BackThen alternative: BackThen vs Kiddings for a private baby book

The closest comparison comes down to photo volume, story structure, and output

By Kiddings • Facts checked September 28, 2026

Disclosure: Kiddings wrote this comparison. It is based on public BackThen and Kiddings product information checked September 28, 2026. Features and prices can change; verify them before subscribing or moving memories.

Methodology: We compared official public information about capture, storage, organization, family access, automated look-backs, keepsake output, and advertised pricing. We did not use private accounts, paid plans, sponsored placements, or invented keyword-volume data.

BackThen and Kiddings are unusually close neighbors. Both are private family memory apps, both organize memories around children, both support family participation, and both are meant to last beyond the baby stage.

The differences are in emphasis. BackThen leads with full-resolution photos and videos, a chronological child timeline, family interaction, automated look-backs, and physical photo products. Kiddings leads with structured childhood stories: Quotes, Questions, Moments, and Milestones remain distinct, connected to the child and exact age, and ready for later search and curation.

This is not a contest between “modern” and “old-fashioned.” Both live on the phone. The question is whether your archive begins with media or with the meaning of the moment.

The short answer

Choose BackThen if you want a private, media-rich child timeline with full-resolution storage, family comments, automated sibling comparisons and flashbacks, and printed photo products.

Choose Kiddings if you want Quotes, Questions, Moments, and Milestones to remain distinct; need exact-age context, combined and per-child views, backdating, tags, favorites, filters, and search; or want to curate selected stories into a print-ready PDF.

What this comparison covers

• How the two apps differ
• Where BackThen is strongest
• Where Kiddings differs
• Feature comparison
• Pricing
• Which one to choose
• Frequently asked questions

How the two apps differ

BackThen calls itself a private family journal for photos, videos, milestones, and stories. Each child gets a chronological timeline, invited people can receive updates and interact, and the service can generate look-backs and print products from stored media.

Kiddings gives each story a type. A Quote preserves exact language. A Question preserves curiosity. A Moment holds ordinary family life. A Milestone records a significant first or change. Parents can attach supporting media, backdate the story, and keep the relevant child and exact age visible.

BackThen is especially good at turning a child-centered media library into something the family can revisit. Kiddings is especially good at keeping the sentence that explains the library.

Where BackThen is strongest

BackThen's official product page says it preserves original-quality photos, accepts photos of any size and videos of any length, and supports unlimited milestones and stories. It also offers web, iOS, and Android access.

Other official strengths include:

• Separate chronological timelines for children
• Search and fast timeline scrolling
• Individual sharing permissions
• Comments and favorites from family and friends
• Automated time-lapses, flashbacks, and same-age sibling or cousin comparisons
• Photo books, calendars, cards, prints, and montages
• A free 1 GB starter tier
• No ads, according to BackThen's public materials

For a family with years of visual material, BackThen's media handling and look-back features are a meaningful advantage. The same-age comparison is the kind of feature that can settle whether two siblings really did have the same haircut, though it cannot explain why the adults permitted it twice.

Where Kiddings differs

Kiddings offers more explicit narrative structure. The four first-class story types keep words, curiosity, ordinary life, and milestones from collapsing into one media stream. Search, filters, favorites, and tags help find and curate entries; multiple child profiles support both a combined family timeline and separate child views. Backdating and exact-age context keep older stories properly placed.

Photos, video, and voice notes are supporting material. A photograph can show the joke; a short recording can preserve the timing; the Quote entry keeps what was actually said.

Kiddings is currently free and ad-free. Parents can select memories and export a print-ready PDF, then choose an online printer or neighborhood shop. This provides control over printer, paper, format, quantity, and timing and may influence cost. It is not guaranteed to be cheaper: price and quality depend on the printer, region, format, paper, binding, and shipping. Kiddings does not order or ship books. It also does not claim BackThen's full-resolution storage, automatic time-lapses, sibling photo comparisons, or integrated physical products.

BackThen vs Kiddings feature comparison

BackThen details are from its official site and Google Play listing.

Pricing checked September 28, 2026

BackThen's official site listed:

• Free: 1 GB storage
• VIP: £4.99 / US$6.49 / €5.99 per month, with 200 GB storage
• Annual VIP: the official FAQ listed £49.99 / US$64.99 / €59.99 per year
• VIP+: 2 TB, marked “coming soon” on the public page when checked

Printed products are separate purchases and depend on location. Store pricing, taxes, billing periods, and product availability may vary. Confirm the in-app purchase screen in your region.

Kiddings was free and ad-free. It does not make an unlimited or full-resolution storage promise.

Which one should you choose?

Choose BackThen if

• Original-quality photo and long-video storage is central.
• You want automated flashbacks, time-lapses, or same-age comparisons.
• Family comments and reactions belong in the archive.
• You want to order photo products from stored media.
• You are comfortable paying for more than 1 GB of storage.

Choose Kiddings if

• You want Quotes, Questions, Moments, and Milestones to remain distinct stories.
• Exact child-age context, backdating, and combined/per-child timelines matter.
• You want search, tags, favorites, filters, and later curation.
• A combined family view is useful alongside child-specific views.
• You want a free, ad-free app and control over where and how a selected PDF keepsake is printed.

Who should not switch

Do not switch from BackThen if you rely on its high-volume original-quality library, automated look-backs, or active family comment history. Kiddings does not claim like-for-like replacements for those functions.

Do not switch from Kiddings if the four entry types and curation workflow are the reason you can find the good stories later. A larger media allowance does not automatically create a better narrative.

There is no verified automatic migration between the services. Keep originals and exports, check subscription consequences, and test a small set before committing.

Frequently asked questions

Is Kiddings a BackThen alternative?

Yes. Both are private, child-centered family memory apps. BackThen is more media- and sharing-led; Kiddings is more story- and curation-led.

Is BackThen free?

BackThen offers a free 1 GB starter tier. Its public site lists paid VIP storage after that. Confirm local store pricing before subscribing.

Which app is better for multiple children?

BackThen gives each child a timeline and offers same-age comparisons. Kiddings has multiple child profiles plus combined and per-child views. Choose based on whether comparison/visual timelines or a shared family story view matters more.

Which app records a child's voice?

Kiddings supports voice notes. BackThen supports videos of any length, which can contain sound, but a dedicated voice-note feature was not confirmed in the public sources reviewed.

Can I import BackThen memories into Kiddings?

Kiddings does not claim an automatic BackThen importer. Download and preserve original media and confirm any export process before changing services.

Look at what you usually save

Open the last ten items you thought were worth keeping. If most are photos and videos you want the family to discuss and revisit, BackThen's strengths are clear.

If several are things your child said, questions they asked, or stories whose meaning lives outside the image, Kiddings may be the better fit.

You can download Kiddings and test it with one honest entry. If you have more than one child, read how to organize childhood memories for multiple children. If privacy is the sticking point, see how to share childhood memories with family privately.