With this budget-friendly photo book service, families can flip through their favorite memories together.
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I’ve been a hobbyist photographer since purchasing my first DSLR camera at age 17. To me, a photo is like a time capsule that takes me back to my favorite places and most cherished memories. Over the years, I’ve moved from a fancy camera to a standard smartphone for most snaps. I realized that it doesn’t matter if I’m using a proper camera—the important thing is that these photos exist at all.
Despite taking thousands of photos over the years, I have very few actually on display in my home—something I’m itching to change. After all, there’s no point in cataloging memories if they sit behind a screen for eternity! Photos are meant to be shared and enjoyed. That’s where Chatbooks—a personalized photo book service—comes in handy.
Chatbooks
Subscribe to this monthly photo book service for new, freshly-printed pages each month. Chatbooks also make great gifts!
What Is Monthbooks by Chatbooks?
Chatbooks is an online photo book service that turns your camera roll into gorgeous, glossy pages. As someone who takes a lot of photos, many of my memories end up slipping through the cracks as they get buried by new adventures. Chatbooks is a simple way to consolidate my favorite photos into pretty, gift-ready books I can revisit again and again. Not only is Chatbooks a convenient service for cataloging important events, but it’s also quick. Each book comes together in just a few minutes.
Monthbooks is a monthly subscription service offered by Chatbooks. Select their desired number of “months,” with a choice of four, six or twelve books per year. Subscriptions run around $15-$34 per book, depending on size and cover type. From there, subscribers receive credits for their chosen number of books, which are available for 13 months. Credits are redeemable at any time within that period, and the subscription renews each year automatically unless canceled.
For those looking to organize cherished memories, such as their baby’s first year or a family vacation, Monthbooks is a thoughtful solution.
How We Tested It
To test the service, I chose a four-book subscription. Subscribers choose the cover “theme” they’d like to use, along with the cover type and book size. I chose paperback books in a standard 5″ x 7″ print size. There are also premium cover selections to choose from for an additional fee. I opted for the “Heirloom” print. From there, simply choose whether you’d like to pay for your books upfront. If not, you’ll be charged every month, three months or two months, based on the number of books chosen.
I opted to use two of my credits immediately. As I mentioned before, credits can be used at any time throughout the year. While you have to use credits within 13 months lest they expire, subscribers receive automated reminders via email to use their credits each month. Once I had my credits, it was time to create my books.
Creating Your Books
This part couldn’t be easier. There’s both an app version and webpage version of the book builder, and I found each equally simple to use. First, subscribers choose how they’d like to upload their photos. The upload options include camera roll for phones, file search for computers or importing via Google Photos.
After you add your photos, Chatbooks automatically arranges them into book form. From there, it’s easy to swap around pages, change the layout, add captions, crop down larger photos and pick a cover image. The book builder also issues warnings for low-quality photos, but I didn’t really notice much of a quality difference in any of mine after printing. It’s also possible at this point to add text pages for things like poems, captions and anything else that adds extra pizzazz.
Once you’re happy with your book, you can send it to print. After that, you’ll receive it within a few days to a week, depending on print time.
Book Features
Upon receiving the books, I was smitten. The binding, cover and pages are high-quality and super sturdy. But the real winner is the print quality. Even the photos that looked a little washed out on my screen turned out absolutely gorgeous. The colors are clean, saturated and really bring my memories to life. I couldn’t be more pleased with how my books turned out!
Pros
- High-quality, colorful prints
- Inexpensive, starting at only $10 per book
- Free shipping
- Makes a nice gift
- Many customizations available
- Simple and easy to use
- No strict subscription schedule
- Quick printing and shipping
Cons
- Credits expire after 13 months
- Limited layout offerings
- No extras available, like stickers, frames or fun fonts
Chatbooks vs. Shutterfly
Chatbooks leans into a subscription model, but it also offers several non-subscription photo books for individual purchase. Another popular service that offers these types of custom photo books is Shutterfly. Both services offer custom, professionally printed photo books. That said, there are many key differences between the services.
- Subscription: The biggest draw for Chatbooks is its inexpensive subscription service. At this time, Shutterfly does not have a comparable subscription model.
- Price: Chatbooks photo books start at $26 for a 6×6-inch softcover book with up to 60 pages. Shutterfly books start at $24.99 for an 8×8-inch softcover book with up to 20 pages. Each additional page in a Shutterfly book costs $1.94. So, for 60 pages, the minimum cost for a Shutterfly book with the same number of pages would be around $102. For an 8×8-inch, 60-page photo book from Chatbooks, you’re looking at only around $43. That’s a price difference of around $60.
- Customization: Both services offer advanced customization options, including book size, page number and cover type. Customers can also choose “lay flat” bindings for both services for an additional charge. That said, Chatbooks offers a massive library of cover designs, whereas Shutterfly books use a simple version of one of your photos as the cover. However, Shutterfly offers stickers, fonts and other fun features for dressing up your book.
- Quality: Chatbooks always prints each photo on professional-grade photo paper using premium inks. Shutterfly, on the other hand, charges an extra $14.99 for “professional six color printing.”
- Offerings: While Shutterfly may not offer some of the features we love in Chatbooks, the brand does offer lots of different ways to utilize your favorite photos. Print them on mugs, pillows, wall art—you name it! We recommend choosing Shutterfly over Chatbooks if you want custom photo gear that goes beyond books.
Final Verdict
Monthbooks is a clever way to organize a year of events into bite-sized books that are effortless to create, easy to enjoy and simple to store. Plus, the coordinating cover designs and clean, cohesive look turn them into a pretty piece of decor when they’re not in use. Whether you put aside some room to display them on your shelves or plan on gifting them to loved ones, Monthbooks are a low-effort way to keep your family’s stories close at hand.
Folks wanting to keep their favorite memories fresh for years to come should absolutely subscribe to Chatbooks. Sure, there are other photo book services. But the helpful subscription model, simplicity and built-in reminders make it my favorite option. Not to mention that the print quality is simply stunning to boot. My photos have never looked better—turns out, they’re even prettier in print than they are on a screen!
Where to Buy
Chatbooks
Looking for a way to preserve your favorite memories? Your search has ended.
Each book as part of a Monthbooks subscription costs just $15-$34, with a choice of four, six or 12 books per year. Price depends on the size and cover type chosen, and book credits can be redeemed anytime within a 13-month period of purchase. Those looking to memorialize their favorite family photos can snag a Monthbooks subscription from the Chatbooks website. Bonus: It takes just minutes to sign up and put together your first book!
FAQ
What are the differences between Chatbooks Monthly Minis and Monthbooks?
While both Monthly Minis and Monthbooks are monthly subscriptions offered by Chatbooks, there are a few differences. Monthly Minis are smaller at 5×5 inches and offer rounded corners, making them kid-friendly. Monthbooks are available in both hard and soft covers and are a bit larger, as they are aimed at adults.
Can I skip a month on Chatbooks?
Yes, you can skip a month (or two, or three!) with a Chatbooks subscription. Because you purchase book credits rather than utilize a true month-to-month subscription, it’s totally up to you when you’d like to make your books. In fact, it’s totally possible to use all your credits in a single month if you’d like! The only thing to keep in mind is that purchased credits expire after 13 months, so it’s important to use them before then.
Can you use Chatbooks without a subscription?
Yes! Chatbooks also offers “a la carte” options for folks who want to make one-off photo books for gifting or enjoying.
Why You Should Trust Us
We are a team of editors and writers who are passionate about preserving memories and making informed purchases. On a personal level, I’m a traveler and casual photographer with a special interest in capturing everyday moments. While my hobby mostly consists of posting photos to social media, I also love displaying my favorite photos around my home. Photo books are one of my favorite ways to share these memories with loved ones—and they make great gifts, too!
