Chatbooks made photo books simple. Connect your Instagram, let the app batch your photos into small books, and they show up at your door. For busy parents who just wanted to get photos off their phones and into something tangible, it was a great solution. But Chatbooks has limits. The books are small, customization is minimal, and if you want something bigger or more detailed, you hit a wall fast.

People searching for Chatbooks alternatives usually want one of two things: a larger, more substantial book, or more control over the design. Some want both. We compared six services that offer different approaches to photo books, from fully automatic creation to professional-grade editors, so you can find the right balance of effort and output.

What to look for in a Chatbooks alternative

Chatbooks works because it's effortless. Keep that in mind when evaluating alternatives:

• Effort level -- How much work does the service require? Chatbooks is nearly zero-effort. Some alternatives match that ease, while others expect you to build your book page by page.
• Book size and page count -- Chatbooks produces small-format books (roughly 6x6 inches). If you want a full-size photo book with 100+ pages, you need a service that supports larger formats.
• Social media integration -- Chatbooks connected to Instagram. If pulling photos from social media matters to you, check whether the alternative can do the same -- most traditional photo book services can't.
• Metadata preservation -- One thing that makes social media books special is context. Dates, captions, and locations turn a photo collection into a story. Not every service keeps that information.
• Price per page -- Chatbooks is cheap, but the books are small. Compare the cost at the size and page count you actually want.

Best Chatbooks alternatives in 2026

1. My Social Book

Best for: full-size social media photo books with zero effort

If you liked Chatbooks' automatic approach but wanted bigger books with more detail, My Social Book is the upgrade you're looking for. It connects to Facebook, Instagram (via Professional Account), and Dropbox, then automatically creates a chronological photo book from your content. The whole process takes under three minutes, and you don't upload a single photo.

What sets My Social Book apart from Chatbooks is scale and context. Books range from 25 to 450 pages at 21 cm x 25 cm -- a proper full-size format. Every photo comes with its original date, caption, likes, and location preserved. You're not just getting a collection of images. You're getting a timeline of your life with all the details that give those photos meaning.

The editor lets you preview every page, remove posts you don't want, and customize the cover. Hardcover and softcover options are available in glossy and matte. With a 4.7 Trustpilot rating, 12 years of operation, and over 700,000 books printed, it's a service that's proven at scale.

Pros:

• Automatic book creation from Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox
• Full-size format (up to 450 pages)
• Preserves dates, captions, likes, and locations
• Ready in under 3 minutes

Cons:

• Less granular layout control than drag-and-drop editors
• Designed for social media content, not camera roll photos

Try My Social Book free -- see your book in minutes

2. Mixbook

Best for: full creative control over your book design

Mixbook is the opposite of Chatbooks in almost every way. Where Chatbooks is automated and simple, Mixbook gives you a powerful drag-and-drop editor where you control the placement of every photo, text box, and design element. It's the best photo book editor on the market for people who want to design their own pages.

The trade-off is time. You need to upload all your photos manually and build the book yourself, page by page. For a 100-page book, that can easily take several hours. But if design matters to you and you enjoy the creative process, Mixbook's output is excellent. Templates are modern, paper quality is strong, and you'll end up with something that looks professionally designed.

Pros:

• Best drag-and-drop editor available
• High print quality
• Large selection of modern templates

Cons:

• Manual upload and layout required
• Time-consuming for large books
• No social media integration

3. Shutterfly

Best for: maximum product variety at discount prices

Shutterfly offers the widest selection of photo book sizes, formats, and cover types you'll find anywhere. Pair that with their near-constant promotional discounts (40-60% off is typical), and you get a lot of book for your money. If Chatbooks felt too limited in format options, Shutterfly opens up the full range.

The editing experience is workable but cluttered. You'll encounter frequent upsells for add-ons, and the interface hasn't been modernized as aggressively as Mixbook's. All photos need to be uploaded manually. It's a solid choice when you want variety and value, as long as you don't mind a less streamlined process.

Pros:

• Largest selection of sizes and formats
• Frequent deep discounts
• Reliable brand with fast shipping

Cons:

• Editor feels cluttered with upsells
• Interface could use a refresh
• Manual upload only

4. Artifact Uprising

Best for: premium gift books and special occasions

Artifact Uprising is the luxury pick. Their books use noticeably thicker paper, the matte finish is beautiful, and the minimalist templates give your photos room to breathe. If you're creating a book as a gift for a birthday, anniversary, or wedding, Artifact Uprising produces something that feels expensive because it is.

This is about as far from Chatbooks' "quick and cheap" philosophy as you can get. Books are pricey, the editor is decent but not exceptional, and you need to upload everything manually. But for milestone moments where quality matters more than convenience, it's the best option in the premium category.

Pros:

• Premium paper and print quality
• Clean minimalist design
• Lay-flat binding available

Cons:

• Most expensive option on this list
• Limited template selection
• Manual upload only

5. Snapfish

Best for: affordable books when budget is the priority

Snapfish competes on price. Their base prices are already low, and with regular promotions, you can get a basic photo book for just a few dollars. If what you liked about Chatbooks was the low cost, Snapfish carries that forward into a full-size book format with more page options.

Quality is decent for the price but won't match Artifact Uprising or Mixbook. The editor is straightforward and gets the job done. Like most traditional services, all photos are uploaded manually. Snapfish is the practical choice when you want a real book at the lowest possible price.

Pros:

• Among the cheapest options available
• Multiple sizes and formats
• Simple, functional editor

Cons:

• Print quality is average
• Editor feels dated
• Manual upload only

6. Blurb

Best for: creative projects that need professional output

Blurb is built for people with a specific vision. Their desktop software, BookWright, gives you professional-level layout tools, and they support formats that go beyond standard photo books: trade books, magazines, even ebooks. Photographers, travelers, and writers use Blurb to produce work that looks like it came from a publishing house.

It's the least "Chatbooks-like" option on this list. The process is manual, the learning curve is real, and it takes time. But if you're working on a travel diary, a photography portfolio, or any project where you want to control every detail, Blurb gives you the tools to do it right.

Pros:

• Professional layout software
• Multiple book formats including trade paperback
• Sell through Blurb or Amazon

Cons:

• Steep learning curve
• Not designed for casual photo books
• Manual upload only

Chatbooks alternatives comparison table

Frequently asked questions

Is Chatbooks still available in 2026?

Chatbooks is still operating, but its product line and features have evolved over time. The core offering remains small-format, affordable photo books. If you're happy with that format, Chatbooks still works. But if you've outgrown it and want bigger books, more detail, or better print quality, the alternatives above cover every price point and style.

Which Chatbooks alternative is the most automatic?

My Social Book is the most automated option. You connect your Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox, and the service creates a complete chronological book in under three minutes. No uploading, no layout work. It's the closest experience to Chatbooks' simplicity, but with full-size books and much more detail.

Can I make a big photo book from my Facebook photos?

Yes. My Social Book connects directly to your Facebook account and can create books up to 450 pages. Your photos are organized chronologically with their original dates, captions, likes, and locations. It's the only service on this list that can turn years of Facebook content into a single printed book without manual uploading.

What's the best Chatbooks alternative for gifts?

It depends on the occasion. For a premium gift book (wedding, milestone birthday), Artifact Uprising produces the highest-quality result. For a personalized book that tells someone's social media story, My Social Book creates something unique that you can't get anywhere else. For a budget gift, Snapfish offers decent books at low prices.

Do I have to upload photos manually with these alternatives?

Most photo book services require manual uploads. My Social Book is the exception. It pulls photos directly from Facebook, Instagram, and Dropbox and builds the book automatically. Every other alternative on this list (Mixbook, Shutterfly, Artifact Uprising, Snapfish, Blurb) requires you to download your photos and upload them to the service.

Ready for a bigger, better photo book from your social media? Create your free preview with My Social Book -- it takes under 3 minutes and you don't upload a thing.