FreePrints Photobooks promises a free 20-page softcover photo book every month for the price of UK delivery. The maths is real, the books arrive, and the print quality at the basic tier is reasonable for casual albums. The issue is what people actually want to make. A 20-page softcover handles a single weekend or a child’s first birthday, but anything bigger, a wedding, a year of photos, a travel book, runs straight into per-page upcharges, premium cover fees, and slower turnarounds that erode the savings.
We tested 7 FreePrints Photobooks alternatives across price, quality, and the actual experience of making a book. Each pick is genuinely competitive on the cost-per-page maths once you factor in covers, page extras, and shipping.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Free book | Standard book price | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixbook | Premium quality and design control | No | From around £20 hardcover | Android, iOS, web |
| Chatbooks | Subscription Instagram-style books | First book often free | From around £12 softcover | Android, iOS |
| Shutterfly | Big catalogue, frequent promos | No | From around £15 with promo | Android, iOS, web |
| Photobox | UK leader, frequent discounts | No | From around £18 softcover | Android, iOS, web |
| Snapfish | Cheap with codes | No | From around £15 with promo | Android, iOS, web |
| Cheerz | EU design-forward print | No | From around £20 softcover | Android, iOS, web |
| Popsa | Fastest auto-layout book | No | From around £30 softcover | Android, iOS |
Why people leave FreePrints Photobooks
The free softcover caps at 20 pages. Anything beyond that adds per-page fees that stack quickly. A 60-page family book ends up close to the price of a Photobox or Shutterfly hardcover.
The delivery charge keeps creeping. It is fixed per order, but two or three books a year still adds up. The advertised free book is genuinely free, but only one per month per account.
Hardcover and premium sizes carry real fees. The free tier covers the smallest softcover. Once you upgrade to 8x6, 8x8, 11x8, or 12x12 hardcover, you are paying competitive market prices, sometimes more than competitors offer on promo.
Limited design control. The editor is fast and templated. Custom layouts, font choices, and full-bleed photo placement are restricted compared to Mixbook or Cheerz.
Slow turnaround at busy times. Holiday season delivery slips. The free book is not a priority queue.
The best FreePrints Photobooks alternatives
Mixbook, best for premium quality and design control
Mixbook is the choice when you care more about how the book looks than how cheap it was. The editor on web is the most flexible in the market, full layout control, custom backgrounds, real typography, and a deep template catalogue. Print quality, especially on hardcover lay-flat books, is the closest mobile-app option to a professional printer.
Mixbook vs FreePrints Photobooks on output quality is a clear win for Mixbook. FreePrints Photobooks competes on price. Mixbook competes on result.
Where it falls short: No free tier, no free monthly book. Books are pricier per page than FreePrints, especially without a promo code.
Pricing:
- Hardcover 8x8 from around £20 with promo
- Lay-flat premium from around £40
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Pricier upfront, noticeably better book
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Re-import the photos used in your FreePrints books. Mixbook’s auto-layout sets a strong baseline, then the editor lets you adjust every spread.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick when the book is a keepsake, not a quick gift.
Chatbooks, best for subscription Instagram-style books
Chatbooks built its name on a subscription model, every quarter or every set number of photos triggers a small softcover, auto-laid-out from your camera roll. The first book is often free for new customers. After that, prints run at a flat rate per book.
Chatbooks vs FreePrints Photobooks on the subscription angle is the comparison that matters. Chatbooks defaults to automation. FreePrints Photobooks requires you to start each book from scratch.
Where it falls short: Smaller size catalogue. Limited template variety. Less control over layout than Mixbook or Photobox.
Pricing:
- Series subscription books from around £12 per book
- Hardcover Custom Books from around £30
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Comparable per-book price, automated cadence
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Connect Chatbooks to your camera roll or Instagram. Pick a cadence, weekly, monthly, by milestone, and the books arrive without further work.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The set-and-forget pick for ongoing family albums.
Shutterfly, best for promo-driven volume
Shutterfly is the chain-printer model done at scale. The catalogue runs from basic softcover to lay-flat hardcover, plus calendars, cards, mugs, blankets. The headline trick is the promotions, free 8x8 hardcovers, 50 percent off photo books, and bundled deals show up almost monthly.
Shutterfly vs FreePrints Photobooks on raw price competes once a Shutterfly promo lands. List prices favour FreePrints, sale prices flip in Shutterfly’s direction.
Where it falls short: The list prices without a promo are higher. Shipping to the UK can be slower and pricier than Photobox or FreePrints.
Pricing:
- Soft 8x8 from around £15 with promo
- Hardcover 8x8 from around £25 with promo
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Cheaper per book at sale prices, slower UK shipping
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Upload the same photos and pick a Shutterfly template close to the FreePrints layout. Wait for the next email promo before placing the order.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick for anyone who can time the order around a promo.
Photobox, best for UK delivery and frequent sales
Photobox has anchored the UK photo-print market for years, and its photo book line is the strongest local alternative to FreePrints Photobooks. Hardcover, softcover, square, panoramic, premium lay-flat, all run at competitive prices, especially during recurring 40 to 50 percent off sales.
Photobox vs FreePrints Photobooks on UK fulfilment is the comparison that decides most household-level orders. Both ship from UK facilities. Photobox sale prices are competitive, full prices are higher.
Where it falls short: No free monthly book. Full-price books are noticeably more expensive than the FreePrints free tier.
Pricing:
- Softcover from around £18, often 40 to 50 percent off in sales
- Hardcover from around £30, frequently discounted
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Pricier per book, often comparable after a sale
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Re-import photos and pick the closest Photobox size. The Photobox editor is more flexible than FreePrints if you want to tweak layout.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The reliable UK pick when you want a real book on a sale price.
Snapfish, best for cheap books with promo codes
Snapfish lives on email and app promo codes. The list prices are not far off Photobox, but the actual price at checkout almost always carries 40 to 70 percent off. For volume orders, cheap calendars, holiday card sets, Snapfish often wins on total spend.
Snapfish vs FreePrints Photobooks on price-per-book is competitive on a promo and not competitive at list price. The print quality is fine for casual books, not premium for keepsakes.
Where it falls short: Editor is older than Mixbook and Photobox. Print finish on hardcovers is closer to budget than premium.
Pricing:
- Softcover from around £15 with promo
- Hardcover from around £25 with promo
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Comparable promo prices, much wider catalogue
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Sign up for the Snapfish mailing list, wait for the next 60 percent off code, then upload and order.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The discount pick. Order around the next email promo.
Cheerz, best for design-forward European prints
Cheerz is a French-founded photo-print service known for cleaner design and modern photo book layouts. The default templates feel more curated than the FreePrints, Snapfish, or Shutterfly defaults. Hardcover books and the Mini Cheerz pocket book are the stand-outs.
Cheerz vs FreePrints Photobooks on aesthetic is a clear win for Cheerz. On raw price, FreePrints wins. The audiences are different.
Where it falls short: Pricier per book than FreePrints, Snapfish, and Photobox at list prices. Promos are less frequent.
Pricing:
- Softcover from around £20
- Hardcover from around £30
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Pricier, much stronger design defaults
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Pick a Cheerz template close to your usual FreePrints layout, upload photos, accept the auto-layout, adjust a few spreads.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick when you want the book to look modern by default.
Popsa, best for fastest auto-layout book
Popsa is the speed pick. Pick the photos, the app lays out a complete book in minutes using a layout engine that handles most edits for you. From start to checkout, a 40-page book is under ten minutes of phone time. Print quality on standard hardcover is solid.
Popsa vs FreePrints Photobooks on workflow is a clear win for Popsa. FreePrints requires you to drive the editor. Popsa drives it for you.
Where it falls short: Pricier than FreePrints, Snapfish, and Photobox on a like-for-like book. Less manual control if you want to override the auto-layout.
Pricing:
- Softcover from around £30
- Hardcover from around £50
- vs FreePrints Photobooks: Significantly pricier, much faster to finish
Migrating from FreePrints Photobooks: Open Popsa, pick photos from an album, accept the auto-layout, swap covers, order. Total time is closer to a few minutes than the half hour FreePrints takes.
Download: Aptoide · Google Play
Bottom line: The right pick when finishing the book is the goal and a higher price is acceptable.
How to choose
Pick FreePrints Photobooks if the single 20-page softcover a month fits your need and you do not mind the delivery charge. The free maths is real for small monthly albums.
Pick Mixbook for premium keepsake books where quality matters more than price. Pick Chatbooks for hands-off subscription albums. Pick Shutterfly or Snapfish when you can time an order around a promo. Pick Photobox for UK-fulfilled books at sale prices.
Pick Cheerz when you want the book to look modern without manual layout work. Pick Popsa when finishing fast matters more than saving money.
FAQ
Is FreePrints Photobooks really free?
The 20-page softcover is genuinely free each month. You pay only the delivery charge, which is fixed per order. Larger sizes, hardcovers, and extra pages carry per-item fees.
How does FreePrints Photobooks make money?
PlanetArt covers the cost of the free softcover from the delivery charge and from upgrades to hardcover, premium sizes, and extra pages. Most users who stick with the app eventually order paid upgrades.
What is the best free photo book app?
FreePrints Photobooks is the only one with a genuinely free monthly softcover. For first-book promos, Chatbooks and Shutterfly often run free-book offers for new customers.
Which photo book app has the best quality?
Mixbook ranks highest on print quality and lay-flat hardcover finish in most independent reviews. Cheerz and Popsa also produce strong premium books.
How long does FreePrints Photobooks delivery take?
UK delivery typically runs a week to ten days for the standard softcover. Hardcover and busy seasons can extend this. Other UK photo book apps run similar timelines.
