You’ve decided to start journaling digitally, but now you’re staring at app store reviews trying to figure out which platform won’t disappoint you three months from now. Promptly promises guided prompts, Kept advertises simplicity, and both claim to be the perfect solution for capturing your thoughts and memories.
The problem isn’t that these apps are bad. It’s that they’re so similar on the surface that choosing between them feels like guessing. You need to know which one delivers on its promises and fits how you want to document your life.
This comparison will show you exactly what each platform offers, what it costs, and which one makes sense for your specific needs.
Key takeaways
What are Promptly Journals?
Promptly Journals makes physical notebooks with built-in prompts that eliminate the blank page problem. Instead of wondering what to write about, you get thoughtful questions that guide your journaling in just a few minutes each day.
Their main product combines pregnancy journaling, baby books, and childhood memory keeping into one 254-page hardcover book called A Complete Childhood History: From Pregnancy to 18 Years Old. It comes in durable materials like linen or leatherette and covers your child’s entire journey from birth to age eighteen. Beyond childhood, they create themed journals for self-love, gratitude, travel, and grief, each with about a year’s worth of structured prompts.
Everything is entirely analog. No apps, no digital components, just high-quality paper and a hardcover binding. The books range from portable 5.5″×8″ sizes to larger 10″×10″ display formats. Parents appreciate how the prompts make journaling feel manageable rather than overwhelming, turning what could be a difficult task into something they look forward to doing.
What is Kept Collection?
If Promptly is for parents who need structure, Kept Collection is for the ones who want breathing room. Their whole thing is taking the pressure off memory-keeping by giving you gorgeous pages and saying, “write whatever feels important.”
They only make one childhood book titled “Childhood, A History,” which goes from birth to eighteen years old. But instead of cramming it with milestone checklists and growth charts, they give you thoughtful prompts about who your kid is becoming as a person. Less “when did they walk” and more “what do they wonder about when they stare out the car window?”
The book costs $59, although you can often find it on sale for its original price of $90. It’s built to last with that Smyth-sewn binding that bookbinders swear by, thick paper from some wind-powered mill in Canada, and a cotton linen cover that can supposedly handle whatever your family throws at it. You can even have your child’s name printed on the cover if you want to make it extra special.
What parents love about Kept is how it doesn’t make you feel like you’re behind on anything. Miss a few months? No guilt trips from overly specific prompts. The pages have lots of white space and encourage you to focus on personality quirks and everyday moments rather than checking boxes. It feels more like keeping a journal about your kid than filling out a form.
Beyond the childhood book, they make some recipe books and kitchen accessories, but honestly, that childhood journal is what put them on the map. Everything stays analog, and you can return it within 30 days if you decide minimalist memory-keeping isn’t your style after all.
Promptly vs Kept: Feature comparison
Now comes the part where you have to choose between them. Both books promise to solve the same problem, but they go about it in entirely different ways. It’s like comparing a detailed road map to a blank canvas, both designed to help you capture your kid’s childhood, but with totally different philosophies.
Here’s how they actually stack up when you get past the marketing and look at what it’s like to use them day-to-day. Because at the end of the day, the best memory book is the one you’ll fill out instead of letting it collect dust on your nightstand.
| Feature | Promptly Journals | Kept Collection |
| Product Type | Physical prompted journals: Complete Childhood History, travel journals, daily gratitude journals, self-love journals, couples connection journals, grief journals, autobiography journals, birthday memory journals | Physical childhood memory book: Childhood, A History (primary product), heirloom recipe boxes, recipe cards |
| Pricing Details | Childhood History: $39-$47; Other journals: $13.60-$35, depending on type | $59 (often on sale from original $90 price), free U.S. shipping |
| Guided Prompts | Yes. Filled with daily/weekly prompts tailored to each journal theme | Yes. Open-ended, thoughtful prompts with lots of white space, focus on personality over milestones |
| Design & Format | Multiple journals, colors, and themes; linen/leatherette hardcover, 14 colors available | Premium hardcover with heirloom-quality materials, smyth-sewn binding (strongest binding available), cotton linen cover, and 5 colors |
| Time Commitment | About 1 hour per year claimed for childhood journal | Fill out whenever you feel like it, no structured timeline or pressure |
| Flexibility | Structured prompts with some blank space for additional notes; some prompts may not fit all families | Minimal structure, encourages free-form writing and creativity, adaptable to any family situation |
| Durability Issues | Linen shows fingerprints and stains easily; leatherette is more practical for daily use | Built to withstand decades of handling, drops, spills, and regular use |
| Paper Quality | Standard archival paper, ribbon bookmark included | Thick #80 premium paper from a wind-powered mill in Canada |
| Return Policy | 30-day returns | 30-day returns with $3 return shipping fee |
| Intended Use | Habit-forming journaling, self-reflection, and relationship building across life stages | Memory capture with flexible pages for free-form writing |
| Extras (Photo, Export, Tracking, etc.) | No cloud syncing or writing streaks. Just thoughtful prompts on paper. | No tech features. The experience is entirely analog. |
Writing Structure: Guided vs. Free-Form
This is where the two books show their different personalities. Promptly basically holds your hand through the entire process, while Kept trusts you to figure out what’s worth writing about.
With Promptly, every page comes with a specific question already printed on it. You’ll see prompts like “What made your child laugh until they couldn’t breathe this month?” or “What weird food combination are they obsessed with right now?” There’s no guessing what to write about because they’ve done the thinking for you. It’s perfect for parents who stare at blank pages and panic, but some families find the questions don’t always match their reality.
Kept takes the opposite approach. They give you thoughtful starting points and then get out of your way. Instead of daily or weekly prompts, you get broader themes about who your child is becoming as a person. There are tons of white spaces to write whatever feels important, whether that’s a funny conversation, a milestone moment, or just random observations about their personality. It feels more like keeping a journal about your kid than filling out a survey.
The trade-off is obvious: Promptly removes the overwhelm but can feel rigid, while Kept gives you creative freedom but requires you to think about what’s worth documenting.
If you’re the type of parent who needs structure to stay consistent, Promptly is the winner. If you want to capture your family’s unique story without following someone else’s script, Kept is the book for you.
Either way, you’re not stuck with whatever approach you choose forever. Both have enough flexibility that you can bend them to work for your family, even if it means ignoring some prompts or adding your own questions.
Interface Design: Encouraging vs. Minimal
When you flip through a Promptly journal, you can tell they want to make the whole process feel doable. The pages have this warm, friendly vibe with prompts that don’t make you feel stupid if you’re not naturally good at journaling. Everything feels designed to say, “hey, you’re busy, we get it, just write whatever comes to mind.”
Kept takes a different approach with these gorgeous, clean pages that have tons of breathing room. No hand-holding or cheerful reminders, just a beautiful space and the assumption that you know what matters to your family. It’s like the difference between a friend who gives you detailed directions and one who just says, “you’ll figure it out when you get there.”
Both styles work, just for different people. Some people do well with a bit of extra encouragement, especially when they’re already feeling behind on everything else. Others prefer when things get out of their way and let them do their own thing. There’s nothing wrong with needing structure, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting freedom.
Both books are designed to last, so think about which style you’ll still enjoy using after a few years. The encouraging prompts might feel perfect now, but repetitive later, or the minimal design might feel calming today, but too blank when you’re exhausted and need inspiration. Either way, you’re choosing a style that’ll be part of your family routine for a long time.
Privacy and Control: Cloud vs. Local
Both Promptly and Kept keep things refreshingly simple when it comes to your family’s privacy because there’s no digital component to worry about. Your thoughts, photos, and memories stay where you put them on paper, with no servers, accounts, or data policies to stress about.
Promptly journals are completely analog, which means everything you write belongs to you and stays in your house. No uploading, no syncing, no wondering if some company is storing your details somewhere in the cloud. You write it down, close the book, and that’s it. The downside is that if you lose the book or it gets damaged, those memories are gone unless you’ve made copies yourself.
Kept follows the same offline approach, where your family’s stories remain purely physical. The book sits on your shelf and nowhere else, giving you total control over who sees what and when. Like Promptly, this means you’re responsible for keeping it safe, but it also means you never have to worry about privacy breaches or companies changing their data policies.
The reality with both books is pretty straightforward. You gain complete privacy and ownership, but you forfeit the convenience of backup and sharing that digital options like Meminto offer no emailing chapters to grandparents, no automatic cloud backups, no copying text to create multiple versions. Everything stays in that one physical book, which feels both secure and slightly nerve-wracking depending on how you look at it.
For families who’ve gotten burned by apps disappearing or privacy concerns with digital platforms, this old-school approach feels reassuring. Your memories can’t get hacked, sold, or lost in a server crash.
Pricing comparison
Looking at the price tags, Kept costs more upfront, but there’s more to the story than just the sticker price. Promptly’s childhood journal runs $39 to $47, depending on whether you pick linen or leatherette covers, while Kept’s “Childhood, A History” sits at $59, though it’s frequently marked down from the original $90.
Promptly gives you more options if you want to branch out beyond childhood memories. Their other journals range from $13.60 for a couple’s connection journal to $35 for specialty books, like grief or autobiography journals. This flexibility means you can try one journal without committing to its most expensive option, or build a collection over time.
Kept keeps things simple with essentially one main product at one price point, though they do offer some add-ons if you want to customize. Adding your child’s name to the cover costs an additional $20. They also sell recipe-related accessories, like a 12-pack of recipe cards for $14 or a heirloom recipe box for $120. You’re paying for premium materials like that Smyth-sewn binding and thick Canadian paper, plus free shipping in the US. The higher cost reflects the heirloom quality they’re going for, but it also means there’s no cheap way to test out their style.
The math gets interesting when you factor in longevity. Promptly’s childhood journal covers eighteen years for around $40, which works out to roughly $2.20 per year. Kept’s book spans the same period for $59, coming to about $3.30 annually. Both are cheaper than most photo books or scrapbooking supplies, but Kept’s premium pricing shows in the per-year cost.
Free shipping sweetens Kept’s deal since you’re not paying extra to get it to your door. Promptly’s shipping costs depend on where you order from, though they’re often available through Amazon with Prime shipping.
Pros and Cons
Promptly Journal
| Pros | Cons |
| Wide range of journals for different life stages and themes | Some journals may feel overwhelming due to the variety of prompts |
| More budget-friendly options with frequent sales | Linen covers show fingerprints and stains easily |
| Attractive designs with linen and leatherette cover choices | Add-ons and bundles can increase the cost quickly |
| Good for various budgets and gift occasions | No personalisation standard on most products (unless part of a bundle) |
| Wholesale options available for retailers and bulk orders | Shipping costs vary depending on where you order |
Kept Collection
| Pros | Cons |
| Heirloom-quality materials designed to last for decades | Only one main product, so limited options |
| Simple, elegant design that appeals to minimalists | Higher upfront cost at $59 |
| Prompts focused on meaningful childhood memories over milestones | No other themed journals besides the childhood memory book |
| Personalisation option available for added sentiment | Less frequent sales compared to Promptly |
| Free U.S. shipping included | No wholesale or bulk discounts |
Which platform is right for you?
After digging into all the features and comparing prices, you may still be wondering which journal will best suit your family. Both Promptly and Kept solve the same basic problem of capturing childhood memories, but they do it in entirely different ways that appeal to different types of parents. The key is being honest about your habits and preferences rather than choosing based on what you think you should want.
1. Use case
If you want to document one child from birth to eighteen, Kept is built for that exact purpose. The book tells a complete story about who your child is becoming, not just the milestones they achieve. You get one beautiful book that covers their entire childhood.
Promptly works better if you want separate journals for different purposes. You can purchase their childhood journal, as well as journals for gratitude, travel, or relationships. This lets you focus on what matters to you right now without buying one big book you might not fully use.
Consider your habits with other products. If you buy planners but only use certain sections, you may want Kept’s single focus. If you like having different tools for different projects, Promptly’s variety makes more sense.
Both books work even if your child is already older, but Kept handles starting mid-childhood better since it asks about personality and growth rather than specific first-time events.
2. Budget
Kept costs more upfront at $59, but it’s the only childhood book you’ll need to buy. Promptly’s childhood journal runs $39 to $47, which saves you about $10 to $20 initially. However, if you end up wanting their other journals for travel, gratitude, or relationships, those costs add up quickly, as each one costs $15 to $35.
The real budget consideration isn’t just the initial price. Kept includes free shipping and is crafted with premium materials that are designed to last for decades. Promptly’s linen covers show wear from regular family use, which may be a concern if you plan to pass the book down to your child someday.
If money’s tight right now, Promptly lets you start small with one journal and add others later when your budget allows. You’re not locked into spending $59 all at once. Kept requires the full investment upfront, although they do run sales that lower the price from the original $90.
Both books work out to just a few dollars per year when you calculate the cost over eighteen years of use. Promptly’s childhood journal costs about $2.20 annually, while Kept runs around $3.30 per year. That’s less than most families spend on a single month of photo printing or scrapbooking supplies.
3. Design preference
Kept leans heavily into a minimalist, heirloom aesthetic with clean lines and lots of white space. The cotton linen cover and thick Canadian paper feel substantial in your hands, like something that belongs on a coffee table bookshelf. Promptly offers more visual variety with 14 different colors and both linen and leatherette options, with a warmer design that feels more approachable.
Your home’s aesthetic gives you clues about which appeals to you. If you gravitate toward clean, sophisticated spaces with neutral colors, Kept fits that vibe perfectly. If you prefer spaces with personality and visual interest, Promptly’s variety lets you pick something that matches your style.
The practical side matters too since Kept’s linen cover shows every fingerprint and coffee ring, while Promptly’s leatherette option handles daily family chaos better.
4. Variety
Promptly clearly wins if you want options. Beyond their childhood journals, they create books for travel adventures, daily gratitude, self-love practices, couples’ connection, and grief processing. You could easily build a whole collection that covers different phases of your life or family needs.
Kept sticks to one main thing and does it well. Their childhood book is their focus, with just some recipe accessories on the side. This simplicity means you’re not overwhelmed by choices, but it also means you’re stuck with their one approach, whether it perfectly fits your family or not.
Some parents love having a matching set of journals for different purposes, while others prefer putting all their energy into one really meaningful project. If you’re someone who gets excited by new journals and fresh starts, Promptly’s range gives you room to expand. If you abandon projects when you have too many options, Kept’s singular focus might keep you more committed.
Note of Recommendation
- Kept Collection: Best for parents who want a single, elegant book that tells their child’s story from start to finish. Ideal if you value simplicity, heirloom materials, and a product designed to last for decades.
- Promptly Journals: Best for those who want variety. Great if you enjoy using different journals for different themes or life stages, want budget flexibility, or like having thoughtful prompts for self-reflection beyond childhood memories.
The better alternative: Meminto stories
If you’re reading this comparison and thinking, “what if I want digital convenience but still get a real book?” Meminto might be worth considering, as it offers a middle ground between physical journals and fully digital solutions.
They send you one question per week through an app, and you can answer it however you want, using typing, photos, or voice recordings. Your whole family can add to it, which you can’t do with a single physical journal. Werner from Germany said, “With just one question per week, I was able to record my life story. That was a lot of fun!”
At the end, you get a printed hardcover book that includes QR codes for audio recordings, so Barbara from Germany can still hear her mother’s voice when she opens the book. “We started a Meminto when my mother was still alive and we made a lot of audio recordings. Now I listen to it from the book every time I miss her.”
The books cost $99 to start, with extra copies for $35, which is more expensive than Promptly or Kept upfront, but you’re getting both digital flexibility during creation and a permanent physical book at the end. If typing responses during downtime sounds more realistic than finding time to handwrite, this approach bridges that gap.
Conclusion
Both Promptly and Kept offer solid approaches to physical journaling, with Promptly providing structure for guided reflection, while Kept creates a beautiful space for free-form writing.
Physical journals do have some real limitations, though. They can get lost, are difficult to share with extended family, and can only be contributed to by one person at a time. If you want to preserve stories that will reach future generations, you might need something more flexible.
Meminto Stories combines the thoughtful prompts you’d get from either platform with the ability to include multiple family members, photos, and even voice recordings in a professionally printed book. Ready to create something your family will treasure for generations? Start your Meminto story today.
