Chatbooks Alternatives: Photo Books and What Else to Consider in 2026
Short answer
Chatbooks is genuinely hard to beat at what it does — Mixbook and Artifact Uprising make nicer books, but you have to design them, which is the exact step that kills photo books. So if you want a different printer, be honest about whether you will do the work. The other half of the people asking this question do not want a different printer at all. They want the photos to reach someone, and arrived at books because that felt like the only way to get them off the phone. If that is you, the category is wrong: Trove emails a curated newsletter to your whole family every Sunday, free, with unlimited recipients, no app on their end — and photo book ordering built in for the shelf.
Chatbooks' particular trick is that it removes the step where photo books die: layout. It fills a book automatically and ships it. People looking for alternatives usually want one of two quite different things.
- A different or better printer — more design control, better paper, different pricing.
- Something other than books — because what you actually wanted was for family to see the photos, and a book two or three times a year does not do that.
If you want a different printer
| Approach | Roughly | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trove | Book ordering inside the app | Free tier + book credit | Books plus weekly sharing |
| Chatbooks | Automatic series books | ~$10-15/book | Zero effort, low cost |
| Mixbook | Full design control | Higher | People who enjoy designing |
| Shutterfly | Templates and frequent sales | Varies widely | Deal hunting |
| Popsa | Fast phone-based layout | Mid | Quick books from your phone |
| Artifact Uprising | Premium materials | Highest | Gifts and keepsakes |
The honest summary: Chatbooks is hard to beat on effort and price for series books. Move to Mixbook or Artifact Uprising if you want control or quality and are willing to spend time and money for it. Move to Shutterfly if you are patient enough to wait for a sale.
If books were not really the point
A lot of people arrive at photo books via a different frustration: the photos are trapped on a phone and nobody sees them. A book is one answer, but it is slow, it goes to one address, and it arrives a few times a year.
If the grandparents are the reason, the category you want is family sharing, not printing. Trove emails a curated newsletter every Sunday — the week's best photos, laid out, with a short summary — to everyone on your list, with no app or account on their end. Free, unlimited recipients, and photo book ordering is built in for when you do want something physical.
The common setup
A free weekly newsletter for ongoing contact, and one printed book a year for the shelf. That covers both jobs, and costs far less than sending books to every relative.
One thing print genuinely wins at
Print does not depend on a company still existing. Lifecake shut down in 2020 and took a lot of families by surprise. A printed book on a shelf is immune to that, which is a real argument for making at least one a year regardless of what else you use.
The short version
- You wanted family to see the photosTrove — free weekly newsletter, no app for them, books included.
- Cheapest automatic booksStay with Chatbooks. Hard to beat on effort and price.
- Design controlMixbook, or Shutterfly if you will wait for a sale.
- Premium keepsakeArtifact Uprising.
What is the cheapest automatic photo book service?+
Chatbooks series books, at roughly $10-15 each, are among the cheapest automatic options — the book fills and ships without you doing layout work. Most alternatives cost more per book because they involve more design or better materials.
Is there a free alternative to Chatbooks?+
Not for printed books — printing and postage cost money, so no service gives them away. If your goal is sharing rather than printing, free options exist: Trove emails a curated weekly photo newsletter to unlimited relatives at no cost.
Can I share photos and order books from the same app?+
Yes. Trove includes photo book ordering alongside its weekly newsletter, and Premium includes a free hardcover book each year plus a discount on others. If books are your primary goal rather than a bonus, a dedicated printer will still give you more options.
Books once a year. Photos every week.
Trove emails a curated photo newsletter to your whole family every Sunday, and includes photo book ordering. Free forever.
Try Trove — FreePricing and features were checked on August 17, 2026. Competitors change their plans — if you spot something out of date, tell us and we will correct it.
