Artkive vs. Plum Print: Which Makes the Best Kids' Art Memory Books?
- Apr 15, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 4
Keeping track of arts and crafts for kids can overwhelm even the most organized parent. Painted suns, glittery collages, and stick-figure families are exciting to receive, at first. But the art piles up quickly and ultimately ends up in a drawer or storage bin.
Artkive and Plum Print transform those piles into polished keepsakes. Both turn kids' original art into beautiful memory books and other products, but they differ in price, process, and personalization. Below, we compare them on ease of use, pricing, product range, and customer feedback so you can choose the right keepsake for your family.
Artkive: Memory Books Designed to Let Kids' Art Shine
Artkive is a leader in turning children's artwork into elevated, personalized books for kids and framed mosaics. Founded in 2012, Artkive offers a truly hands-off, white-glove experience. The company sends a pre-labeled artwork box, professionally photographs every piece, and designs the final layout.
Because Artkive began as an app, the service includes digital storage of your professionally photographed children's art. This is ideal for duplicating a memory book or creating a children's art book as a custom grandparent gift. The artwork box makes decluttering easy while protecting every masterpiece in transit.
Want to Know More About Artkive's Team?
Key Features of The Artkive Box
Ease of Use: Artkive's process is simple. You receive a pre-paid box to fill with your child's creations. When it's full, send it in! The Artkive pros will take it from here. Need tips on fitting everything in? Check out our packing guide for multiple kids.
Free Digital Storage: Artkive provides each customer with 90 days of free cloud storage after book approval. With the virtual book builder, you can quickly reorder books you love and make gift versions for family.
Flexible Product Options: You can choose between archival-quality kids artwork books or a beautiful framed mosaic. The easy-to-use book builder lets parents add age/grade labels, write captions, and choose the cover image during proofing. Artkive also offers an app for personal uploading, as well as digital-only galleries.
Artkive Pricing
Artkive Box: $39; comes with a crush-proof shipping kit and prepaid return label.
Kids Art Book: $75 for a 25-page book. Price scales per additional piece of art over 25.
Want to Get An Estimate For Your Kids' Art Book?
What Parents Say About Artkive
Parents consistently praise Artkive's premium look and concierge-style service. Some reviews mention wait times as a consideration, but that's because each book is custom-designed. Overall, many customers feel the book's craftsmanship and the peace of mind that comes with it make the investment worthwhile. Many parents remark that Artkive's finished product makes one of the best coffee table books for showcasing childhood creativity.
Curious what other parents think? Read our full Artkive reviews round-up.
Why Use Plum Print?
Plum Print specializes in converting kids art into books, plus products such as pillows and canvas prints. Like Artkive, the company offers a convenient, hands-off process in which parents submit their child's artwork. Reviews from real users highlight the fast process and hand-designed layouts.
Key Features of Plum Print
Ease of Use: You receive a kit, fill it with your child's artwork, and mail it back. The Plum Print team handles the photography and layout design. You get a proof to review, and can request up to four edits before the book goes to print.
Variety of Products: Beyond books, shoppers appreciate their product range. You can get kids' art pillows, prints, and framed pieces to complement your book on the shelf.
Limited Customization: The "four free edits" cover layout changes only. Captions are a separate add-on, and additional edits beyond the four run $20 per batch of 5 to 10 changes. You're working with the designer's layout rather than building your own from scratch.
Book Sizes: Plum Print offers a variety of size options, including a larger 11" x 13" format. If big, spread-out pages are important to you, that's worth knowing.
Plum Print Pricing
Standard 25-page 10" x 8" hardcover: starts around $188, which includes the $49.99 box deposit
Larger 11" x 13" hardcover: available at a higher price point
Digital-only access and softcover options are also available for families who don't need a printed book
What Parents Say About Plum Print
Reviews frequently praise the range of products and options. Users value the variety and unique picks, like pillows, which add personality to a child's room. However, some reviews mention inconsistent print quality, especially for larger orders or less traditional products.
This is expensive, but I have to say, a very cute way to store all the memories forever. - Eleanor
Overall, customers are mostly pleased with their experience. Some reviewers suggest that new customers check out samples or place smaller orders their first time.
Plum Print vs. Artkive: Which is Right For You?
Both companies turn a jumble of drawings into polished memory books. Artkive stands out for its app-backed gallery, meticulous photography, and design control. This is a strong fit for families who want a personalized keepsake with a premium look and feel.
Plum Print is a touch faster on delivery and offers more non-book items, which can be fun for unique gifts. Artkive's concierge experience and full design control through the book builder are what set it apart for parents who want a hands-on proofing process with a white-glove feel.
Both options preserve your child's creations and turn kids artwork into a memory book your family will treasure. And in the end, we believe that's what matters most.
See how the Artkive Box works and build your kids art memory book today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Artkive and Plum Print?
Both services turn children's artwork into keepsake books, but they differ in key ways. Artkive offers a full book builder where you can edit your layout, add captions, and choose your cover image. Plum Print limits edits to four free changes, with additional edits costing $20 per batch. Artkive also includes 90 days of free digital storage, and pricing starts at $75 for a 25-p age book (plus the $39 box), while Plum Print's 25-page hardcover starts around $188.
How much does an Artkive book cost?
An Artkive memory book starts at $75 for up to 25 pieces of art. The Artkive Box itself is $39 and comes with a crush-proof shipping kit and prepaid return label. Price scales based on the number of art pieces beyond 25. You can estimate your total here.
Can I customize my kids' art book with Artkive?
Yes. Artkive's book builder lets you add age and grade labels, write captions for each piece, choose the cover image, and rearrange the layout during proofing. You have full control over how your children's art book looks before it goes to print.
What happens to my child's artwork after Artkive photographs it?
Artkive professionally photographs every piece using high-resolution photography (not scanning). After book approval, you receive 90 days of free cloud storage with access to all your digital files. You can use these to reorder books or create gift versions for grandparents and family.
Does Artkive offer products besides books?
Yes. In addition to memory books, Artkive offers framed mosaics that display 9 or 25 of your child's art pieces in a single, beautifully arranged frame. It's another way to celebrate your child's creativity without the wall space of individual frames.
