If you are busy living your life and making memories, it is expected that you take pictures—and probably are looking for apps similar to Groovebook to help you preserve those memories. Groovebook is an app which takes the pictures you select on your phone, prints them out, and sends them to you.
Many people have a monthly plan that sends them new pictures automatically on a regular basis. Even so, there are plenty of other options out there which provide more options or different options that may better fit your lifestyle, budget, and personal choices. The Groovebook photo app for Android is a good app, but when compared to some competitors, how does it fare?
If you are the type of person who wants to preserve your memories, but you always forget to get pictures printed, consider some of these Groovebook competitors.
Apps Like Groovebook
Whether you have used Groovebook before or not, you may be looking for an alternative. Perhaps you didn’t like customer service, you weren’t a fan of the products that you got, or you are just interested in shopping around. Whatever your reason – check out some of these apps:
1- FreePrints Photo Tiles
If you are looking to make something other than photobooks, FreePrints Photo Tiles are a great alternative. Choose your own photos and get photo tiles so you can make a custom collage in your home.
Photo Tiles are stickers which don’t require hammer and nails, but also won’t ruin your paint. They unstick easily, so you can move them as much as you want.
If you are looking for a truly unique product, look no further than Print Tiles. They are perfect for dorm rooms, college apartments, or temporary housing. With this app, you get a free 8×8 tile every month and pay $9 for each additional photo tile. No matter how many tiles you order, you will be charged $7.99 for shipping.
- Pros: Easy-to-use app, beautiful results, great product, guaranteed for life, and doesn’t require a frame.
- Cons: No photobooks, one product, and it can sometimes take a bit to get them shipped to you.
2- FreePrints
FreePrints is an app that doesn’t require a subscription. It allows you to print your photos. The interface is easy to use. You can go through your camera roll and your social media integrations (Facebook, Instagram) to choose the photos you want. If there is one to send to your grandmother, this is it. You get the photos for “free,” but you need to pay for shipping.
There are some limits. You get up to 85 free 4×6 photos per month. You can order more or different sizes (5×5, 5×7, 8×10, 11×14, 12×18, 16×20 and 20×30), but those are not free. You have some choice of deluxe glossy or premium matte photos. They use Fujifilm paper. The shipping costs start at $1.99 and go up to $9.99.
The photos you get are high quality. They are bright, true-to-life in color, won’t fade, and are sturdy. These photos feel like pictures you used to get from a drug store.
One problem is you can only get one print per photo. If you want more to distribute, you will have to send more. You can get the same print sent a month later.
- Pros: No commitments, social media integrations, free photos (just pay shipping), and good quality photos.
- Cons: Only one photo size, the limit of one print per photo, and sometimes the app is a bit buggy.
3- Shutterfly
Shutterfly is a name that most people trust—and with good reason. Shutterfly has an app which allows you to upload and print photos. You get unlimited free 4×4 and 4×6 prints. You even get a free 6×6 photo book every month. Along with these features, there are new sales and promos every day.
If you’ve ever used Shutterfly online, it is very much like the app. Everything is condensed. This app is best used on a tablet, but you can use it on your phone as well.
- Pros: Unlimited free 4×4 and 4×6 photos, one free photo book each month, unlimited free storage for photos, and daily deals.
- Cons: Free products tend to be at the most basic level, this app sends quite a few notifications, can be hard to navigate at times, and the product images are somewhat small and grainy for certain products.
4- ChatBooks
Chatbooks is another popular alternative to Groovebook that allows you to make photo books. It is a monthly subscription you pay $10 per month for, and they will ship you a book when you add 60 photos. You have to remember to put them into the book, but there are push notifications which help you to do that.
You don’t have to worry about getting enough pictures. You can gather them from your social media profiles. It is important to know that you need to “favorite” your photos on your phone before opening the app.
If you don’t like the (somewhat basic) book that comes with the lowest subscription, you can upgrade to any number of designer covers or hardcover options for a bit more money. This makes it a bit more expensive than Groovebook, but it also means you get a more personalized book. Be prepared for a few bugs here and there. It seems like the app can get overloaded and crash at times.
- Pros: Plenty of options for personalization, integrations with your social media, extremely fast process, several different options to fit your needs,
- Cons: Automatic deduction for your subscription, can cost more than Groovebook, and extremely long waiting times once you order a book.
5- FreePrints Photobooks
One of the top-rated apps for photos, FreePrints Photobooks is an easy-to-use app. It tends to have the least amount of personalization, but that means it is one of the most consistent apps. Every month, you get a free 20-page standard book. You only pay a small shipping charge. There aren’t any automatic charges or commitments here, but they do try to upsell you pretty hard.
The product you get is standard but high quality. There aren’t a lot of bells and whistles here.
- Pros: You do not need a subscription, free products every month, add photos from social media, and very fast shipping.
- Cons: They try to upsell you quite a bit, there aren’t as many personalization options, and not many storage options to use the same photos over and over again.
6- Snapfish
Snapfish is another alternative to Groovebook where you can upload photos, make books, and get prints of your photos. It is a fast and easy app which allows you to upload your photos from just about anywhere (Facebook, iCloud, Google Photos, and more) and get 100 free prints every month. There are other products you can purchase, and they are pushed quite heavily on the app itself.
For the photo books, you can design almost anything that you want. There are plenty of ways to customize your books. I did notice the editing features on Snapfish were better than some of the other alternatives on this list. It also works extremely well with Instagram pictures, which have been notoriously difficult to work with and edit.
What sets Snapfish apart from the other apps on this list is that you can use these photos for many other things as well, including invitations, mugs, covers, and more. You can also send your photos to popular drug stores and big box stores to get your prints.
- Pros: 100 free photos every month (4×6), extremely good photo editing apps, works well with Instagram photos and filters, free pick up at CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart, and easy payment options.
- Cons: Free photos are only valid for the US, some salesy content, and sporadic updates with little warning.
7- CVS Print Photos Now
If you are willing to go pick up your photos, you can download CVS Print Photos Now. This allows you to order your own prints quickly and easily. You can personalize what you get in terms of photos—pick your finish and your sizes.
This is truly the most basic alternative to Groovebooks, but also one of the best.
- Pros: Pick up at your local CVS in under an hour, easy access to your photos, and high-quality results.
- Cons: Not all CVS stores seem to participate, cannot make photo books, and no free options.
If you are looking to print out your own photos, start with these alternatives to Groovebook.
