Comparison

Chatbooks vs Aura Frames

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Chatbooks

Easily create personalized photo books and prints from your phone's camera roll. Turn everyday moments or special milestones into beautifully printed keepsakes, delivered to your door with free shipping. Customize sizes, covers, and add captions for a truly unique gift or personal collection.

Highlights
  • Create photo books from phone camera roll
  • Order photo prints
  • Monthly photo book subscription
  • Customizable book sizes and covers
  • Add captions and collages
  • Free standard shipping on orders
Read full description

Your memories deserve to be enjoyed, not trapped on your phone! The Chatbooks app makes it easy (like 10-minutes-or-less easy!) to turn them into personalized photo books and photo prints, delivered right to your door with free standard shipping. Our bestselling Monthbooks photo book subscription makes it easier than ever to turn your everyday moments into a stunning photo book collection. Simply choose your delivery schedule, cover style, and photo book size to get started. The best part? It only takes 5 minutes to print each 30-60 page photo book. Add photos right from your phone camera roll in the Chatbooks app, edit, and send to print in just a few taps. Cancel anytime and always enjoy free shipping on any Chatbooks photo book subscription. Need to print life’s big milestones, or give a meaningful personalized gift? Our Classic Photo Books are the perfect custom photo books. Simply select your size (6x6", 8x8", or 10x10"), cover type (softcover or hardcover), and chic cover color, or browse hundreds of designer covers. Add up to 366 pages of memories by uploading photos from your phone, then edit your book by easily adding collages, captions, and more. We’ve got you covered with our Love Chatbooks Guarantee and Toddler Insurance—so whether it’s a printing issue or a juice spill, we’ll make it right. You make the memories. We’ll help you print them. Millions of Chatbookers use the Chatbooks app to print their photos—join them today!

About

Aura Frames

This smart photo frame app simplifies displaying and sharing your cherished memories. Easily preload photos, connect your frame to WiFi, and invite loved ones to contribute their own pictures and videos. Relive moments together and share meaningful experiences with those closest to you.

Highlights
  • Preload photos and messages as gifts
  • Quick WiFi frame setup
  • Invite family to share photos
  • Unlimited photo and video sharing
  • View family contributions
  • Scan prints with phone camera
Features
Read full description

Aura is a smart photo frame that makes displaying and sharing photos delightfully simple. Get the free Aura app to view and share your photos, get your frame set up, and more: - Preload photos or write a message before giving Aura as a gift - Connect your frame to WiFi - in less than 5 minutes! - Invite family members to share their photos to your frame - Share unlimited photos and videos to an Aura frame - See what your family has added, and relive memories together - Scan prints and artwork with your phone or tablet's camera With Aura, you can share those meaningful moments and memories that are only meant to be shared with the people closest to you.

Screenshots

Chatbooks4 screens
Aura Frames4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Aura Frames at #63 against Chatbooks's unranked. Aura Frames also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Chatbooks's advantage is ratings volume (249K vs 27K). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Chatbooks against 4.8 for Aura Frames. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chatbooks has 249K ratings behind it against 27K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 65% of Chatbooks's written reviews are positive against 62% of Aura Frames's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chatbooks ships an update every 9 days, Aura Frames every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Chatbooks versus Aura Frames: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChatbooksAura Frames
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (249K ratings)4.8 (27K ratings)
Positive reviews64.6% of reviews — better62.4% of reviews
Number of ratings249K — better27K
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#63 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size229 MB254 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperChatbooks, Inc.Aura Home, Inc.

Customer experience

Chatbooks

All ratings249,347 ratings
Positive96.8%
Neutral1.9%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews783 reviews
Positive64.6%
Neutral9.2%
Negative26.2%

Aura Frames

All ratings27,354 ratings
Positive96.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews700 reviews
Positive62.4%
Neutral12.0%
Negative25.6%

User reviews

Chatbooks

From 249K App Store ratings

What we love

  • ⭐ Excellent customer service
  • 🚀 Easy to use app
  • 💎 High-quality photo books
  • 🎁 Great gift option
  • 📚 Convenient way to preserve memories

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitchy app with syncing issues
  • 🕰️ Slow shipping and long delays
  • 💰 Expensive for international users
  • 📷 Poor photo quality
  • 🤯 Frustrating user experience

Aura Frames

From 27K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use app
  • 👍 Ability to share photos with family
  • 👍 Great quality of photos on frame
  • 👍 Convenient way to display family photos
  • 👍 Helpful for grandparents to stay connected

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App crashes and freezes frequently
  • 🐛 Issues with uploading and displaying photos
  • 🐛 Inconsistent WiFi connectivity
  • 🐛 Limited customization options for photo display
  • 🐛 Buggy software after recent updates

Bugs and requests

Chatbooks

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Photos not uploading correctly
  • Locked books being edited unexpectedly
  • Inconsistent app behavior across devices
  • Incorrect shipping information

Requested features

4 requests
  • More layout and customization options
  • Ability to select photos from different albums
  • Option to change book title/cover
  • Improved in-app navigation

Aura Frames

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • App crashes when trying to upload photos
  • Frame randomly disconnects from WiFi
  • Live Photos feature not working as expected
  • Inability to delete individual photos from frame
  • Inconsistent behavior when changing WiFi networks

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to organize photos into albums
  • Implement manual photo sorting and ordering
  • Allow more control over photo display timing
  • Integrate with cloud storage services like OneDrive
  • Improve photo positioning and cropping algorithms

In-app purchases

None

Chatbooks

No in-app purchases

None

Aura Frames

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chatbooks free?
Chatbooks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Aura Frames free?
Aura Frames is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chatbooks or Aura Frames?
Chatbooks and Aura Frames are both rated 4.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 249K and 27K ratings respectively.
Do Chatbooks or Aura Frames have ads?
Neither Chatbooks nor Aura Frames shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chatbooks or Aura Frames?
Chatbooks ships an update every 9 days, and Aura Frames every 5 days. Most recently, Chatbooks was updated on October 13, 2026 and Aura Frames on October 13, 2026.

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