Memory videos they love
Many recent reviewers love the memory videos Google Photos makes of their kids and grandchildren, and finding photos by a person's name.
Compare
A Google Photos alternative for your baby's first years.
Google Photos backs up a whole photo library, groups faces and shares with a partner, and many parents already keep their baby photos there. Google Photos isn't a baby book. Our Little World is a private baby book app for iPhone and iPad that finds your child in the photos on your iPhone and lays their life out month by month, with Firsts and letters.
We make Our Little World, so read this as our view. Facts about Google Photos come from its App Store listing, help pages and recent reviews, as of October 2026.
From App Store reviews
What parents say about Google Photos
Full library access to share
Several reviewers say Google Photos wants access to their whole photo library before they can add a few photos to a shared album.
Storage prompts
Some reviewers describe repeated prompts to pay for more storage, and worry about losing email when it fills up.
Deletions and face groups
A few reviewers were surprised that deleting photos to free up space removed them from their phone too. One says face grouping has become less reliable.
Paraphrased from US App Store reviews, read October 2026.
Side by side
Our Little World and Google Photos
| Our Little World | Google Photos (as of October 2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | A private baby book for each child | Backing up, editing, searching and sharing a whole photo library |
| Faces | Confirm a few photos of your child's face, and it finds them in the photos on your iPhone. It asks when it isn't sure | Face groups you can name, where the feature is available. Google says suggestions aren't perfect |
| Second parent | Once you each say yes, both parents' photos of the children join one family space. One plan covers both | Partner sharing with one person at a time, of backed-up photos. Can be limited to chosen face groups or a start date |
| Wider family | Invited family see what you share | Shared albums by invite or link. Anyone with the link can view and add photos unless you turn off Collaborate |
| Ads | No | Google says it doesn't use your photos and videos for ads. Its App Store privacy label lists photos or videos and user ID under third-party advertising |
| Storage and price | $7.99 a month or $69.99 a year. Not a backup, so keep iCloud Photos or another backup | Up to 15 GB free, shared with Gmail and Drive. 100 GB is $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year. 2 TB is $9.99 a month |
| Baby book | Month by month, Firsts, letters, voice notes and Tonight | Not described on its listing. Sells printed photo books in the US, EU, UK and Canada |
| Devices | iPhone and iPad | iPhone, iPad, Android and the web |
Google Photos details come from its App Store listing, help pages and recent reviews, as of October 2026.
A different approach
How Our Little World differs
Each child, month by month
Our Little World lays out each child's life month by month from the photos on your iPhone. Your originals stay in Apple Photos.
You confirm a few faces
Our Little World starts from a few photos of your child's face that you confirm, finds your child in the photos on your iPhone, and asks you when it isn't sure.
Two parents, one family space
Invite the other parent, and once you each say yes, your photos of the children join theirs and theirs join yours. Invited family see what you share.
Words that stay with the photo
Add Firsts, letters for later and voice notes. There is no feed, no likes and no ads.
To be fair
Who should stay with Google Photos
Stay with Google Photos if one of you uses Android, if you want every photo backed up in one place, or if you already pay for Google storage and its memory videos are what you open most. Google Photos is a strong photo library. Our Little World is for keeping each child's story, and it works alongside a backup rather than replacing one.
Switching
Moving your photos from Google Photos
- If you take photos on your iPhone and use Google Photos as a backup, the originals may still be in Apple Photos. Google's help says you can't download a photo that's already on your camera roll, so there may be nothing to move.
- To bring back a few photos, open one in Google Photos on your iPhone, tap More, then Download. It saves to the Photos app.
- To bring back many, go to takeout.google.com, choose Google Photos and create an export. Download the ZIP files and add the photos to Apple Photos, or choose iCloud Photos as the destination, which Apple supports as a direct transfer.
- Open Our Little World. It looks through your Apple Photos library, finds your child and lays their life out month by month.
Google says a Takeout export can take from a few minutes to a few days (support.google.com/accounts/answer/3024190), and Apple says photos sent to iCloud Photos arrive in an album called Import from Google, and Live Photos and Memories don't transfer (support.apple.com/en-us/120924). Our Little World places each photo by the date Apple Photos has for it, so check a few after you add them. Steps from Google Photos’s help pages, as of October 2026.
Questions parents ask
Quiet answers before you switch.
Can Google Photos make a baby book?
Not in the app. Google Photos can group your baby's face, make memory videos and print photo books, but its listing doesn't describe a month-by-month baby book, Firsts or letters. Our Little World is built for that.
How much does Google Photos storage cost?
Every Google account gets up to 15 GB, shared with Gmail and Drive. As of 15 Oct 2026, Google lists 100 GB at $1.99 a month or $19.99 a year and 2 TB at $9.99 a month, each shareable with up to 5 others.
Does Google Photos use my baby's photos for ads?
Google says Google Photos doesn't sell your photos and doesn't use your photos and videos for advertising. The App Store privacy label Google wrote for the app lists photos or videos among data that may be used for third-party advertising.
Is Our Little World on Android?
No. Our Little World is an iOS app, for iPhone and iPad. If one parent uses Android, Google Photos partner sharing works on both.
More comparisons
Our Little World and other apps
Tinybeans alternative
A Tinybeans alternative built for two parents.
Looking for a Tinybeans alternative? See what recent reviewers raise and how Our Little World sorts both parents' photos into each child's space, with no ads.
FamilyAlbum alternative
A FamilyAlbum alternative with no ads between your photos.
A FamilyAlbum alternative for parents who want no ads. Our Little World sorts both parents' photos into each child's private space, with no feed and no likes.
Qeepsake alternative
A Qeepsake alternative that starts with your photos.
A Qeepsake alternative with no text prompts to answer. Our Little World sorts both parents' photos into each child's space and lets you add words when you want.
BackThen alternative
A BackThen alternative for both parents' photos.
Comparing BackThen, from the Lifecake team? See how Our Little World sorts both parents' photos into each child's space without uploading by hand.
Kyn alternative
A Kyn alternative for two parents and your own words.
Comparing Kyn? Both apps find your child in the photos on your iPhone. See how Our Little World adds month by month, two parents, Firsts and letters.
Our Little World
Gather the beginning while it’s still close.
A private baby book for photos, firsts, notes, and letters.
Download on the App Store