LettersLetter vs Polar Pen Pal

Where they differ

Both are postcards and stickers clubs. Past that they pull apart: LettersLetter also covers letters, art & prints and activities, while Polar Pen Pal adds nature and travel.

On price there is effectively nothing in it — $11.99/mo against $34 for 3 months, which works out within a dollar a month of each other. Price is not the deciding factor here.

Shipping is the one that rules a club out rather than in: LettersLetter ships to US and 23 other countries, Polar Pen Pal to Not stated.

What each one sends

LettersLetter

One envelope a month with an illustrated short story, a collectible postcard, a coloring page, a character sticker and a small surprise such as a mini game. The envelope is addressed to the child by name. Subscribe by the 15th to start in the same cycle.

Polar Pen Pal

Postcards and small northern keepsakes mailed by a family living in Arctic Canada, showing everyday Arctic life, plus collectible stickers. Mail is addressed personally to the child. Subscribers also get password-protected online access to videos and Arctic learning resources.

Which one to pick

We are not going to pretend there is a winner here — they are close enough to be on the same shortlist, which is why this page exists. What we would say is that the choice usually turns on the household rather than the club: how much adult time there is, whether the child reads independently yet, and whether you want post that asks something of them or post that simply arrives.

Read the full listings before deciding, and follow through to each club's own site — prices, terms and gift options are theirs to change and ours only to record.