With the invention of smartphones, more and more of us are keeping all of our photos on our devices. While that’s certainly not a bad thing, as it’s convenient for quick access to our cherished memories, some people prefer to have actual physical copies of their photos.
Photo albums seem to be things of the past, but they are in no way obsolete. And it’s now easier than ever to convert your digital pictures into hard copies that can be held in your hands to be preserved for a lifetime.
There are a lot of photo album companies out there, but not all of them are created equal. Here are some of the choices for the best photo album companies that can help you hold on to your memories!
What To Look For When Choosing A Photo Album Company
According to CNET, these are the things that you should factor into your search when choosing which photo album company to use.
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What are the available book sizes?
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What are the cover and page style options? (Matte, glossy, standard, etc.)
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Can it be done on mobile, or is the site desktop-only?
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How long will the photo book take to arrive?
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Is it easy to upload photos?
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How much creative freedom do I have with templates?
The Best Photo Album Companies
Mixbook
According to Top Ten Reviews, Mixbook is the best photo book overall, “with thick pages, vivid colors and a super-easy creator. What’s more, Mixbook makes creating a book according to your personal vision lots of fun.
“Mixbook scored solidly across all of our testing categories. The photo books we received were of a high standard, with sharp pictures, accurate colors and quality paper. More importantly, the company has also got a really watertight guarantee, which allows you to return your product for a full refund if it doesn’t come up to scratch in any way.”
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Print quality rating: 98%
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Book quality rating: 95%
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Available book sizes: 8
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Cover options: 5
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Snapfish
“Snapfish and Shutterfly have now technically been merged, but the companies remain distinct in terms of the services they offer. It is certainly still one of the largest photo printing services in the world – but this comes with advantages and disadvantages,” says Top Ten Reviews.
On the beneficial side of things, Snapfish offers great prices if you want to buy in bulk. Besides the photo books, Snapfish designs custom mugs, keyrings, pillows, and face masks. Discounts are always appearing on the site, so users can get good offers, especially if they want products produced for corporate events.
“However, in our tests, the quality of the printing wasn’t quite as good as some of the company’s main competitors (like Mixbook.) Moreover, the experience of creating the photo book wasn’t as enjoyable. The site is a nightmare to navigate, with various pop-ups appearing on screen as you try to reach the checkout, pushing extra features and products. The designs aren’t as inspiring as competitors, either, as they’re all very basic,” according to Top Ten Reviews.
They note it is a great option if you have simple photo needs and are looking for a cheaper service, but other photo companies provide superior quality.
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Print quality: 90%
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Book quality: 90%
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Available book sizes: 7
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Cover options: 6
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Money-back guarantee: No
Walmart Photo Books
If you need a photo book ASAP, then Walmart Photo is probably the best bet, says Top Ten Reviews.
“While the print quality isn’t as good as the other services, it’s possible to create a book online or in-store and pick it up just an hour later.
“Walmart Photo is also one of the cheapest photo book services online. But, as you’d expect, the lower cost means lower quality and fewer options. You don’t get as much control or creative freedom as the other photo book creators in this guide, and the design tool is harder to use. For example, we couldn’t fit the cover image to the design window and so some of the people were cropped out, and the photo became distorted. Nevertheless, if you need a photo book now, Walmart Photo is your best bet.”
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Print quality rating: 67%
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Book quality rating: 57%
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Available book sizes: 5
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Cover options: 7
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Artifact Uprising
Top Ten Reviews feels that Artifact Uprising is for those who value quality over all other factors when choosing a photo book company.
“This definitely isn’t the cheapest option, but in our tests it scored the highest in terms of quality. Also of note is that this is the only service we tested that has a focus on sustainability, giving you the option to pick recycled paper for your prints.
“You can produce some really beautiful hardcover books on this site, including vacation mementos and baby albums. A lot of the books come with the option of adding linen covers, which is a nice touch, and while it doesn’t have the widest selection of designs, the ones it does offer are really sleek, modern creations,” says Top Ten Reviews.
Artifact Uprising also offers a bespoke service, “where someone curates images and designs your layout for you.” This can be costly – over $100 – so it’s not for people looking for a cheaper option. The less expensive option they offer is a softcover book starting from $15.
“In general, we’d recommend Artifact Uprising for when you really want to go all out on an expensive, high quality product, as this is where the company excels.”
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Print quality: 99%
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Book quality: 99%
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Available book sizes: 9
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Cover options: 6
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Chatbooks
Cool Mom Picks says Chatbooks is the least labor intensive photo book company.
“If you want to do as little work as possible, The Chatbooks service is smart — their original custom photo book is a fully automated monthly subscription in which you hook up your camera roll to their free app (iOS or Android), subscribe, and automatically get a beautiful 30-photo mini album (or Monthbooks album) mailed to you or a relative each month for just $5 a month — or $10/15 for the larger Monthbook.
“Similarly, Chatbooks offers an Instagram photo series book (starting at $10), which pulls your Insta snaps into 60-photo albums that only go to print when you’ve uploaded those 60 snaps.”
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Print quality: 90%
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Book quality: 97%
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Available book sizes: 4
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Cover options: Custom
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Shutterfly
Top Ten Reviews says Shutterfly is the best value photo book and is an excellent value for the price.
“This is a great budget option, with plenty of regular sales appearing on site and a base price that’s very reasonable, too. The compact 6 x 6 photo book option can cost as little as $19.98 and lets you print images across 20 pages. We found that the company delivered high quality goods. When we used the service to print our own book, it had great crisp images and excellent color reproduction.
“Like Mixbook, Shutterfly allows you to pull in images from your social media feeds, and you can also rush shipping if you need it printed in a hurry. However, do be aware that the refund isn’t quite as watertight as the one offered by Mixbook. Shutterfly will only refund you if the product is faulty – if you make a mistake, you’ll have to take the financial hit,” cautions Top Ten Reviews.
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Print quality rating: 96%
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Book quality rating: 96%
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Available book sizes: 7
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Cover options: 6
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Picaboo
“With a name like Picaboo, you know you are getting a program geared more toward the fun of creation than anything else. On this front, the service mostly delivers,” according to PetaPixel.
“Ease of use is a major selling point for Picaboo, and it truly finds a sweet spot between an accessible interface and rich features. This makes building a book with Picaboo not only enjoyable but faster than many other options — well, fast for designing, at least.”
“Unfortunately, this strength is hobbled ever so slightly by Picaboo’s infrequent crashes and lag along with a very slow upload speed compared to competitors. The interface also seems quite antiquated compared to most, if not all, competitors here — but the simplicity of choices is part of its appeal for those who don’t want to fuss with advanced options.”
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Print quality rating: 96%
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Book quality rating: 96%
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Available book sizes: 5
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Cover options: 4
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Money-back guarantee: Yes
Have you transferred your digital pics into photo albums? Share with us in the comments!
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