There was a time when yearbooks meant flipping through thick, printed pages—hoping your friends signed your photo and that your class picture didn’t look awkward. Fast forward to 2025, and the entire idea of a yearbook is getting a digital refresh.
Now, students don’t have to wait until the end of the year to look back on memories. With the rise of yearbook apps, they can upload prom videos the next day, share funny moments from class instantly, and relive their favorite events straight from their phones. These platforms aren’t just replacing the old-school books—they’re making memory-keeping feel relevant again.
In this article, we’ll explore what yearbook apps actually are, why more schools and student groups are using them, and which platforms stand out as the best options in 2025.
What Exactly Is a Yearbook App?
Think of a yearbook app as a digital space where your school year unfolds in real time. Instead of waiting months for a printed book, these platforms let you build a living yearbook throughout the year—photos, videos, quotes, and all.
Most apps are accessible on both phones and computers, and they’re built for collaboration. Students, teachers, and even parents can contribute content, design layouts, or simply scroll through memories as they’re added. You’ll find features like event timelines, tagging classmates, uploading highlight reels, and even leaving digital signatures or messages.
What sets these apart from traditional yearbooks is how interactive and customizable they are. They’re not frozen in time—they evolve. As memories happen, they get added. Some platforms even allow graduates to keep updating their yearbook long after they’ve tossed their cap in the air.
Why More Schools Are Ditching Print for Apps
It’s not just about keeping up with technology. Yearbook apps offer a real list of practical benefits—for schools, students, and families alike.
For starters, they’re convenient. Everything is stored digitally, which means no more losing your yearbook during a move or forgetting it on a bookshelf. You can access it anywhere, anytime, on any device.
They’re also more flexible. You don’t have to finalize content months in advance, and you don’t need a big staff to design it. Some apps come with templates that make it easy to build a polished layout in minutes. And since you can add photos or stories as the year progresses, nothing gets left out.
Then there’s the multimedia piece. Imagine being able to play a video from graduation day or hear a snippet of a school musical right from your yearbook. That kind of experience just isn’t possible with print.
And let’s not forget cost. Digital yearbooks are often way more affordable, especially for schools that don’t have huge budgets. Some platforms charge per student—no printing, no shipping, no minimums. Others are even free, depending on the features you use.
Bottom line: yearbook apps offer a better way to capture the school year. They’re faster, cheaper, more interactive, and a whole lot more fun.
Best Yearbook Apps in 2025
There’s no shortage of yearbook tools out there, but not all of them are created equal. Some focus on design flexibility, others on speed, affordability, or mobile experience. Below are the top yearbook apps of 2025—each with its own vibe, strengths, and reasons to choose it, depending on what kind of experience you’re after.
1. YearBoxx – The Yearbook That Lives on Your Phone
YearBoxx doesn’t just digitize the traditional yearbook—it reimagines the whole thing. Instead of a once-a-year product, it gives students a living memory book they can update and revisit anytime. From uploading prom photos to sharing graduation videos, everything happens in real time. And it all lives in a mobile-friendly platform that’s sleek, modern, and made for the way students actually use tech today.
There’s no contract, no hassle, and no steep learning curve. Schools that sign up early even get hands-on support and training so advisors don’t have to figure it out on their own. It’s simple, powerful, and built to scale with your memories.
What It Does Best:
- Built for mobile from the ground up
- Lets students upload photos and videos throughout the year
- Students can update their yearbook even after graduation
- Flat-rate pricing: $6.99 per student
- Schools get white-glove support and onboarding
Best For:
Schools that want a digital-first yearbook that feels modern, simple, and affordable.
2. TreeRing – Custom Yearbooks with a Green Mission
TreeRing blends the old with the new by offering printed yearbooks with a personal twist. Each student can customize their own pages with photos and memories before it’s printed—making every copy unique. It also integrates with Google Photos for easier uploads, and for every yearbook sold, a tree gets planted.
If your school still loves the idea of a physical book but wants a tech-forward approach and a good cause behind it, TreeRing strikes the perfect balance.
What It Does Best:
- Combines print and digital features
- Personalized pages for every student
- Google Photos integration for easy content importing
- One tree planted for every book ordered
Best For:
Schools that want printed yearbooks with personalization and a focus on sustainability
3. Picaboo Yearbooks – Fast Turnaround, Professional Results
Picaboo has carved out a niche for schools that want high-quality printed yearbooks fast—and without the traditional headaches. Their web-based design studio is intuitive and packed with professional templates, making it easy for advisors or students to lay out pages without needing design experience. They also offer online flipbooks for a digital version.
One big perk? No minimum orders. You can print five yearbooks or five hundred—it doesn’t matter.
What It Does Best:
- Easy-to-use design software
- Printed books plus digital flipbooks
- No order minimums
- Three-week turnaround time
Best For:
Schools that want pro-quality print yearbooks fast without large volume commitments
4. Entourage Yearbooks – Built for Big Teams and Big Plans
Entourage is a more robust option designed with full-scale yearbook teams in mind. It has a cloud-based platform that makes collaboration easy, even across multiple users or departments. Advisors get access to training resources, curriculum guides, and even fundraising tools to help cover yearbook costs.
If your school has a dedicated yearbook team and wants something a little more comprehensive, Entourage offers the tools to make it happen.
What It Does Best:
- Cloud-based editing with real-time collaboration
- Teacher guides and advisor support
- Built-in fundraising tools
- Multiple levels of design access and permissions
Best For:
Larger schools or schools with organized yearbook programs that need more advanced features and team tools
5. Canva for Education – DIY Design Made Simple
If you’re already using Canva, you’ll feel right at home. Canva for Education offers the same drag-and-drop simplicity—but with extra tools tailored for classrooms and group projects. Teachers can invite students to contribute, and everyone can work on the design at the same time, even from different devices.
It doesn’t offer a dedicated yearbook platform like the others, but for schools on a tight budget or small groups looking for maximum creative freedom, it gets the job done beautifully.
What It Does Best:
- Completely free for educators
- Intuitive drag-and-drop design
- Templates specifically for yearbooks
- Works great for group collaboration
Best For:
Small schools, classrooms, or clubs looking to build a yearbook without extra costs—and with total creative control
How to Choose the Right Yearbook App
With so many solid options out there, picking the right yearbook app can feel a little overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. The key is to focus on what matters most to your school or group—and to choose a platform that fits your goals, budget, and workflow.
Here are a few things to think about:
1. Who’s Running the Show?
Is it a single teacher? A yearbook advisor with student editors? A club or a PTA member juggling multiple roles?
- If it’s just one or two people doing everything, look for simplicity—YearBoxx or Canva might be ideal.
- If you’ve got a full team, platforms like Entourage offer more robust collaboration features.
2. Do You Want Print, Digital, or Both?
Some schools still want a physical yearbook, while others are happy going fully digital.
- For a modern, app-based solution: YearBoxx
- For personalized printed books: TreeRing
- For a hybrid experience: Picaboo offers both print and online flipbooks.
3. What’s the Budget?
This is a big one.
- If your school needs to keep costs down, YearBoxx’s per-student pricing is straightforward and budget-friendly.
- Canva is free to use and flexible, though you’ll need to figure out how to distribute the final version yourself.
4. Do You Need Multimedia?
Want to include prom videos or audio clips from the school play?
- Go with YearBoxx—it’s designed for this.
- Most print-focused platforms won’t offer multimedia support.
5. How Tech-Savvy Are Your Students and Staff?
Some platforms are plug-and-play. Others take a little more training.
- Canva and YearBoxx are easy for just about anyone to pick up.
- Entourage offers more control, but with a steeper learning curve.
6. Will Students Still Use It After Graduation?
Only a few apps offer long-term value past senior year.
- YearBoxx allows students to keep updating their personal yearbook even after they graduate—so it becomes a lifelong memory book, not just a school project.
The Future of Yearbooks Is Already Here
Yearbook apps aren’t just replacing the printed books of the past—they’re expanding what a yearbook can be. From mobile-friendly timelines to video recaps and post-graduation updates, these platforms are giving students and schools a more personal, interactive way to look back on their year.
The right app depends on what matters most to your community. Whether that’s affordability, multimedia features, customization, or simplicity, there’s something out there that’ll make capturing memories easier—and more meaningful.
In the end, what really matters isn’t the format. It’s the stories, the people, and the moments you’ll want to remember years from now. A great yearbook app just makes it easier to hold onto all of it.
