Pixum

Overview

Pixum turns personal photographs into photo books and other printed photo products, with design tools for web, mobile and desktop. It suits people who want either to arrange a book themselves or begin with an automated draft. Its breadth of formats and editing routes is a strong draw, but the right choice depends on the book’s binding, page count and delivery country.

Key features

Choose how much to design

You can create a book online, in the app or in Pixum Photo World software. The app’s MagicBooks feature arranges selected photos into a suggested book that you can customise; drag-and-drop layouts, text, clipart, background colours and stickers let you refine it. This is a practical starting point for people who want help getting photos into a first layout, while Photo World is the better fit for users who want a broader set of creative controls.

Photo World includes templates, layouts, maps, GPS routes, QR-code links to videos and photo-editing tools. Those options are particularly relevant to travel books or projects that benefit from location details and linked video. Books are offered in landscape, portrait and square formats, with booklet, softcover and hardcover options. Pixum also supports print ordering and PDF export, so a project can have a printed or digital output.

Page limits, privacy and ordering

Maximum length varies by book and binding: classic bookbinding supports up to 202 pages, layflat up to 130, and the small square book up to 74. The 202-page ceiling is useful for extensive albums, but it does not apply to every format. Check the limit for the specific book before building a long project.

Pixum says uploaded images remain in a private online gallery for 28 days, saved projects for up to 36 months, and production data for up to 12 weeks after delivery before deletion. Diginet GmbH & Co. KG is the brand owner and GDPR data controller. Pixum says the inside pages of all its photo books are FSC-certified. Customer support is available by email at [email protected], Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Orders must be made using the software version for the delivery country, and billing and shipping addresses must be in the same country. That makes Pixum less convenient for cross-border gifting or ordering than a service without those restrictions.

Pricing

Pixum has a free plan and one-time photo-book purchases from £9.95. The entry price is for a small 15×15 cm square booklet with premium matt paper, billed at 26 pages; each additional four pages cost £1.40. It is the least expensive listed option, but trades a hardcover for booklet binding and is capped at 74 pages as a small square book.

For a small 19×15 cm landscape hardcover with premium matt paper, the one-time price is £22.95 for 26 pages, with £2.10 per extra four pages. A large 28×21 cm landscape hardcover costs £34.95, with £2.90 per extra four pages. The larger square 30×30 cm hardcover is £49.95, with £4.50 per extra four pages, while the 38×29 cm XXL landscape hardcover costs £69.95, with £5.70 per extra four pages. These higher tiers buy more physical scale, not a subscription; choose by the book’s intended size and format rather than assuming the entry price covers a hardcover.

Platforms

Pixum supports Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web and Windows. The range of web, mobile and desktop creation options gives users flexibility in where to work, although orders still have to follow the software version for their delivery country. Email support operates weekdays from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Who it's for

Pixum is a good fit for people turning travel, wedding, baby or family photographs into keepsakes, especially those who want a choice between an automatic starting layout and detailed desktop tools. It is less suitable for someone whose priority is a very long small-square book, since that format tops out at 74 pages, or for buyers who need billing and delivery in different countries.

Pros and cons

• Several design routes: Web, app and desktop software serve different working styles, and MagicBooks can create a customisable first draft.
• Rich desktop creative tools: Photo World combines maps, GPS routes and QR-linked video with templates and editing tools, useful for more elaborate keepsakes.
• Clear choice of sizes and bindings: Formats range from a low-cost small booklet to XL and XXL hardcovers, with per-book prices and extra-page charges.
• Limits differ by product: The maximum page count falls from 202 for classic binding to 130 for layflat and 74 for the small square book.
• Country-specific ordering constraints: Software must match the delivery country, and billing and shipping addresses must be in the same country.

Alternatives

Choose CEWE if you want to compare another freemium service with a listed £8.99 one-time price for a small square photo book covering 26–202 pages. Saal Digital is another freemium option, with Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows support and a free plan that includes 10 GB storage, 12% commission on download revenue and 0% commission on photo products. Consider Journi as another freemium photo product option, or AlbumForge if its listed Linux, macOS and Windows support is a closer match. Blurb BookWright, Bob Books, Hofmann and ifolor are also alternatives to consider.

Browse more options in Photo Book Software, or compare related tools for Photo Calendar Software and Photo Printing Software.

Verdict

Choose Pixum if you want multiple ways to build a personal photo book, from a suggested app layout to a desktop project with maps, routes and video links. Its range of formats and one-time prices makes it adaptable to different keepsake sizes. Look elsewhere if you need a book that crosses billing and delivery countries, or if your chosen format cannot accommodate your required page count.