlled conditions is already achieved there – an additional generation step would not be useful in that case.

No. We guarantee this contractually. Uploaded images are used exclusively for portrait creation and are never used to train AI models. From a technical perspective, this wouldn't make sense either: to train our model, we need professional studio shots as target images – not selfies. All data is processed in compliance with GDPR and deleted after processing upon request.

The AI generation of the portrait takes about 60 seconds. Once you have confirmed the suggested pose, the image goes through the regular editing process – background replacement, lighting adjustment, retouching and crop. This step takes a few minutes depending on server load. In total, the finished portrait is usually available within a few minutes.

Very realistic. Our algorithms analyse body posture, body shape and lighting conditions in the original image. Fabric texture, shadows and proportions of the new clothing are automatically adjusted. The result looks as if the person actually wore the outfit.

Essentially any type of clothing. You upload a single reference image of the desired outfit – our AI adopts the colour, fabric texture and even printed or embroidered company logos. Whether shirt, blazer, polo shirt or workwear: the reference image defines the result.

Yes. For optimal results, however, we recommend that the original portrait has a similar body posture to the reference image. Selfies are less suitable due to the unnatural perspective – but they can be combined with our Selfie Portrait feature: first, a professional portrait with correct pose is generated from the selfie, then the outfit change is applied to it.

Yes. You can store as many outfits as you like in the dashboard. Dynamic rules automatically assign the right outfit – based on attributes such as department, role, email address or other employee data. This way, each area receives the correct outfit without you having to assign it manually.

Our algorithms are trained to recognise different body postures and adjust the clothing accordingly. For difficult cases, our manual retouching service is always available. Via the dashboard, you can send individual images directly to our professional retouching team.

Yes. The outfit change can be applied to both new uploads and existing photos in your betterPortrait database. Ideal for a rebranding or when the dress code changes – without having to organise new photo sessions.

No. Our model has been specifically trained to generate exclusively professional business clothing. Even if an inappropriate reference image is uploaded, the system always produces a fully clothed result. The safety and dignity of your employees is our top priority.

Post-processing is our service for standardizing and importing existing employee headshots once, using our algorithm. This allows us to reuse thousands of existing photos and often improve their quality.

Yes, existing headshots can be uploaded to the system and optimized or standardized with a consistent background. We call this “post-processing.” A minimum image quality is required for successful post-processing.

For optimal results, the face area should be at least 400 pixels wide. The higher the resolution and the better the image quality, the better the processed portrait will be.

The import is very simple: You upload an Excel file with the master data and a ZIP archive with the images. The assignment is done automatically via the filename – this allows thousands of images to be imported efficiently.

We need about 2 minutes per image for processing. For larger quantities, it typically takes 1-2 business days for up to 1,000 images. This allows even extensive image databases to be processed efficiently.

The photo booth consists of a high-quality wooden enclosure with an integrated professional DSLR camera, an iPad for user guidance, and optimized lighting. This combination enables studio-quality shots – without a photographer.

The photo booth requires only a little space: about 1 meter distance between the booth and the chair for the person being photographed. Additionally, a power supply is needed. That's all – the photo booth is compact and fits in almost any office.

The operation is very simple: Employees sign in on the iPad with their employee number, their email address or their onboarding QR code. Then they sit down on the chair and have their photo taken. The image is automatically transferred to your betterPortrait dashboard and can be edited and exported there as usual.

The photo booth delivers high-quality images comparable to a professional photographer – thanks to the DSLR camera and optimized lighting. The images are then processed uniformly by our AI-assisted image editing, just like all other employee photos in your system.

betterPortrait takes care of everything: We deliver the photo booth directly to you and handle the complete installation. During operation, an automatic alert system notifies us immediately of any malfunctions. Maintenance is simple and straightforward – you don't have to worry about anything.

No, the photo booth requires an active internet connection. Images are transferred directly to your betterPortrait dashboard after capture. An offline mode is not available – so make sure WiFi or a LAN connection is available at the photo booth location.

The photo booth is available as a monthly rental and is billed in addition to your existing betterPortrait subscription. This keeps you flexible and allows you to return the photo booth if needed. Contact us for a customized quote.

A dynamic group photo is an image that we compose from various individual photos. This creates a professional team photo without everyone needing to be present at the same time.

We have a cutout version of each person's portrait and use these dynamically for the composition. This allows us to harmoniously combine the individual images into a group photo.

The group photo always uses the most recent photo of each person. When an individual portrait changes, every group photo containing that person updates automatically. This way, your team photo is always up to date.

Yes, we offer various layout options. For example, heads side by side, with upper body, in different arrangements and with different backgrounds – matching your corporate design.

Absolutely! Either via bulk download in the dashboard or automatically through export to a SharePoint folder that you provide, or similar. This way, you have all portraits available in your usual environment. The filename format can be customized, for example to include your internal employee ID.

Yes, after processing, employees receive their headshot. They can also download it anytime via the employee portal.

If an employee wants to update their headshot, they can request it via the employee portal. Company administrators can approve the request manually or, depending on settings, it can be accepted automatically. The employee then receives an invitation to upload their headshot via the digital onboarding process.

Yes, headshots can be deleted at any time by authorized users. The data is completely removed.

We apply company-specific deletion policies. By default, all employee data and headshots are permanently deleted from our servers 30 days after the employee leaves.

Yes, we offer ready-made integrations for common HR systems (Abacus, Personio, etc.) and storage providers (SharePoint, Google Drive, FTP, etc.). Custom integrations are also possible at any time via our open API.

Absolutely. Each employee headshot comes with a public URL that can be linked directly in your CMS. We also offer plugins and components for most common CMS and frontend frameworks.

In a first step, we jointly define the presets (backgrounds, formats, etc.), the workflows (who uploads the smartphone photos?) and the texts (for the emails and SMS to your employees).

We then set up the dashboard and import any existing images. Thanks to our post-processing, we can also easily unify these.

betterPortrait is online software and can be used immediately. A larger (Enterprise) integration project takes between two and four weeks, depending on complexity.

betterPortrait can be integrated with virtually all common content management systems. This includes WordPress, TYPO3, Drupal, Joomla, Contao, and many more. Integration is done via our API or through manual export functions. Our team is happy to assist you with setup and will adapt the connection to your specific requirements.

Yes, betterPortrait is fully compliant with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) as well as the Swiss Data Protection Act (nDSG). We conclude a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) with every customer, which contractually regulates data protection-compliant processing.

Yes, a Data Processing Agreement (DPA) is concluded with every customer. This contractually regulates the data protection-compliant processing of your data. Upon request, we can adapt the agreement to your specific requirements.

Our servers for storing portraits and data are located in Switzerland (Zurich, with encrypted backups at a separate site in Switzerland).

All photos are stored on servers located in Switzerland. Upon request, we can automatically delete both the original smartphone photo and the edited version after you have downloaded them.

No, never. Your images are used exclusively for editing your portraits and are never used for training AI models. After the agreed retention period expires, all data is completely deleted.

You retain 100% of the usage and copyright. When employees upload their own photos, we ensure they give consent via a checkbox. We only process the headshots you or your team have uploaded.

Only authorized individuals within your company have access to the headshots and master data. Access can be managed at team level in the dashboard. If the images are embedded on the website, only the processed versions of the selected presets are publicly accessible.

Very secure. We take data security seriously and conduct regular audits of our infrastructure. All data is processed in compliance with Swiss nFADP and the GDPR and stored in Switzerland. Access is encrypted and managed using role-based permissions.

The storage duration depends on your contract and legal requirements. By default, employee photos are stored as long as the employee is with the company and deleted automatically 30 days after they leave. You can adjust this period for your company. All temporary processing data is automatically removed after processing. As a customer, you always have full control over your data and can export or have it deleted at any time.

During digital onboarding, employees must actively give their consent for photo usage before they can upload an image. The consent form can be customized to meet your company's specific needs. All consents are documented in an audit-proof manner and can be viewed or revoked at any time. This keeps you legally compliant.

Employees also see a privacy notice explaining how their image is processed and stored.

Our pricing model is tier-based and transparent: For sporadic use, we offer Flex, a pay-as-you-go plan with no commitment. The Light, Plus and Enterprise plans are annual subscriptions with a fixed quota of credits. Billing is done annually – in return, you benefit from a lower price per portrait compared to buying individually.

Significantly cheaper. betterPortrait is usually almost 10 times cheaper when compared to the cost of a shoot for a single employee, including post-processing.

betterPortrait is more flexible and usually more affordable than renting a classic photo booth. A photo box is also available with betterPortrait, by the way – as one of several capture channels alongside app upload and digital onboarding. Portraits are created independent of time and place, the quality is optimized by our algorithm, and you store your individual styling guide in the web app.