At a glance
Prices in Australian dollars, checked September 2026.
| Brand | Price (A$) | Delivery to Australia | What's personalised | Preview before you pay | Made from a photo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paperlake | $99 hardcover, $119 Keepsake, delivered | Up to 3 days to make, then up to 10 business days | The story, the people in it and the pictures |  | |
| Imagitime | $64.99 to $79.99, plus $9.99 delivery | 7 to 14 days | Their photo as the character, in one of 16 set stories | | |
- Price (A$)
- $99 hardcover, $119 Keepsake, delivered
- Delivery to Australia
- Up to 3 days to make, then up to 10 business days
- What's personalised
- The story, the people in it and the pictures
- Preview before you pay
- Made from a photo
- Price (A$)
- $64.99 to $79.99, plus $9.99 delivery
- Delivery to Australia
- 7 to 14 days
- What's personalised
- Their photo as the character, in one of 16 set stories
- Preview before you pay
- Made from a photo
Which one is right for you?
Choose Imagitime if…
One of 16 titles fits
See the whole book first
From $64.99
Choose Paperlake if…
Their own story
Up to 6 people in it
$99, delivered
The full comparison
What each does well, where each falls short, and our verdict.
What Imagitime does well
Imagitime turns one photo into an illustrated character, and the likeness is strong. You can preview the whole book free before you pay.
It is well established: it says it has 300,000 customers and more than 1,000 five-star Google reviews, and it rates 4.9 on Trustpilot from 3,993 reviews (checked September 2026). Its Australian site says its books are printed in Australia and delivered in 7 to 14 days.
Where Imagitime falls short
The story is fixed. You choose one of 16 titles and your child is placed into it, so every child who picks that title gets the same story. If none of them fits, you cannot ask for a theme of your own or a story about something your child is going through.
Delivery is extra: A$9.99 on top of A$64.99 for a paperback or A$79.99 for a hardcover.
What Paperlake does differently
The story is the difference. You tell us about the child: who they are, the people and pets around them, a real day you want kept. We write their story, and every picture is made from their photo. A person checks every page before it prints.
3 people are included and up to 6 fit in one book, $15 each from the fourth. The Hardcover is $99 and the Keepsake, which adds a 6-photo album and an online copy of the book, is $119, both delivered with GST included. Printed in Australia or New Zealand.
Where Paperlake falls short
We are newer than Imagitime and do not have its customers or its reviews. Imagitime shows you the whole book before you pay; we show the whole story, the cover and the first two pages. If you’re still not happy with it, send us a photo and we’ll reprint it. No questions asked.
It costs more: $99 delivered, against A$79.99 plus A$9.99 delivery for an Imagitime hardcover.
The bottom line
Both make the child from a photo. The difference is the story. Imagitime offers 16 set stories, a strong likeness, a full free preview and a long track record. If one of its titles fits, it is a solid choice.
Paperlake writes the story for them: their people, their pets, a real day. It costs a little more and comes from a newer company, and you read the story before you pay.
Sources
- Imagitime Australia: 16 titles, printed in Australia, delivered in 7 to 14 days, 300,000 customers (checked 25 September 2026)
- Imagitime Australia: prices: A$64.99 paperback, A$79.99 hardcover
- Imagitime on Trustpilot: 4.9 from 3,993 reviews (checked 25 September 2026)
Paperlake publishes this comparison and is one of the two brands in it. We have tried to be fair to both, and suggest reading independent reviews too. See also compare personalised books in Australia.
