Mosaic Journal vs Chatbooks Monthbooks: which monthly photo service is right for you?
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Time to read 2 min
The short answer: choose Chatbooks Monthbooks if you want a finished, bound photo book of each month; choose Mosaic Journal if you want to capture your life story as it happens, one photo a day, in a single linen journal for the whole year. Both turn phone photos into something physical. They just do it in different ways.
Mosaic Journal: as seen on BBC Dragons' Den · #1 search on TikTok Shop UK (Home category) · Ranked Top 25 in Photo & Video on the Apple App Store
How does each one work?
Chatbooks Monthbooks is a photo book subscription. You choose 4, 6 or 12 books a year; each is a soft- or hardcover photo book of up to 60 pages in 5×7, 6×6 or 8×8 size. You fill each book from your camera roll (or photos from other people), and full books ship automatically. It's available in the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Mosaic Journal is a daily photo journal. You get one premium linen hardcover journal with 365 photo pockets, laid out as 52 weekly spreads. In the free app you pick one photo per day, and once a month up to 31 printed 4×4" photos arrive automatically, sized to slip straight into the journal's pockets with no glue or stickers.
The real difference
Chatbooks gives you a finished book of photos. Mosaic Journal gives you a home for your year: one book, filled day by day, that tells the story of your life as it happened. It's less about printing photos and more about celebrating the everyday, and keeping it somewhere you can pass down.
It's genuinely fun, too: 365 empty pockets, filled one moment at a time. And it's flexible. Do one a day, or if a daily habit isn't your style, print on demand with Freestyle to clear out your camera roll.
Side-by-side
| Mosaic Journal | Chatbooks Monthbooks | |
|---|---|---|
| What you end up with | One linen journal for the whole year | Several separate photo books |
| Photos per month | Up to 31 (one a day), plus Freestyle on demand | Up to a 60-page book per credit |
| Habit | One photo a day, or print on demand | Fill a book when you choose |
| Format | 4×4" prints on 250gsm paper, in photo pockets | Printed, bound books |
| Shared with family | Yes, the whole family can add to the same journal | Yes, photos from other people can be added |
| Price | Journal from £29.99; prints £9.99–£12.99/month | See Chatbooks for current UK pricing |
| Delivery | Free; duties included | See Chatbooks |
Chatbooks details checked October 2026 from Chatbooks' help centre. Check their site for the latest.
When is Chatbooks the better choice?
- You want a finished, bound book every month or season, with no assembling.
- You take lots of photos each month and want them all laid out in a designed book.
- You prefer several smaller books to one book per year.
When is Mosaic Journal the better choice?
- You want a single keepsake for the whole year: one book you'll pull off the shelf in ten years, and one day hand down.
- You like the idea of a daily ritual: one photo, one moment of reflection, a healthy alternative to scrolling.
- You want the tactile joy of slotting each print in yourself, week by week.
- You want to backdate: start your year up to 365 days in the past.
FAQ
Can I use both? Of course. You could keep a daily journal for everyday life and make a photo book for big trips.
Is Mosaic Journal a subscription? The One a Day print plan is monthly (£12.99) or yearly (£9.99 a month), with no contract; cancel any time. Freestyle prints are pay-as-you-go.
