Apple retired iPhoto back in 2015, folding it into the new Photos app. Then, on September 30, 2018, Apple shut down its own photo book printing service entirely. If you've got iPhoto libraries on an old Mac, or you're still using Photos and wondering why the print option vanished, you're not imagining things. Both changes happened, and neither deleted your photos.

This guide covers where your iPhoto photos actually are right now, plus the best ways to print them in 2026 -- whether you want to stay inside Apple Photos or pull from social media instead.

First: where did your iPhoto photos go?

Nowhere, mostly. When Apple replaced iPhoto with Photos in 2015, it migrated your existing library automatically. If you open Photos on that same Mac today, your old iPhoto pictures should still be there. Some people also have copies in iCloud Photos if they turned on sync at some point.

The book-printing feature is what's gone. Apple built photo book ordering into iPhoto starting in 2002, then carried it into Photos. Apple pulled the plug on September 30, 2018, and pointed Mac users toward third-party Photos Project Extensions instead. Your library is intact. What's missing is the "print this as a book" button.

If your photos live in Photos on your Mac, you have two real paths: use a third-party extension that plugs into Photos, or export a folder and build a book somewhere else. To export, open Photos, select the album or date range you want, then go to File > Export > Export [n] Photos. Choose a folder, and Photos writes full-resolution copies with their original dates intact. Drop that folder into Dropbox and you've got a source ready for a service like My Social Book.

One more path worth checking: if you posted those same photos to Facebook or Instagram over the years, those platforms already have dates, captions, and locations attached. A service that connects directly to Facebook or Instagram skips the export step completely.

What to look for in an iPhoto alternative

• Does it work with local files or social media? Some tools only take a folder of images. Others connect to Facebook or Instagram and pull photos automatically, with no export needed.
• Manual layout or automatic book? Extensions like Mimeo Photos and Motif hand you templates and let you arrange pages yourself. Other services build the whole book for you.
• Print quality and paper options. iPhoto books were decent but basic. Most current services beat that on paper stock and binding.
• Price and how often it goes on sale. Photo books rarely sell at list price. Check for regular discounts before you commit to one company.
• Does it stay inside Photos, or do you need a new account? If you like your current workflow, an extension keeps you in the app you already use.

7 best iPhoto alternatives in 2026

1. My Social Book

Best for: turning your Facebook or Instagram photos into a book automatically, or your exported iPhoto folder via Dropbox

If your photos are already on Facebook or Instagram, My Social Book connects directly and builds a complete, chronological photo book from your posts -- dates, captions, likes, and locations included. If your photos are stuck in Apple Photos instead, export the folder (File > Export) and upload it to Dropbox, and My Social Book builds from that just the same.

It's been around for 12 years, has printed more than 700,000 books, and holds a Trustpilot TrustScore of 4.6 / 5 (2,700 reviews, September 2026). After watching Apple drop its book service, a track record like that matters.

This is the pick if you want the whole thing done for you. Not the pick if your photos are only in Apple Photos and you'd rather skip Dropbox entirely -- for that, see the Photos extensions below.

Pros:

• Automatic book creation from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox
• Keeps dates, captions, likes, and locations
• Preview every page before ordering
• Hardcover or softcover, 25 to 500 pages

Cons:

• Doesn't pull directly from Apple Photos -- you export a folder first
• One source per book (Facebook and Instagram photos need separate books)

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

2. Mimeo Photos

Best for: staying inside the Apple Photos app you already use

Mimeo Photos is a Photos Project Extension. It plugs into the Mac Photos app and covers every print product Apple used to offer, including books, cards, and calendars. It's the direct replacement Apple pointed people toward when it shut its own service down.

Pros:

• Works right inside Apple Photos, no export needed
• 50+ design themes
• Covers books, cards, and calendars

Cons:

• Manual layout and design work
• Mac only

3. Motif

Best for: AI-assisted layout without leaving Photos

Motif is the same extension family as Mimeo (Mimeo acquired it in 2023), built around automatic layout. It uses facial detection to keep faces framed properly and can autoflow a full book from your selected photos, with layflat, hardcover, and softcover options.

Pros:

• Automatic layout with facial detection
• Layflat option for large photos
• Runs inside Apple Photos

Cons:

• Mac only
• Less control than fully manual editors

4. Shutterfly

Best for: the widest range of sizes and formats

Shutterfly needs a manual upload -- export from Photos, drag the folder in -- but it offers more sizes, covers, and add-ons than almost anyone else, plus an optional "Make My Book" auto-layout tool. Sales run almost every week, which makes the pricing hard to read.

Pros:

• Huge range of sizes and formats
• Optional auto-layout
• Frequent discounts

Cons:

• Manual upload only
• Cluttered editor with heavy upselling

5. Mixbook

Best for: full creative control over every page

Mixbook's drag-and-drop editor is one of the best in the category. Softcover books start at $14.99 for a 6x6, 20-page book, with premium lay-flat options running close to $180. A large book takes real time to build, but it looks designed rather than assembled.

Pros:

• Best-in-class manual editor
• Wide range of sizes and paper types

Cons:

• Manual upload only
• Time-consuming for large books

6. Chatbooks

Best for: small books that build themselves over time

Chatbooks connects to Instagram or your camera roll and mails a small softcover book on a recurring basis. Its Monthbooks line runs $15 to $34 per book, with minis starting around $10. Cheap and hands-off, but the format stays small.

Pros:

• Connects to Instagram automatically
• Affordable, especially for minis

Cons:

• Small format, limited customization
• Subscription can pile up books if you forget to pause it

7. Snapfish

Best for: the lowest price on a standalone book

Snapfish is the budget option once you're exporting from Photos anyway. An 8x8 softcover starts around $20, with frequent promos dropping that further. Editor's basic, quality's fine for a casual book, not a milestone one.

Pros:

• Very low prices with frequent sales
• Many size and cover options

Cons:

• Dated editor and average print quality
• Manual upload only

iPhoto alternatives comparison table

Related photo book comparisons

Looking at a few more options before you decide? These cover the other photo book brands people compare most.

• Shutterfly alternatives
• Mixbook alternatives
• Chatbooks alternatives
• Snapfish alternatives
• Kodak Gallery alternatives
• MyPublisher alternatives
• Photo books from Instagram

Frequently asked questions

Did Apple delete my iPhoto photos?

No. When Apple replaced iPhoto with Photos in 2015, it migrated existing libraries automatically. Your pictures should still be in the Photos app on the same Mac, or in iCloud if you had sync turned on. What Apple discontinued was the book-printing feature, not your library.

When did Apple stop printing photo books?

Apple's Photo Print Products service, including books ordered from inside Photos, stopped taking orders after September 30, 2018. Apple recommended third-party Photos Project Extensions as a replacement.

Can I still make a photo book from Apple Photos?

Yes, through a third-party extension. Mimeo Photos and Motif both plug into the Mac Photos app and cover books, cards, and calendars the way Apple's own tool used to.

Can My Social Book pull photos directly from Apple Photos?

Not directly. My Social Book builds books from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox. If your photos are only in Apple Photos, export the folder (File > Export) and upload it to Dropbox, then build your book from there.

What's the closest replacement for the old iPhoto book feature?

It depends on your photos. If you want to stay inside Apple Photos, Mimeo Photos or Motif are the direct successors. If your best photos are actually on Facebook or Instagram, My Social Book builds the book automatically without any manual layout.

Facts about competitors checked on September 9, 2026. Prices and features change; confirm on each company's site before ordering.

Create your book from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox