mixbook reviews

We’re independently supported by our readers and we may earn a commission when you buy through our links.

What are you looking for?

Search ideas for you, mixbook photo book review.

George Kuruvilla

Table of Contents

About Mixbook Photo book

Have there been moments in your life when you wished the clocks would stop ticking? Memories that you go back to time and again. Mixbook’s online photo design tool and photo service captures those moments for you to enjoy forever.

 ‘ Our vision is to empower every person to tell their story and express what they care about most ’: True to its mission, Mixbook, with its powerful design editor and customization options , helps you freeze precious moments and transform them into an album that tells a story the way you want it. If design is not your forte, you can choose from among the brand’s on-trend themes and unique templates to craft your story.      

Mixbook’s beautiful, personalized photo goods have won accolades and attention from the media, including popular publications like The New York Times, TechCrunch, The Verge, and The Washington Post . The brand has a substantial social media following as well, with 126k followers on Facebook and 73.5k followers on Instagram.

So, how do you want to tell your story? A calendar that injects nostalgia in short sweet doses, a photo book that narrates a tale, or a photo print colored with memories —Mixbook has it all. Could Mixbook be the perfect gift you’re looking for? This Mixbook photo book review will guide you to an answer by sharing the brand’s story, best selling photo products, promotions, and more.

Overview of Mixbook Photo Book

Let’s open Mixbook’s photo book and start from the beginning. Mixbook was founded in 2006 by two entrepreneurs from UC Berkley, Andrew Laffoon and Aryk Grosz, who wanted a solution to a pressing high school problem: creating a scrapbook. To make it more personal, in 2009, the brand launched its popular photo book editor tool, which allowed customers to have a hand in creating their photo books.

Since its launch, Mixbook has helped build stories through 55 million products, including cards, calendars, canvas prints and photo prints . Mixbook uses quality and heavy-weight papers that are ethically sourced from sustainable forests and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance.

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but they don’t always tell you the entire story. Mixbook factors this in by allowing customers to include text, drawings, event dates, themes, and addresses in their projects . They give you the big picture, literally, if you want them to. And, what’s more? The customized products are delivered to your door-step.      

Before we browse through Mixbook’s stories, this Mixbook photo book review will turn the lens on customers who’ve used their services and highlight their experiences. Let’s zoom right in:

• Offers personalized photo books, cards, calendars, and home decor
• Multiple editing and customizing options
• Range of sizes to choose from
• High-grade photo paper ethically sourced from sustainable forests
• Easy design process
• Recurring discounts and offers
• Small number of reports on inconsistent product quality and overexposure of images

Mixbook offers photo books to mark your year, a season, a holiday, a birthday, a wedding, a trip…or, heck, even a seemingly normal day you want to show your kids at some point in the future to support your ‘back-in-the-day’ stories. 

Mixbook also offers personalized cards and Mixbook invitations (for festivals, weddings, baby showers, and other occasions) that are as elegant as they are snazzy. There’s something for stationery enthusiasts as well. Mixbook offers knick-knacks like magnets, gift tags and stickers .

The latest addition to Mixbook’s pile is its collection of home decor , from charming photo prints on canvas, to photos with glass-like finish, an ideal embellishment for a high-end gallery at home. This Mixbook review will focus on some of the brand’s most popular photo products.  

Mixbook Photo Book Review

From my research for this Mixbook photo book review and customer feedback, I learned that photo books aren’t just a collection of photos. They’re a recollection of feelings and sentiments. Do you want a photo book that reflects the Industrial Chic, Boho or Rustic Outdoor themes that you followed at your wedding? Mixbook has templates to match any spirit. 

Mixbook offers photo books for all occasions, including but not limited to weddings, festivals, years in review, birthdays, dates, babies, pets and travel . They also offer photo books that weave your family’s history . That’s quite a range. Let’s open some of Mixbook’s more popular photo books.     

Mixbook Timeless Wedding

A disclaimer: Being of Indian descent, wedding albums for me were one or all of these things—spine-breaking, overwhelming and boring shots of stiff relatives and extended families I’ve never met. So, if Mixbook promises to offer something light and personal to mark my special day, I’m sold. Mixbook’s Timeless Wedding collection is one such gem.  

The Timeless Wedding Mixbook comes in four different types of paper: 

• Semi-Gloss : Classic photo paper with a smooth, magazine style gloss for rich and vibrant colors
• Pearl Finish : A touch of sheen and silk to those precious memories
• Premium Lay Flat : Made with Mixbook’s thickest, most premium paper with a luxe matte or lustre finish, this photo books  allows you to lay it flat so photos can seamlessly span the middle

The Timeless Wedding Mixbook is available in softcover, hardcover (soft touch matte with and without matte dust jacket) and leather (with matte dust jacket). The photo books come in three shapes: Landscape (8 x 6”, 11 x 8.5” and 14 x 11”) , Square (6 x 6”, 8.5 x 8.5”, 10 x 10” and 12 x 12”) and Portrait (8.5 x 11”).  

As customers, you call and decide the shots. You can add, move or delete photos and text, change the layout, and choose from numerous stickers and backgrounds to enhance any page, including the cover. You can also upload your own stickers and backgrounds. In short, your wedding album is your canvas.   

The cost of the Timeless Wedding Mixbook varies depending on the sizes, shape, finish and the number of pages. Customizable photo books are available from as low as $15.99 (Landscape Photo Book, 8 x 6”, Softcover, 20 pages, with every additional page priced at $0.69 ) to $142.44 (Landscape Photo Book, 11 X 8.5”, Premium Matt Lay Flat, Hardcover, 25 pages, with every additional page priced at $1.49 ). 

Don’t let your special day collect dust in your closet. With Mixbook’s Timeless Wedding series, let it be a physical recollection of all things dear. 

Mixbook Full Photo Travel

Turn time and return to all your favourite vacations from the comfort of your home by flipping through Mixbook’s collection of travel photo books. This Mixbook shares all the specifications of the Timeless Wedding collection . So, what makes it distinct? The variety of themes and templates. And, yes, according to customers, they come very close to recreating the magic that was your holiday. 

A celebrity cruise with the love of your life, a week’s trek in the great outdoors, that sabbatical you took to explore the ocean—Mixbook has a template for everything you do in the air, on land, and deep in the ocean. 

If cost is what steers your purchase decisions, Mixbook could be your go-to. At $15.99 , you can buy a 20-page, softcover, Landscape Photo Book (8 x 6”) . The theme starts with 41 pages as default. Customers can add and delete during the design process. 

If you are someone who likes to live large, holiday big, and own a weighty souvenir, Mixbook has something for you as well: The colossal 14 x 11” Landscape Photo Book printed on semi-gloss paper and bound by leather . This Mixbook leather cover photo album is bound to leave you misty-eyed. Priced at $165.18, this photo book could be way beyond most of our budgets, but it’s also what makes it so exclusive.   

Mixbook Cards Review

Enough with the past and nostalgia, let’s usher in the future with some announcements. What better way to do it than with a bunch of cards displaying your photos and megawatt smiles. Mixbook offers a variety of cards for all occasions—holidays, weddings, engagements, and baby showers, among others . Choose your occasion, and Mixbook will seal the deal with your inputs into the design process. 

This Mixbook review will now showcase some of the brand’s most popular card options.

Mixbook Full Photo Elegant Merry Christmas Review

Yes, people still send Christmas cards. And, yes, people love to receive them. Mixbook offers 7 X 5 Flat Cards to spread some holiday cheer. Oh Boy, don’t we all need some shine to mark the end of what has been an eventful 2020.

The flat cards allow you to print photos on the front and back, and the foil is available in three colors: Yellow/gold, peach and grey . You can also choose the trim for your card: round, double round, ticket, crest, vintage crest and square . 

The Full Photo Elegant Merry Christmas cards are available in six varieties of paper, based on your preferences and affordability. This Mixbook review provides a breakdown of these options:

• Satin Finish ($2.90) : Mixbook’s most affordable stock with subtle satin sheen that is great for photos 
• Signature Matte ($3.50) : With a professional matte finish, this one is for your everyday needs; recommended for holiday cards, graduations, announcements and birthday invitations 
• Pearl Finish ($4) : The Pearlescent shimmer adds a touch of lustre to your design; great for holiday cards, wedding and party invites 
• Premium Matte ($4.10) : An elegant and eco-friendly option, this one is popular among those wanting to make birth announcements and bridal suites
• Cotton Texture ($4.60) : With its soft and subtle textured feel, this card is popular for the save-the-dates, invites and announcements
• Luxe Board ($5) : This is Mixbooks thickest and most luxurious card stock with a matte finish

The cost per holiday card depends on your order size . The more, the merrier and cheaper. A card that costs $2.60, will cost $2.24 per card if you place an order for 30 of them . If you buy more than 250 cards, then the cost is almost halved at $1.40 per card .    

Mixbook cards come in premium white envelopes. You can also upgrade to printed envelopes. As with everything that rolls out of Mixbook, the flat cards are customizable as well. With this, let the festivities begin.  

Mixbook Bold Ampersand Wedding Announcement

Moving on to some personal celebration now. Weddings! With the pandemic significantly reducing the number of invitees to weddings, it’s time we tweaked the traditional wedding protocol. Get hitched and then announce it to the world. If you want to make this more personal, or want to surprise (or shock) your friends and family, why don’t you leave a wedding announcement at their doorstep? Mixbook will be your assistant in this little scheme.      

Mixbook’s wedding announcement cards have the same specifications as the holiday cards, including the foil color, trim, paper finish and the cost . All it needs is your personal touch to make it special. 

Mixbook Calendars Review

Memes about blanking out 2020 are aplenty and anticipation over a new year has touched a fever pitch. So, why not make it extra special by designing a calendar that captures your treasured moments with precious people? This Mixbook calendar review will flip through the pages of their most popular calendars.

Full Photo Layout

Mixbook’s Full Photo Layout calendar is exactly how you imagine it, with a full photo on the cover. In this section of the Mixbook review, we’ll explore questions like, how do you customize your calendar? How do you use Mixbook to create your way through the upcoming year? Here are the steps: 

• Start with a pre-designed theme or create your own with Mixbook’s Blank Calendar
• Choose your shape: Square (12 x 12”)  or Landscape (11 x 8.5” and 14 X 11”) 
• Start on any month
• Upload photos from your phone, computer, Google photos or social media
• Exercise your creative control and customize images, text, stickers, layouts and more

A tip: You can collaborate with your family and friends to save important dates the old-fashioned way. 

The Full Photo Layout Calendar is available only in two shapes and three sizes . While the 11 x 8.5” Landscape calendar is priced at $25, the bigger dimension costs $35 . The square calendar costs $30 .

White Modern

Can’t decide which photo goes up on the wall or on your desk? Mixbook can fix this for you. The White Modern Calendar is minimalist in design yet conveys a dozen stories and a myriad emotions. 

Like the Full Photo Layout Calendar , this Mixbook calendar comes in two shapes (Landscape and Square) and three dimensions (11 X 8.5”, 14 X 11” and 12 x 12 ”) . Unlike the former, the White Modern Calendar template allows you to add up to 12 photos per page without looking cluttered. Now that’s a smart design. 

If minimalism is not really your cup of tea and you’d like to jazz things up a bit, you can also choose other templates and themes offered by Mixbook, which range from Rustic and Luxe Glam to Serene and Marble. The cost is standard for all the calendars: $25 for the Landscape calendar (11 x 8.5”), $35 for the 14 x 11”, and $30 for the 12 x 12” . 

Mixbook Photo Book Reviews: What Do Customers Think?

This Mixbook photo book review turned up a massive amount of customer feedback. I had to count the digits twice to check if I got the number right. Mixbook has a colossal 33,915 customer reviews on TrustPilot, 85% of whom rated the brand’s products and services as excellent .

Here are a couple of descriptions that popped with just a cursory scan: “ Great service ”, “ Super fast ”, “ Friendly and helpful customer service ”, “ Simple to use”, “Great personalised gift”, “Consistently beautiful”.   

Most Mixbook reviews were all heart, like this one:  “ I really enjoy creating photo albums that capture a moment in life that will tell a story to generations to come. Mixbook has allowed me to save those memories in beautiful books, vibrant pages and soft book covers.” 

Responses were particularly effusive in their praise for Mixbook customer service . In one Mixbook review, a customer wrote that her photo book was replaced by the company at no cost, after the original one arrived and the images were a bit dark. “ I’m delighted with the result. It’s the best gift I will ever give my sister ,” said the review.

Finding a blip was quite a task, but a handful of customers complained of quality issues and color inaccuracies, especially on the cover.  

Is Mixbook Photo Book Worth It?

The verdict for Mixbook was a no-brainer for me. Yes! This one is a keeper . 

From my research for this Mixbook photo book review and customer feedback online, Mixbook ticks a lot of boxes: excellent print service, great and easy-to-use software, affordable prices, and quality products .

While a Mixbook photo book may not be the right platform for professional photographers to display their work, it’s a great option for someone like me who is always on the lookout for something sentimental, personal, and fun, especially while scouting for a gift. With recurring discounts and accessible tools , Mixbook makes creating a photo book a simple yet fun experience for everyone even if design is alien to you. 

If you are looking for a gift, Mixbook is a great option . You can also give someone a Mixbook coupon or a Mixbook gift card to pass along the design fun to them!

Mixbook Promotions & Discounts 

Keep yourself updated on the latest Mixbook promotions by signing up through the brand’s official website and using your Mixbook login.

If you refer a friend to Mixbook , both of you will get $20 off on your next purchase .

Where to Buy Mixbook Photo Book?

Mixbook products are available on the brand’s official website Mixbook.com .

How much does a Mixbook Photo Book cost?

Mixbook sizes range from 6 x 6 to 14 x 11 . The cost depends on the size and quality of paper used. For the benefit of the readers, this Mixbook review will give you a broad price range for the products:

• Softcover Semi-Gloss: $15.99 to $24.99
• Softcover Premium Matte Lay Flat: $24.99
• Glossy Hardcover Semi-Gloss: $29.99 to $74.99
• Glossy Hardcover Pearl Finish: $34.99 to $81.99
• Matte Hardcover Semi-Gloss: $34.99 to $89.99
• Matte Hardcover Pearl Finish: $39.99 to $91.99
• Matte Hardcover with Dust Jacket Semi-Gloss: $44.99 to $114.99
• Matte Hardcover Premium Lustre Lay Flat: $79.99 to $154.99
• Matte Hardcover Premium Matte Lay Flat: $109.99 to $189.99

The cost per page after the initial 20 pages ranges from $0.99 to $2.39 per page. 

Where is Mixbook located?

Mixbook conducts most of its operations online but is based in Redwood City, California .

How many pages can you have in a Mixbook?

Mixbook’s traditional photo books, both softcovers and hardcovers (matte and glossy) , can have a maximum of 399 pages , while the company’s layflat books can have a maximum of 99 pages .

Each book must have a minimum of 10 pages . If a book has less than 10 pages, Mixbook will add blank pages until the minimum page count is reached. 

Does Mixbook own your photos?

No. Mixbook only collects your photos, drawings, text, event dates, addresses, favorite themes, and project designs in the course of you uploading your photos and creating your projects. They do not own your photos.

How long does it take to get a Mixbook Photo Book?

Production and delivery time with standard shipping usually takes 7- 12 business days , but if express shipping is chosen then this is reduced to 4-5 business days .  Mixbook ships throughout the US and internationally.

What is Mixbook’s Return Policy?

If customers are unhappy with the Mixbook product they received, they can write to the company at hello@mixbook . com or contact them via live chat. The company will revise the product to make it better. If they can’t, the order will be refunded . 

Mixbook also offers credit to be used towards subsequent Mixbook purchases as an alternative to a refund.

How to Contact Mixbook

If you have more questions after this Mixbook review, reach out to the official Mixbook email address [email protected] or access the live chat feature on their website.

Explore personalized home decor with Redline Steel . Want more gift ideas? Check out Bouqs Flowers and gift baskets by Hickory Farms .

Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the web’s best products. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. Our editorial team is independent.

Ask the community or leave a comment

Customer reviews, leave a review.

You CANNOT DOWNLOAD YOUR PHOTOS back to your desktop from Mixbook. So if you quickly want to get your picture back for another project you’re out of luck. Also made me wonder what they do with MY photos.

You CAN DOWLOAD the photos back from SHUTTERFLY.

Does that mean you NEVER see you own photos again? Or are they held until the book is finally finished?

I’m still researching what company to work with. And I’m a rank beginner at this.

Ask the community or leave a comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This field is required

This field is required Please use a valid email

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You may also be interested in

Thesis Nootropics Review

Alo Yoga Review

Easter Gift Guide: Top Picks for 2024

House of Watches Review

Lovehoney Review

My Complete Review: Is Mixbook Worth It For Photo Books?

As an avid scrapbooker and photo printing enthusiast, I‘ve tried just about every popular service over the past decade making memory books for weddings, birthdays, vacations and more. Recently I decided to give Mixbook a shot based on strong word-of-mouth praise. And I must say, I‘m thoroughly impressed!

Keep reading for my complete hands-on review detailing whether Mixbook delivers on quality and value compared to brands like Shutterfly and Snapfish. I‘ll also share specific examples of books I created along with Mixbook‘s vast creative options to help you determine if it‘s the right fit for your next project.

Quick Intro: What Is Mixbook?

For anyone unfamiliar, Mixbook is an online design and printing service founded back in 2006 by a couple college students who wanted an easy way to make scrapbooks. Today, over 55 million custom photo creations have been made using their tools including:

• Photo books
• Canvas prints
• And much more

The company seems to have carved out a niche focusing specifically on letting anyone easily build completely customized photo books thanks to their proprietary design software.

You simply upload your own pictures then utilize Mixbook‘s themes, graphics, embellishments and editing tools to create a professionally-printed book. They offer standard soft and hard cover bindings as well as premium lay flat for seamless two-page photo spreads.

What Sold Me Initially

As a frequent memory book creator, I‘m quite particular about customizability and print quality. Right away browsing Mixbook‘s offering, the number of templates, fonts, graphics and layouts seemed endless compared to other brands I‘ve used like Shutterfly.

I also appreciated that Mixbook seems to use responsible sourcing for its papers – they are accredited by the Rainforest Alliance. And I‘m always a sucker for good deals, so their reasonable prices and regular promos caught my attention.

Overall, Mixbook made a great first impression. I decided to find out if they lived up to my high expectations by testing them out on several real photo book projects.

Putting Mixbook To The Test Across Multiple Books

To fully evaluate Mixbook‘s capabilities, I created four photo books spanning a variety of themes, layouts and configurations:

• 8×8 Softcover Wedding Memory Book – 20 pages square with a fabric wrap cover
• 8.5×11 Hardcover Family Vacation Album – 50 pages in landscape orientation using pearl photo paper
• 12×12 Birthday Memory Book – 30 page square lay flat premium paper
• 8×11 "Year In Review" Hard Cover Book – 20 pages portrait orientation with semi-gloss pages

My goal was to rigorously test the quality, customization options, and print reproduction across different book settings. Here is an overview of my hands-on experience:

Customizing The Designs

I loved having free reign to fully tailor designs on every book. Some advantages I noticed were:

• Intuitive Editing – Simple drag-and-drop for images, text boxes and clip art. Resizing, cropping and color tweaking was very user-friendly
• Robust Graphics – An incredible selection of backgrounds, frames, embellishments and stickers. Very modern, trendy aesthetic with most included free.
• Creative Layouts – Dozens of templates for every occasion or theme. Or you can build completely custom layouts from scratch.
• Themes – Professionally designed collections of colors, fonts, graphics tailored to events like birthdays, weddings, vacations etc.

I never felt limited in ability to customize pages and spreads to my taste. Mixbook‘s tools enable anyone to make Pinterest-worthy pages with minimal effort and artistic skill.

Example: My 8×8 Wedding Memory Book

For this book commemorating my cousin‘s nuptials, I wanted an elegant but playful design that embodied the bubbly party vibe. Starting with Mixbook‘s Wedding Champagne theme, I added blush pink backgrounds with rose gold glitter text and accents.

The bridesmaid dress page used a mosaic tile template with heart frame borders. And I created clever arrangements of ceremony photos using stickers like rings and floral wreaths.

Overall in just a few evenings tinkering with backgrounds, fonts and graphics I achieved a professional, cohesive and very personal design that reflected the spirit of the event and couple perfectly.

Example wedding book pages with custom background, graphics and photo arrangement

Printing & Binding Results

All my finished books exceeded expectations for print reproduction. Colors were vibrant, images crystal clear and paper thick and bright white.

For my birthday memory book using premium lay flat binding, it opened perfectly smooth without any warping in the gutter of two-page spreads. On my landscape and portrait books, images still went nearly edge so edge with minimal visible spine curve.

Honestly I scrutinized closely and struggled to find flaws. Tiny scuffs on book edges from handling were the only signs of wear after repeated reviewing and packing in suitcases.

Pro Tip : Always order an extra copy as a backup in case any damage occurs to your one-of-a-kind creation!

How Mixbook Compares To The Competition

Curious how Mixbook stacked up against the category leaders, I compared critical factors side-by-side:

For customizable design, robust editing tools and premium printing capability, Mixbook outperformed Shutterfly and especially Snapfish by noticeable margins.

Based on my analysis, Mixbook simply provides exceptional creative freedom to transform photos into treasured memory keepsakes paired with fantastic printing quality – a winning combination in my book!

Pricing is quite affordable too considering the stellar results, premium paper, creative options and embellishment library. Sales run regularly as well dropping prices 20% or more sitewide.

Evaluating Value Across Mixbook‘s Product Line

Beyond standard photo books, Mixbook provides exceptional quality, customization and value across a spectrum of personalized photo gifts including:

Cards – Offering same premium paper as books, you can fully customize graphics, text and layouts for stationery, holiday cards, wedding invitations and more.

Calendars – Several template options available letting you embellish each month with favorite photos and themes. Printed on thick premium paper.

Canvas Prints – Assert fine art style by transforming images into gallery wraps, metal prints or wood wall art. Many sizes and framing options.

Additional Photo Gifts – Options like ornaments, bags, home decor and more to display cherished moments.

I‘m impressed by how Mixbook leverages the same user-friendly design tools and high quality printing for beautiful results across a range of keepsake types at very wallet-friendly pricing.

Mixbook Cost Breakdown: Books, Shipping & Discounts

Mixbook pricing varies based primarily on cover style, size, page count and paper finish:

• Softcover Books – From about $16 for smaller sizes up to $25 for premium paper
• Hardcover Books – Around $35 on the low end ranging up to $75+ for XL landscape / portrait and lay flat
• Additional Pages – Adds $1-3 per extra page depending on size / paper
• More luxe options like leather cover, pearl finish etc. increase cost

I found their pricing very fair overall considering the stellar print quality and custom results. While some sites advertise books starting under $10, that is for (in my opinion) very low quality output barely worth framing.

Mixbook routinely offers 20-50% off sitewide so signing up for email deals lets you score photo books and gifts at exceptional values.

Standard shipping is about $8 for 5-7 day delivery. Or pay $12 extra for expedited 2-3 day shipping.

Mixbook Review Pros & Cons Summary

Here is a complete rundown of the biggest perks and potential limitations using Mixbook that I uncovered through my testing:

Mixbook Pros

• Endless customization capability
• Modern themed templates and graphics
• Easy drag-and-drop design interface
• Vibrant, true-to-life photo printing
• Responsibly sourced premium paper
• Durable high quality binding options
• Very wallet-friendly cost
• Fast production and shipping times
• Stellar customer service team

Mixbook Cons

• Could offer a few more advanced editing tools
• Boxing scuffs book/photo edges during shipping (order backup!)
• Must order 10 pages minimum so small projects add up

Considering the tremendous quality, customization range and value they provide, I truly could not come up with many downsides to Mixbook that gave me pause. Their pros dramatically outweigh any minor limitations I noticed in my experience.

The Verdict: Is Mixbook Worth Trying?

For anyone seeking to produce custom photo books, memory albums, keepsakes and more, Mixbook earns my highest recommendation for offering the ideal blend of quality, flexibility and affordability.

Compared head-to-head with brands like Shutterfly, Snapfish and others, Mixbook gave me superior printing capability and infinitely more control to design a book precisely matching my vision.

Thanks to seemingly endless templates, fonts, graphics and embellishments, you can easily create Pinterest-perfect pages regardless of artistic talent (or lack thereof in my case!) Then Mixbook reproduces your unique designs on bright, vivid premium paper that really makes memories pop.

For these reasons and more, I am confident proclaiming Mixbook as my trusted partner for all future photo printing needs. Their products deliver sensational quality rivaling competitors double the price.

Overall if you want to transform lackluster snapshots into a showstopping memory book or family history album, Mixbook provide all the tools necessary for stunning results you’ll cherish forever. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Have you created any Mixbook designs? Feel free to share your experiences or ask additional questions in the comments below! I‘m happy to offer any insight or tips from my decade as an avid scrapbooker and photo book fanatic.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 1 / 5. Vote count: 1

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Share this:

You may like to read,.

• The Sharper Image Review: Are the Innovative Gadgets Worth Your Money?
• The Complete Guide to Customizable Quality: Acanva Furniture
• Stride Rite Shoes Review: Why This 100-Year-Old Brand is Worth Every Penny for Your Child‘s Healthy Feet
• My Hands-On Review: Understanding the Daily High Club Craze
• My 10+ Years Testing Sunglasses: Here‘s the Truth About Le Specs
• The Complete Guide to Shutterstock: Pricing, Reviews and Alternatives
• An Objective Look at Nootropics
• My Hands-On Review of the Veri Continuous Glucose Monitor

Mixbook photo book review: A user-friendly service from start to finish

Mixbook is an almost-perfect all-rounder for those that want a photo book with minimal hassle..

TechRadar Verdict

Mixbook offers a great user experience in all aspects, from choosing the type of product you want to the snappy delivery times. With almost constant sales and discounts available, users can expect to get good value for money on their photo book. While other services might offer better quality books, Mixbook is a great overall performer.

Well priced

Great user experience

Lots of designs to choose from

Some small glitchy moments

Constant discounts make pricing confusing

Middling quality

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

• Two-minute review
• Should you buy it?

Also consider...

• How I tested

Mixbook photo book: Two-minute review

If you want a slick and seamless process, then Mixbook is a great option and is one of the best photo books available in the US and UK. There are loads of different designs to choose from, handily split into separate categories (including Weddings, Pets, Adoption, Travel, and more). 

I enjoyed scrolling through the wide variety of designs, which included anything from stylish minimalism to more wacky, colorful designs. Usefully, when you hover over each design, you get a preview of what’s inside the book. When you select a design to use, you can then easily choose between landscape, square, and portrait orientations at the top of the page. 

While most aspects of Mixbook’s service are pretty effortless, I did find its pricing a little confusing. With constant discounts available, Mixbook’s ordinary pricing becomes fairly arbitrary and meaningless. The base price for an 11 x 8.5” landscape book is $49.99 / £41.94, but was only $33.49 / £29.36 at the time of writing – obviously, this is ostensibly a great discount, but I’ve never actually seen a Mixbook photo book available at full price! 

One of the most likely areas for a potential hiccup when building a photo book is when it comes time to upload photos. This is because the builder has to sift through and process a large amount of images. However, Mixbook’s image uploader was pleasantly hiccup-free. 

You can add photos from your phone or desktop, or you can import them from Facebook, Instagram, Google Photos, or Smugmug. I uploaded my images from my desktop, which did take a little while but it wasn’t overly painful. One of my favorite aspects of Mixbook is that you’re able to start putting your photo book together as soon as the first photo uploads, which is a great timesaver. 

I found dragging and dropping the photos to be nice and easy. Each page is customizable, with different templates to explore. You can also move either the frame of the photo or enlarge and adjust the photo itself, which means you can get the perfect framing for each image. 

I did have a few glitchy moments where photos didn’t show up properly for a few seconds, but these weren’t overly disruptive to the process as a whole. I particularly liked a feature where you can copy and paste a page design elsewhere into the book, which is another great potential timesaver. 

When I was done with building my photo book, I used the handy Preview function to double-check for mistakes. I found the payment process to be just as seamless as every other part of Mixbook’s service, with options to pay via card, gift card or PayPal. 

After paying, Mixbook gives you the option to email your fully designed book to other people so that they can order it for themselves. I love this feature and can see it being really useful for those creating photo books for weddings, new babies, and other big life events. 

My Mixbook photo book came promptly and in suitably sturdy cardboard packaging. There wasn’t any scuffing or damage to the photo book and there weren’t any printing errors either.  I found the photos to be pretty true to color, albeit a little bit less vibrant than I would have liked. 

When inspected up close (as in, within 25cm of the page), the images are slightly fuzzy – especially the darker photos. However, you wouldn’t notice this at a normal viewing distance. 

Should you buy the Mixbook photo book?

Buy it if....

You want a seamless user experience

Mixbook’s photo book builder is super easy to use, with my favorite feature being the ability to start designing the book while the photos are uploading. 

You love a good deal

With Mixbook’s almost-constant discounted prices and sales periods, you’re always sure to get a photo book at a great price.

You want to share your creation with others

Many people like to order multiple copies of photo books for their extended family, but you don’t need to wait for people to pay you back with Mixbook’s useful feature that enables you to email your creation to as many people as you’d like. 

Don't buy it if...

You want the best quality photo book

Mixbook’s quality is fairly middling, with some images’ vibrancy being lost on the page. 

You get overwhelmed by choice

While Mixbook’s expansive selection of designs is excellent, they can be overwhelming if you’re unsure what to pick.

Snapfish photo book 

Snapfish is a very competitive option for photobook fans due to its large variety of great designs and materials to choose from. It also has a slightly tricky photo book builder, but compensates with wonderfully low prices.

You might not get the bells and whistles of other photo book services, but Mimeo is pleasantly reliable.  It's got a better user experience than other photobooks, too.

How I tested the Mixbook photo book

• I built a photo book on Mixbook’s website using my own photos
• I standardized the tests across different websites by choosing products at a similar price point with similar designs and features. 

In my testing process, I used Mixbook’s website and photo book builder to create a photo book with my own photographs. As I was testing multiple photo books at the same time, I made sure to choose books that were at a similar price point so that I could test how much value for money each product gave. I also chose similar designs, shapes, and sizes and used the same batch of photos for each test. 

I compared each book side by side to check for image quality and any color variations. I also inspected the covers and pages of each book to ensure that there were no scuffs, creases, or scratches

First reviewed May 2023

With over a decade of photographic experience, Louise arms Digital Camera World with a wealth of knowledge on photographic technique and know-how – something she is so adept at that she's delivered workshops for the likes of ITV and Sue Ryder. Before joining the site, her formidable hands-on abilities served her well as features editor for  Practical Photography . A freelance photographer in her own right, she is a proud Nikon DSLR shooter.

Microsoft looking to relocate hundreds of China-based workers as diplomatic tensions rise

Get 3 4K Blu-rays for just $33 at Amazon's early Memorial Day sale – here's what I'd choose

7 new movies and TV shows to stream on Netflix, Prime Video, Max, and more this weekend (May 17)

Most Popular

Mixbook Photo Books review

Mixbook is a great site for photo gifts, and has a great selection of options for most occasions..

Top Ten Reviews Verdict

Mixbook offers a large selection of design elements and makes everything really easy to find so you can create the perfect gift in minutes. The end product has good print and binding quality.

Large selection of pre-designed books

Simple to use

Good quality books

No overnight delivery

No in-store pickup

Why you can trust Top Ten Reviews Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Mixbook is our top pick of all the photo book sites in 2021. Most companies will tell you that they’re perfect for any occasion but with Mixbook there really is an option for (almost) every event. With 24 categories for all your photo booking needs there’s bound to be a template that suits your needs – ranging from simple designs, to Martha Stewart's own exclusive range. The process couldn’t be easier with the ability to import photos from a range of devices, as well as a chat function on hand should you need help. If you're looking for a personalized photo gift, Mixbook likely has what you're looking for.

And while it doesn't come with the convenience of overnight photo printing like providers with physical stores, it has great delivery options, and a good range of print sizes.

Mixbook: Pricing

 A 25-page 8.5 x 8.5 hardcover books sell for $36.95 on Mixbook’s website. This service also charges for standard shipping and tax so you can expect an added $12.99, or thereabouts. We found this price plus tax and shipping is pretty average for photo books. You’ll find cheaper options elsewhere, but you’ll also find more expensive ones as well. If you want your book to be longer than 25 pages, it costs $1.39 for every additional page. This is a good price for adding pages, although it isn’t the cheapest we found. If you're looking to save money, try a service like Shutterfly .

Mixbook: Quality & Services

The project we made with Mixbook arrived faster than many of the others we ordered. Our testers found the cover thick and sturdy, poised to protect the photos inside for years to come. The cover image displayed accurate coloring and printed nice and clear. Our experts also found the inner photo reproduction nearly perfect, though they did spot some graininess. Mixbook’s books feature a flyleaf that further protects the pages and gives the project an elegant feel. The only site with better printing is Artifact Uprising .

What makes Mixbook one of the top photo gift sites is its wide selection of features. The online photo book editor offers attractive, fully assembled layouts from which you can choose. The templates are easy to navigate from desktop or from your phone, with a fully adaptive display for swipe and touch commands.

You can choose from hundreds of templates too. Many of them are themed, so you can create a book to commemorate a birth, adoption, vacation, pet, or even old family recipes. There are also generic templates you can use as backgrounds if you don’t want your photo book to have a specific theme. The site lets you quickly look for backgrounds and get underway with customizing as soon as you choose.

Mixbook gives an added cross device option, where you can search and upload pictures directly from your computer, connect to your social media accounts, and upload from your mobile device via a QR code, all without switching gadgets. With the added photo manipulation tools, you can add effects to the pictures using the dropdown menu. For example, you can change the shadow, hue, blur, distance, angle or opacity of an image cutting out the need for specialized photo editing software .

This is one of the only online photo services to allow collaboration on projects. If you want several people to contribute to one project, you can simply add them as contributors. All contributors have access to add photos, decorate pages and edit the project without needing your password. You also can share your projects on Facebook or publish them on a blog or website.

Mixbook guarantees high quality in all of its products, and offers a money-back guarantee on its custom books. Mixbook uploads your photos in their original resolution and warns you if the quality is not good enough for print. You can either replace the photos or shrink them so that every page is filled with vivid images. The processing time before shipping averages around one to three days, so it's important to plan if you need your book by a certain date.

Mixbook: Book options and creation

Mixbook has one of the biggest selections of sizes, offering eight different sizing options for custom photo books, ranging from a small 8 x 6-inch pocket book to the most common 11 x 8.5, to a large coffee table book measuring 11 x 14 inches. There are four different square book sizes – 6 x 6, 8.5 x 8.5, 10 x 10 and 12 x 12.

The publisher provides ten different cover options, including genuine leather, matte and glossy hardcover, and softcover. You can also use a photo to make a dust jacket. The cover options are varied and specific, just another aspect of the customization that Mixbook is proud of.

There are four paper options to choose from. The default semi-gloss paper is good quality, thick enough to resist creasing and tearing. If you'd like something nicer and more formal, you can also choose between pearl finish and premium matte and lustre lay-flat pages.

Mixbook has one of the most user-friendly interfaces of all the sites. It is easy to navigate whether you are computer savvy or not. When you start the service, a guided tour shows you how to use Mixbook by highlighting the important features and tools you need to know about. While you use the editor tools, you are shown where to drag photos and insert text on each of the pages. There is also a help button embedded on each page so that you can seek help at any time during the creation process or get more information about a specific feature. The buttons are labeled clearly so even the most inexperienced designer can make a polished product.

Mixbook: Support and user reviews

The company’s website also offers technical support. There is a live chat feature and an email address to contact support representatives, as well as a FAQs section. Mixbook does not provide a telephone number for support over the phone. We highly recommend using the live chat feature as Mixbook is quick to respond and the customer reps are very helpful. Unlike other retail chains, you cannot pick up your Mixbook projects from a physical store. If you’re needing your project in a hurry, we recommend Walmart Photo for same day pickup. You’ll be sacrificing quality for speed, so if you can plan ahead, we definitely recommend going with Mixbook.

Your book will likely get to you pretty quickly but submit your order in early and allow for extra time during holiday seasons when book services are busiest. Our book was delivered less than a week after making the order, a standard delivery time can take between 4 and 7 business days, so plan ahead. However, we were extremely happy with how fast our book was produced and shipped with Mixbook matching the shipping time of its online competitors.

84% of Mixbook reviewers on TrustPilot have given the site five stars. The compliments are constant and range from “the ability to personalize/edit is user friendly”, to the fast and friendly customer service “Reps are always polite, helpful, responsive”. Mixbook has been summed up by one user “I cannot say enough good things about this company!” With glowing recommendations like that Mixbook is certainly worth trying. 

Should you use Mixbook?

Mixbook's on-site book editor is simple enough that anyone can use it, but has enough features to appeal to advanced photo book designers as well. Likewise, the books are well built and will protect the images inside for years to come. The range of templates, and customization options, is impressive too. While the shipping time can be a thorn in your side, the quality is worth the wait. Overall, Mixbook does most things better than its competitors, and while it isn't the cheapest or the highest quality in terms of printing, it's the best all-round experience.

Bobby is a freelance contributor to Top Ten Reviews, and has tested all manner of products in his time as a freelance writer. He currently works as a freelance SEO consultant, but is also an accomplished writer. Bobby has handled all kinds of software reviews, and his bylines cover a broad range of subjects on Top Ten Reviews.

Hisense LMT43M6AVE 4.4-cu ft Mini Fridge with Freezer review: extra space and a customizable design

How to get rid of grass growing in your flower beds — 5 simple steps

Bissell IconPet Turbo Cordless Stick Vacuum review: lightweight and thorough on hard floors

Most Popular