Nooka(our app)
iPhone, iPad (iOS/iPadOS 17+) · Free, with an optional Nooka Pro subscription
Nooka is a freeform scrapbook and collage app for iPhone and iPad. You cut subjects out of photos, layer them on a blank page, draw and sticker over the top, then keep finished pages in books on a bookshelf you style yourself. Everything is stored on your device.
Pick it if
- ✓You want pages that look made by hand, not filled into a template
- ✓You like the idea of finished pages living in books on a shelf
- ✓You want your pages stored on your device and working offline
- ✓You want cutouts without learning a design tool
Skip it if
- ✗You need Android or a web version — Nooka is iPhone and iPad only
- ✗You want ready-made templates to drop photos into; Nooka starts you on a blank page
- ✗You want to order a printed photo book at the end; Nooka exports images, it does not print
- ✗You need to collaborate with other people on the same page
More on what Nooka does: the scrapbook app page, the collage app page, and pricing.
Procreate
iPad (Procreate), iPhone (Procreate Pocket) · $12.99 one-time on iPad; Procreate Pocket $5.99 on iPhone
Procreate is a professional illustration app, not a scrapbook app — but its layer system and brush engine make it capable of scrapbook-style pages if you are willing to build everything yourself. It is a one-time purchase with no subscription.
Pick it if
- ✓You draw or paint and want serious brush and layer control
- ✓You want to pay once instead of subscribing
- ✓You own an Apple Pencil and will actually use it
Skip it if
- ✗You want scrapbook structure — there are no books, shelves, or page templates
- ✗You mainly arrange photos rather than draw
- ✗You want a gentle learning curve
Nooka vs Procreate, head to head · Procreate website
Paper: Sketch, Draw & Create
iPad, iPhone (iOS 13+) · Free; optional Paper Pro subscription
Paper, published by Evernote and originally built by FiftyThree, is a long-running sketching app with pencils, brushes, and scissors for cutting and collaging. Work is organised into journals that sync across devices. Its own listing claims over 30 million people have used it.
Pick it if
- ✓You want sketching and collage tools in the same app
- ✓You want an uncluttered, gesture-driven canvas
- ✓You want your journals synced across devices automatically
- ✓You want a mature app with a long track record
Skip it if
- ✗You want a bookshelf or a styled place to keep finished work
- ✗You mostly assemble photos rather than draw
- ✗You want everything stored locally rather than synced to an account
Nooka vs Paper, head to head · Paper website
Canva
iPhone, iPad, Android, web · Free tier; paid Pro subscription (monthly or annual)
Canva is a general-purpose design tool with a very large scrapbook and collage template library. You pick a layout, drop photos into it, and swap fonts and elements. It runs everywhere and exports to almost any format, including print-ready files.
Pick it if
- ✓You want a finished-looking layout in a few minutes
- ✓You already design in Canva and don't want another app
- ✓You need the same file on a phone, tablet, and desktop
- ✓You want print-ready export
Skip it if
- ✗You want the page to feel handmade — templates tend to read as templates
- ✗You want to work offline; Canva is cloud-first
- ✗You dislike subscription pricing for personal, non-commercial use
Nooka vs Canva, head to head · Canva website
PicCollage
iPhone, iPad, Android · Free with ads; VIP $4.99/month or $35.99/year
PicCollage is a long-running collage app built around grids, templates, stickers, and backgrounds. It is quick, familiar, and designed for output you share immediately rather than pages you keep and return to.
Pick it if
- ✓You want a collage finished in under five minutes
- ✓You want a very large sticker and background library
- ✓You are posting to social media rather than keeping an archive
Skip it if
- ✗You want a blank canvas rather than a grid
- ✗Ads in the free tier bother you
- ✗You want your work organised into books over time
PicCollage website
Shuffles by Pinterest
iPhone, iPad, Android · Free, Pinterest account required
Shuffles is Pinterest's collage app. It cuts objects out of images automatically, pulls from your Pinterest boards, and adds animation effects. Collages are social objects inside Pinterest rather than private files you own.
Pick it if
- ✓Your references already live on Pinterest
- ✓You want automatic cutouts for free
- ✓You want your boards seen by other people
Skip it if
- ✗You want your work private and stored on your own device
- ✗You don't want a Pinterest account
- ✗You are collaging your own photos rather than found images
Shuffles by Pinterest website
Milanote
iPhone, iPad, web · Free tier with a note limit; paid subscription for unlimited
Milanote is a moodboard and planning tool aimed at designers and creative teams. Boards hold images, notes, links, and files on an infinite canvas, and can be shared with collaborators. It is a work tool rather than a keepsake.
Pick it if
- ✓You are moodboarding for client or studio work
- ✓You need to share a board with other people
- ✓You want links and files alongside images
Skip it if
- ✗You want something personal and playful rather than professional
- ✗You want cutouts, drawing, and stickers
- ✗You want it to feel like a scrapbook, not a workspace
Milanote website
Apple Journal
iPhone (built in) · Free, included with iOS
Apple Journal ships with iOS. It is a writing app that suggests entries from your photos, location, and activity. There is no page layout, no cutouts, and no drawing — it is text with attachments rather than a visual canvas.
Pick it if
- ✓You mostly want to write, not to design
- ✓You want something free that is already on your phone
- ✓You want Apple's on-device privacy model
Skip it if
- ✗You want visual pages — this is not a layout tool
- ✗You want to cut out, layer, or draw
- ✗You want your journal on iPad too
Apple Journal website