The Recently app promised something every parent wants: a printed souvenir of your phone photos, with no work. It launched in 2015 and mailed a monthly photo magazine for about $9 a month. If you're searching for it today, you probably want that same effortless result. Or you can't tell whether the app still runs.

We couldn't confirm that. Recently's launch coverage dates from 2015, and we found no recent reviews, pricing or news. Check its App Store listing before you subscribe. In the meantime, here are seven alternatives for a regular or yearly printed memory, with honest notes on who each one suits.

What to look for in a Recently alternative

Recently was a monthly magazine built from your camera roll. These are the questions that matter when you replace it:

• Automation: Does the service pick photos and lay out pages for you, or do you build everything by hand?
• Photo source: Camera roll only, or can it pull from Facebook, Instagram or Dropbox?
• Rhythm: A monthly subscription keeps a habit going. A yearly book is cheaper and easier to keep.
• Format: A thin magazine is a different thing from a hardcover you keep on a shelf.
• Real cost: Check the price per book, the shipping fee and how easy it is to cancel.

7 best Recently app alternatives in 2026

1. My Social Book

Best for: a yearly printed record of what you already posted

If you share family life on Facebook or Instagram, you've already done the photo selection. My Social Book turns that into a book automatically. You connect Facebook, Instagram (a professional account) or Dropbox. The service builds a full book in chronological order, like a journal of the year. It keeps dates, captions, likes and locations. A full preview is ready in minutes.

You get one source per book. Want Facebook and Instagram? Make two books. The book runs 25 to 500 pages in a 21 x 25 cm format (about 8.3 x 9.8 inches), with a hard or soft cover. You can preview every page, add or remove content, delete a post and change the cover. You can't reorder sections or edit captions. We'd also be honest on one point: this is not a monthly subscription. If you want a magazine in your mailbox every month, Chatbooks is closer.

The company has 12 years in business and 700,000+ books printed. Trustpilot TrustScore 4.7 / 5 (2,716 reviews, October 2026). Pricing is affordable, with frequent discounts of 40% or more. Shipping is extra, and a PDF version is optional.

Pros:

• Automatic book from Facebook, Instagram or Dropbox
• Chronological layout with captions, dates, likes and locations
• Full preview in minutes

Cons:

• One-off book, not a monthly subscription
• Works best if your photos are already online, not just in your camera roll

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

2. Chatbooks

Best for: the closest match to Recently's monthly habit

Chatbooks is the service most parents land on. It offers Monthbooks, a subscription of 60-page photo books in 5x7, 6x6 or 8x8 sizes, with soft or hard covers. You pick 4, 6 or 12 books a year. Annual billing saves about 10%. It also sells automatic books in 6x6 or 8x8 that print when a volume fills up. You can pause or cancel in the app.

Prices are the catch. Sources we found disagree. One 2026 roundup reports $15 to $24 per book, depending on the cover. Confirm in the app before you commit.

Pros:

• True subscription, books arrive on a schedule
• Small formats that are easy to give away

Cons:

• Costs add up over a year
• Pricing is hard to pin down

3. FreePrints Photobooks

Best for: the lowest cost per month

FreePrints Photobooks offers one free 20-page softcover book each month, in 5x7 or 6x6. There's no subscription. You pay shipping, listed at $7.99 in the US App Store. Hardcovers and extra pages cost more. If you want a small, regular print and care mostly about price, nothing beats it.

Pros:

• Free monthly book, no commitment
• Simple phone app

Cons:

• Only 20 pages
• Shipping is the real cost

4. Popsa

Best for: fast auto-layout from your phone

Popsa builds a book from your phone photos and arranges the pages for you. It's a nice fit if you want something quick and a bit more polished than a thin booklet. In the US, hardcovers start at roughly $44 according to a Tom's Guide review, and Popsa's own comparison lists about $52 for its base book. That's pricier than the subscription options.

Pros:

• Quick auto-layout
• Good quality hardcovers

Cons:

• Higher starting price in the US
• Not a subscription

5. Tinybeans

Best for: parents who already share baby photos privately

Tinybeans is a private family photo-sharing app. Its photo books start at $25.99 and go up to 200 pages. Shipping adds $5 in the US. Paid Tinybeans+ members ($7.99 a month or $74.99 a year) get free US shipping on website orders. Choose it if your family photos already live there.

Pros:

• Books built from photos already in the app
• Reasonable starting price

Cons:

• You need to use the Tinybeans app
• Limited choice outside that ecosystem

6. Mixbook

Best for: parents who enjoy designing

Mixbook gives you a full manual editor with many templates. You control every page. That takes time, and it's the opposite of Recently's hands-off idea. List prices vary by size and cover, and third-party guides put a small softcover anywhere from about $15 to $40. Mixbook runs frequent sales, so check the live price in the builder.

Pros:

• Deep design control
• Frequent sales

Cons:

• Slow for hundreds of photos
• No automation

7. Shutterfly

Best for: wide choice of sizes and gifts

Shutterfly is a big name with many formats and constant promotions. You upload photos and design the book, with some auto-layout help. It suits a one-time gift. It isn't built for a monthly rhythm, and the sticker price rarely matches what you pay after a promo.

Pros:

• Many sizes and formats
• Regular promotions

Cons:

• Upload and layout are mostly manual
• Prices shift with each sale

Recently app alternatives comparison table

Related photo book comparisons

• Chatbooks alternatives
• FreePrints Photobooks alternatives
• Popsa alternatives
• Tinybeans photo book alternatives
• Mixbook alternatives
• Groovebook alternatives
• Best photo book apps

Frequently asked questions

What is the Recently app?

Recently launched in 2015 as an iPhone app. It picked photos from your camera roll and mailed a printed monthly magazine, about 100 photos for $8.99 a month at launch. We found no recent coverage, so confirm that it still operates before you sign up.

What is the closest alternative to Recently?

Chatbooks is the closest match. It's a subscription that prints photo books on a schedule. FreePrints Photobooks is the budget option, with one free 20-page book a month and paid shipping.

Can I get a printed book of my Instagram or Facebook photos?

Yes. My Social Book builds a book from Facebook, Instagram (professional account) or Dropbox. Each book uses one source. Dates, captions, likes and locations carry over.

Is a monthly book better than a yearly one?

It depends on you. Monthly books keep a habit and arrive often, but the cost adds up. A yearly book is cheaper, thicker and easier to keep on a shelf.

How long does a My Social Book take to arrive?

Production takes 2 to 5 business days. Express delivery in the US takes 3 to 5 business days, and standard takes 7 to 14.

Facts about competitors checked on October 19, 2026. Prices and features change; confirm on each company's site before ordering.

Create your book from Facebook, Instagram, or Dropbox