Snapfish and Shutterfly look like rivals. They aren't, quite. Both are owned by the same private equity firm, Apollo Global Management, since Apollo bought both companies and joined them in 2020. They still run separate sites, separate editors, and separate price lists.

So which one should you order from? This guide compares price, editor, formats, delivery, and photo import, then gives a plain verdict for a few common cases. We also cover one option worth knowing about if your photos already live on Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox.

Snapfish vs Shutterfly: quick overview

• Snapfish -- lower entry prices, constant promo codes, 8x8 hardcovers from about $29 for 20 pages, and an autofill feature that places photos for you.
• Shutterfly -- a bigger catalog beyond photo books, more premium options, higher list prices, and sales that run almost all year.

What to look for in a photo book service

• Real price after discounts -- list prices rarely match what people pay at checkout.
• Cost of extra pages -- a 20-page base book is thin. Most family books need more.
• Photo source -- do your photos sit on your phone, or on Facebook and Instagram?
• Time you'll spend -- hand layout takes hours. Auto layout takes minutes.
• Binding -- layflat keeps spreads clean, but it costs a lot more.

Price

Snapfish is usually the cheaper of the two. Its 8x8 softcover starts around $20 and the hardcover around $29 for 20 pages, with extra pages around $2 each. Shutterfly lists an 8x8 softcover around $25 for 20 pages, with the hardcover closer to $40. Extra pages run roughly $1 to $2.70 on softcover and about $3 on layflat.

Both stack promotions on top. Snapfish pushes percentage-off codes on pages and books. Shutterfly says its photo book sales commonly land between 20% and 50% off. Check the cart total, not the headline price. Add-ons and shipping change the final number.

Editor and design experience

Snapfish has a simple editor and an autofill tool. It drops your photos into pages in date order, and you adjust from there. It's quick, and the results look fine for casual books.

Shutterfly gives you more templates, more themes, and more tweaking options. It also gives you more upsell prompts. If you like polish and don't mind the clicks, that's a fair trade. If you want to finish in one evening, Snapfish's simpler flow wins.

Print quality and formats

Snapfish prints 8x8 books on semi-gloss paper and goes up to 150 pages. It also sells a premium layflat hardcover, from about $55 on the 8x8 for the base package.

Shutterfly has the wider range. You get more sizes, more cover materials, optional professional six-color printing, and a deluxe layflat tier that costs well over $100 in larger sizes. For a wedding album, Shutterfly's premium lines are the stronger pick. For a plain snapshot book, the extra tiers don't buy you much.

Delivery and turnaround

Snapfish says production takes up to three days, then shipping depends on the method you choose. Shutterfly lists delivery options from economy at 6 to 10 business days down to super rush at 1 to 2 business days. Both add time at the holidays. Neither guarantees a date until you enter your zip code, so order early for gifts.

Importing your photos

This is where people get stuck. Snapfish pulls photos from Facebook, Instagram, and your phone. Shutterfly connects to Facebook and a couple of other photo libraries, but it doesn't take Dropbox.

Importing the photos isn't the same as importing the story. You still pick, sort, and place each image. Captions, likes, and locations from the original post don't come along as part of the page layout.

Snapfish vs Shutterfly: which one should you pick?

• Lowest price: Snapfish. Its entry prices and promo codes are hard to beat for a simple book.
• Premium look, layflat, or an unusual size: Shutterfly. It has more tiers to choose from.
• Fast build from your phone: Snapfish, thanks to autofill and direct Instagram upload.
• Cards, mugs, and a book from one account: Shutterfly. The catalog is much larger.

Neither one is built to turn a whole social media archive into a book on its own. That's the gap the next option fills.

If your photos already live on Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox

My Social Book works differently. You connect your Facebook, Instagram (professional account), or Dropbox, and the service builds a full photo book automatically. Your content lands in chronological order, like a journal of the year, with the original dates, captions, likes, and locations. It's one source per book. If you want both, you make separate books from Facebook AND Instagram.

You preview every page before ordering. You can add or remove content, delete a post, and change the cover. You can't drag photos around like you can in Shutterfly's editor, and you can't rewrite captions. Books run from 25 to 500 pages, in hardcover or softcover, at 21 x 25 cm (about 8.3 x 9.8 inches). Pricing is affordable, with frequent discounts of 40% or more. Shipping is charged separately. Production takes 2 to 5 business days, then delivery takes 3 to 5 business days express or 7 to 14 standard in the US.

My Social Book has been in business for 12 years and has printed more than 700,000 books. It holds a Trustpilot TrustScore 4.7 / 5 (2,716 reviews, October 2026).

See your book in minutes -- start from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox

Snapfish vs Shutterfly vs My Social Book comparison table

Related photo book comparisons

• Snapfish alternatives
• Shutterfly alternatives
• Shutterfly vs Mixbook
• Mixbook alternatives
• Best photo book apps
• Best photo book from Instagram
• Make a book from Facebook

Frequently asked questions

Is Snapfish or Shutterfly cheaper?

Snapfish usually is. Its 8x8 hardcover starts around $29 for 20 pages, while Shutterfly's starts closer to $40. Both run frequent sales, so compare the final cart totals on the day you order.

Are Snapfish and Shutterfly the same company?

They're owned by the same private equity firm, Apollo Global Management, since 2020, when Apollo bought both companies. They still operate as separate sites with their own editors, prices, and product lines.

Which has better print quality, Snapfish or Shutterfly?

Shutterfly offers more premium choices, including professional printing and deluxe layflat books. Snapfish uses semi-gloss paper and sells a premium layflat hardcover too. For everyday books, the gap is small.

Can I import Instagram photos into Snapfish or Shutterfly?

Snapfish takes photos from Instagram and Facebook. Shutterfly connects to Facebook and a few other libraries but not Dropbox. In both cases you still place the photos yourself, and the original captions, likes, and locations don't build the book for you.

Is there a faster way to make a book from social media?

Yes. My Social Book builds a book automatically from your Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox, in chronological order with dates, captions, likes, and locations kept. You preview and edit before ordering, with no manual layout.

Facts about competitors checked on October 12, 2026. Prices and features change; confirm on each company's site before ordering.

Create your book from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox