Stickerbox alternatives: printers and print cameras

Stickerbox compared with the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam, Phomemo mini printers, Instax and cheaper AI voice printers, with prices in $ and £.

Updated 2026-10-14

If you want what Stickerbox does (say an idea, get a sticker) with no screen in the child's hands, there is no exact equivalent from a big brand yet. The closest options trade one feature for another: the VTech KidiZoom PrintCam prints black-and-white pictures and stickers from a kids' camera, with no AI and no Wi-Fi; a Phomemo mini printer prints anything from a phone, including pictures you make with an AI app, for about half the price; and cheaper "AI voice printers" copy the Stickerbox idea from less well-known sellers. In the UK, where Stickerbox is not sold, these are the realistic choices.

Prices checked October 2026 on the official or retailer pages listed in the sources. Conversions use about $1.32 to £1 (14 October 2026) and are rounded.

Comparison table

Gaps: VTech's US site and refill page did not show prices; Phomemo's M02 page did not list battery details, so the battery row uses the M02 Pro page; the instax page did not show film prices. The generic printer's maker, data practices and AI provider were not stated.

The options in more detail

VTech KidiZoom PrintCam

The most similar "toy" option from a large brand. It is a children's digital camera that prints instant black-and-white photos on thermal paper. VTech's US page lists a print shop with more than 100 templates for crafts and games, a feature that turns photos into line drawings to colour (on the UK page), and parental controls for daily time and printing limits. The refill pack includes two rolls of sticker paper.

Choose it if you want a self-contained toy with no internet connection and no AI. Downsides: it has a screen, it was out of stock on VTech UK when checked, and the creativity comes from photos and templates rather than from your child's imagination turned into a picture.

Phomemo M02 and M02 Pro

Pocket thermal printers that print whatever you send from the Phomemo phone app over Bluetooth, on plain or sticker paper. Because they print any image, a parent can make a picture with an AI image app and print it as a sticker. TechCrunch reports that Stickerbox itself started this way, with one of its founders printing an AI image made with ChatGPT for his son.

Choose it if you already let your child use a tablet, or want a printer adults will also use for labels and journals. Downsides: a phone or tablet is part of every print, so it loses Stickerbox's screen-free point; there are no built-in child safety filters beyond whatever app you use; Phomemo's sticker paper page did not make a BPA-free claim; and a pack of three sticker rolls costs more than a Stickerbox standard refill pack.

instax mini 12

A colour instant film camera. It does not make stickers, but it gives children a physical print with no screen, no app and no internet.

Choose it if the appeal is a tangible keepsake rather than drawing. Downsides: film is bought separately (we did not check film prices), each pack has only 10 shots, and there is nothing to colour in.

Cheaper AI voice printers

Products that copy the Stickerbox format are sold on UK deal sites and online marketplaces. The Wowcher deal we checked described a press-and-speak AI printer with a preview screen, for ages 4+, from a company called Obero, at £29.99. Its page heading used the word "Stickerbox", but it is not made by Hapiko.

Choose it if price matters most and you are prepared to research the seller. Downsides: we could not find who makes the AI behind it, what happens to voice recordings, how prompts are filtered, or whether its paper is BPA-free. For a voice-recording toy used by young children, those are the questions that matter most. See Is Stickerbox safe for kids? for what to look for.

No device at all

Plain sticker sheets, colouring books and a pencil case need no special paper, app or Wi-Fi. Stickerbox's own appeal is partly that it gets children colouring by hand, which needs no printer.

Which should you choose?

Running costs compared

Stickerbox's standard paper is about 3 cents a sticker on Hapiko's figure of 66 stickers a roll. Phomemo's sticker rolls start at $15.59 for three, so they cost more per pack, though the number of stickers per roll depends on the size you print. VTech and instax refill prices were not shown on the pages we opened, so compare them at your retailer before buying.

One more point on Stickerbox: Hapiko's FAQ says only its own paper can be used, and the official shop ships to the US only. That locks you into one supplier for as long as you own it, whereas Phomemo paper comes in several sizes and finishes.

More on Stickerbox

• Stickerbox overview
• Stickerbox price and where to buy it (US and UK)
• Is Stickerbox safe for kids? Privacy and paper